Gridlink Education System
Gridlink Ltd offers the Gridlink Education System as a total package
to meet the educational needs of those children who for a variety
of reasons are not receiving full-time school education.
These children may be long-stay patients in hospital through chronic
illness or injury, or may be convalescing at home. Alternatively
they may be school phobics or children who have been excluded from their normal school,
or children whose parents prefer home education.
The system employs distance learning techniques based on modern computer technology and the best available management and curriculum software tools. Compared with existing ways of providing full education to out-of-school pupils it offers a tested and more effective alternative, and one which can offer significant cost benefits.
Many of the children in the categories described above are currently unlikely to be receiving education of a standard envisaged by the National Curriculum Council, indeed they may be receiving little formal teaching or tuition at all, as recent reports, for example on excluded pupils (whose numbers are growing rapidly), have demonstrated. This is a situation which local authorities' social services and education departments would clearly wish to improve.
An additional force for change is the implementation from September 1994 of the Education Act 1993. Local Education Authorities have a duty to provide education for all children of compulsory school age who are not attending school for any period and who are not otherwise receiving suitable education.
Any current inadequacy of provision can only be resolved by the application of a cost-effective method of education which is tailored to the needs of individual pupils within the categories outlined above.
Gridlink Ltd, has drawn on its management staff's experience of ownership and management of special schools, teaching and computer industry experience to propose a solution to the problem making best use of current computer technology. This approach is supported by recent evaluation results of trials in schools involving use of portable computers and of Integrated Learning Systems. These results, clearly demonstrating the quantum leap in pupils' enthusiasm for, and progress in, learning using Information Technology methods, suggest these methods are particularly applicable to the educational needs of Gridlink's target child population. Children who have suffered illness or accident can benefit greatly by having their time structured, and the new mental stimulus and resulting psychological well-being will promote recovery. All the above-described types of students are in particular need of motivation in the short to medium term, in order that they can better integrate back into a normal school situation or can develop or renew the vital elements of self-esteem and desire for learning.
Gridlink has a proven track record over the last 4 years with students in England, the USA, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa, with many examination successes at GCSE and International GCSE.
The Gridlink Education System is delivered to students with the aim of approaching as near as possible the requirements of the National Curriculum, given the individual situation of the student.
Gridlink offers education to any child from 8 years old to 16+, 5 days per week. The contract for the pupil's education may be with a local education authority, a private or special school or home, or with the pupil's parents.
Before any student is accepted into the system, an assessment will be made of the student's needs and ability to benefit from the Gridlink system. This assessment will include where appropriate, interviews with the child, parents and previous school professionals. Children will be accepted on the basis of a minimum contractual period of a month renewable monthly. Even the shortest contracts will benefit the students, in terms of acquiring or improving IT skills and regaining the will and motivation to learn. The Gridlink system offers a fully integrated hospital/home teaching service.
The system centres on the child being taught and tested with the assistance of a personal computer, either a desktop or notebook (laptop) model.
Computer materials will be selected according to the student's need, to include regular assessment and activity worksheets plus resource study materials. Additional educational materials, books, worksheets etc will be chosen for the student according to their curriculum and course needs.
The student is not expected to spend long periods of time in front of the computer screen, but will integrate the computer work with off-computer activity, including reading. The student will be encouraged wherever possible to develop and make use of research skills, involving access to materials off the computer. Project work and field work will also be part of the education program depending on the student's situation. Coursework skills will be developed. Where appropriate the Internet may supplement conventional sources of information.
The pupil's IT skills will be developed as quickly as possible to enable him or her to gain maximum benefit from the system, however an initial lack of IT skills will not delay the start of the education program because of the flexibility of the integration of on- and off- computer work.
Each school day the student follows a programme of lessons received from his/her tutors by e-mail.
The student may type his or her work on the computer but will also need to use pen and paper for handwritten work, sketches and diagrams. The student will then use a scanner to create .gif images of all their handwritten work and manually-completed worksheets. At the end of the working day, the student sends all his/her work files by e-mail (using attachment facilities) to the tutor.
The tutor will monitor progress, mark assignments and identify difficulties, setting a programme of work for the following week. The student will be encouraged to develop his or her own preferred way of working within the daily or weekly requirements of the programme, to promote self-reliance and self-motivation. Support will be available from the tutor if difficulties arise.
The student may get the benefit of instant feedback from some learning programs on the computer. The student's work will be assessed and marked by the tutor and returned normally within two days.
A regular progress report is sent to the pupil, the pupil's parents and the contracting authority. The Gridlink staff will be in liaison with the local education, social services and health staff regularly to review the pupil's health, general well-being and educational progress in order to make any necessary adjustments to the pupil's teaching programme, and schedule any necessary visits.
Hardware & Software Requirements
Other software, such as DTP packages and drawing programs, may be helpful for the student but are not essential.
Standard Contract Service Provision
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