News & Events
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Nisai Group News
Every child matters
Follow the link to read the Futurelab article.
Remote Classes a Success
You can read the online version of this article on the this is south devon website; www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk or download the article as a .pdf
Nisai are on the BBC website.
We are featured on the BBC website. Follow the link to see the article. BBC news article
Nisai are featured in the Times Education Supplement.
You can view the online version of this article at the TES website; www.tes.co.uk or download the full article in .pdf format
Nisai Benelux featured on primetime news in Holland!
The Live Interactive Classroom was featured on 2 news programmes recently in Holland. Hart van Nederland is a primetime news programme from channel SBS 6, and featured a student using the Live Interactive Classrom via the Nisai Virtual Academy. The same story ran on Het Jeugdjournaal is a news programme aimed at 9 - 12 year olds (similar to Newsround in the UK). Click below to view the TV clips.
Nisai Benelux on Hart van Nederland
Nisai Benelux on Het Jeugdjournaal
Nisai Group Events
LEARNING AGAINST THE ODDS: VIRTUAL AWARDS CEREMONY FOR CHILDREN WITH ME – 12.04.2007
The Queen's cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson, Patron of The Young ME SufferersTrust, has presented 14 young students with Learning Commitment Awards for their hard work despite being disabled by the serious neurological disease ME. All the children are studying with the Nisai Virtual Academy and are unable to attend school. They received their Awards online. The Trust works in partnership with Nisai Education to support their learning.
Dhruv Patel, Managing Director of Nisai, said: "These Awards show just what can be achieved by young people who are unable to attend school if they are provided with specialist teachers and group learning opportunities. Many can only study infrequently, which makes their progress all the more remarkable. Both they and our other students say they find learning like this exciting. They can hardly believe how well they have done in spite of not being able to attend school. The results speak for themselves."
The flexibility of learning via interactive web-based educational programmes enables study outside the constraints of a conventional timetable. It also alleviates the children's isolation as they can interact with their teachers and fellow pupils. Mr Patel said: "We look forward to working with The Young ME Sufferers Trust to help more young people achieve their academic potential."
The Young ME Sufferers Trust, also known as Tymes Trust, is the UK's longest established national service for young people and children with ME and their families. Former Headteacher and Executive Director Jane Colby said: "I know from personal experience how disabling ME can be. The internet is the most powerful tool we have available - what could be more logical than to use it for education? People thought the Open University was peculiar once! There is nothing odd about learning out of school. It is a credit to these sick children, and their families, that they have achieved so much."
ME is the biggest cause of long term sickness absence from school. The Learning Commitment Awards are set to be an annual occasion with many more young students receiving special recognition. The Virtual Academy has now provided for 450 students from over 40 Local Authority regions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The children's success in the face of illness was also celebrated at a private event on Wednesday, when the Lord Clement-Jones CBE hosted The Young ME Sufferers Trust to afternoon tea at the House of Lords. Guests included Lady Elizabeth Anson, Earl Howe and Shirley Conran OBE, who addressed the party, which included Mr Patel and many guests from Wales, Scotland, England and Holland.
Special Guest was Lord Adonis, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, who presented 12 year old Shannen Dabson with her new Tymes Trustcard to support her when she is able to attend school again.
For further information on The Young ME Sufferers Trust and Nisai visit www.tymestrust.org and www.nisai.com
House of Lords Award Ceremony
Nisai are proud to announce that in association with the Tymes Trust for young ME sufferers, they will be launching an awards ceremony on March 28th to gain recognition for young people who, despite major disadvantages, have made significant progress with their education.
To celebrate the occasion, the founder patron of the Tymes Trust, Lord Clement-Jones, will host an event at The House of Lords between 3:30pm and 5:00pm for luminaries from the world of education, peers, members of parliament and influential journalists. Earle Howe, the Countess of Mar, Lady Elizabeth Anson, Lady Carter and Shirley Conran have also indicated their plans to attend this inaugural event of an award programme which is planned to become an annual feature of the education calendar.
Dhruv Patel, the managing director of Nisai, speaking about the Nisai Virtual Academy said, “We have been in partnership with The Tymes Trust since 2004. Our programmes offer those young people with ME both the means and the way to overcome obstacles standing in the path of their academic development. By providing informative, innovative and interesting on-line educational programmes by the internet, the NVA allows students with a wide range of medical, social and emotional problems to achieve their potential. We are extremely proud of what has been achieved to date and look forward to reporting on continued and expanded success in the future. The launch of our awards ceremony in March celebrates what has been accomplished to date by Nisai, The Tymes Trust and, most importantly, the young people themselves. We are delighted to report on their successes and wish them well for the future. We are confident that some of them will go on to achieve outstanding academic results.”
Nisai Education News
Nisai in the News!
The Nisai Virtual Academy is featured in The Times T2 supplement. Please click on the link below to read the article in full.
Forgotten Children Achieve Stunning Exam Results – Again!
The Nisai Virtual Academy (NVA), in use by 33 Local Education Authorities around the country, has once again proved itself by producing some truly remarkable results
In Warwickshire, for example, 200 home tutored students sat a total of just 25 GCSEs last year; 36% of the passes were A-C grades. Compare that with a 53% A-C rate for NVA last year, which improved to 67% this year. “These results are extraordinary,” says Andy McGarry, the NVA Communications Director. “They are slightly up on the national average but more importantly they are so much better than these children ever expected.”
The Nisai Virtual Academy is available to children all over the UK and offers a real opportunity for local councils to improve the educational provision and academic opportunities that they currently offer children out of school.
For more information, please contact the NVA on 020 8424 8475 or email info@nisai.com
Summer School at the NVA
The NVA will be running a Summer School in July and August of this year. Students will be taking part in live, interactive sessions and receiving tuition from subject specialist teachers. This programme has been initiated in response to a growing demand from students who would like additional tuition on specific subjects. The NVA Summer School programme gives students an ideal opportunity to get back into education in a fun and interactive way.
If you're interested in the NVA Summer School, please contact the NVA on 020 8424 8475 or email info@nisai.com stating the subject(s) you would like to see on the programme.
Tees Valley Connexions Service
A group of 30 young people will be joining the Nisai Virtual Academy (NVA) from the Tees valley this month. The Tees Valley Connexions service has enrolled young people who are not currently accessing mainstream education or training. They will be undertaking an eight week course on the NVA's Passport to Learning programme (NP2L), which provides Key Skills and/or Basic Skills courses (depending on learner requirements). The programme comprises live, interactive, group lessons; coursework assignments; and live contact with specialist teachers 25 hours per week. It is designed to re-engage disaffected learners; offering regular certification under the Unit Award Scheme and providing them with nationally recognised qualifications that will enhance their employment opportunities. The programme is due to start at the end of March.
'A' Student Writes Article about the NVA
Congratulations to Richard Bennett, one of the NVA's first A Level students, who recently gained 95% grade A on his first module. Richard is studying Maths and ICT A Level courses with the Virtual Academy; taking live, interactive lessons and completing online course work assignments. Richard has been unable to attend mainstream school or college due his medical condition, and because of this he has missed out on academic opportunities. Richard has recently written an article for AYME's magazine (Association of Young People with ME) about his experience at the Virtual Academy.
Click here to read a copy of the article (PDF)
Middlesbrough and Sunderland Enroll Learners with Nisai Virtual Academy
Sunderland City Council and Acklam Grange School in Middlesbrough have joined forces with learning and education company Nisai to provide online teaching to children who cannot attend school, either through sickness or exclusion.
Martin Burnett, Head of Inclusion at Acklam Grange School, said: "When I came across this package, I thought it was a great idea. We want to make sure every pupil has the support they need, particularly those children who are not making the most of what school life can offer. Being able to offer pupils who are falling behind, or even out of the education system, an alternative way of learning is definitely something we wanted to bring on board. It gives us great flexibility. Thanks to the learning package provided by Nisai, every pupil has access to the education they need."
The Nisai Virtual Academy (NVA) delivers live, interactive lessons to students all over the UK. Last year they delivered a 97% pass rate at GCSE, 53% of these were A*-C grades. This was above the national average of 51% and all the more extraordinary because it was achieved by learners who were not expected to achieve any qualifications at all.
Virtual School, Real Success (PDF)
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