Rockerbox named Best Primary Resource or Equipment
Rockerbox News has won in the ‘Best Primary Resource or Equipment – ICT’ category at the Education Resources Awards 2023 (ERA).
Quality non-fiction content for all KS1 and KS2 pupils
The service provides KS1 and KS2 pupils with quality non-fiction content that’s aligned with the national curriculum for learning and is suitable for all ability levels. The team at Rockerbox said the award was “testament to our mission” to keep pupils informed, enhance their reading skills, boost confidence and promote global citizenship. The service also aims to encourage independent learning for entire classes, including EAL and SEND-inclusive communities.
The awards ceremony took place last month at Birmingham’s National Conference Centre. The ERA judging panel said it was “impressed by the factual approach of this programme”. The panel complimented the service on its regularly updated resources and praised the team for the way they presented contemporary news to children. The service was praised for sparking conversation and engagement in a way that the panel said was “genuinely innovative” and benefitted entire schools.
An ”incredible and prestigious award”
Rockerbox said they wanted to express their gratitude for this “incredible and prestigious award” as well as to their team, partners and subscribers. They said they wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the achievement without their help.
The Rockerbox team also said they were now “more motivated than ever” to carry on developing the platform to make sure it continued to be a valuable resource for teachers and children, adding that they wanted to “inspire the next generation of informed and engaged learners.”
The birth of Rockerbox News
Rockerbox News was first founded in 2021 to ensure that all learners had access to information regardless of factors including their learning style, level or setting. They aim to ensure all learners are motivated to learn and receive the knowledge that they need to reach their full potential. Their non-fiction reading platforms have been built around in-depth school-based research to ensure schools, educators and parents have access to life-changing resources.
The team consists of a range of educators, parents and journalists. Rockerbox News is also a headline partner of nasen – the national association for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Nasen and Rockerbox News are passionate about ensuring educational environments are both inclusive and equitable for everyone. The team say that when schools choose Rockerbox News, they are helping them to support the essential work carried out by nasen across the country.
Engaging young learners around the world
Rockerbox News belongs to the Global Equality Collective. The team use the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to help them create suitable content and continue to develop their platform. By focusing on non-fiction content, the Rockerbox team are able to connect learners not only in the UK but around the world and engage young learners.
The platform aims to inspire confidence and independence in neurodiverse pupils as well as children from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils reading EAL.
The platform takes its name from an item of mining machinery used in the 19th century by gold prospectors. This item consisted of a large box that was placed on top of a rocker and rocked back and forth to separate gold from gravel.
Rockerbox News testimonials
Rockerbox News has received high praise from a wide range of parents and educational professionals.
One teacher said that her pupils loved the platform and described it as a “fun way to engage my reluctant readers”. Another said they had seen a great deal of engagement from children who were previously disengaged, adding that one child created their own survey based on an article they had read about otters in Singapore, receiving responses from members of staff from across the school.
Another educational professional said they had been using the service since autumn 2022 and it had been the best-received and most affordable platform they had introduced for a very long time. They said it was very easy to set up and administer, adding that their subscription had given the school access to thousands of non-fiction articles overnight. They said that all schools should have access to Rockerbox News.
“Stimulating and informative”
A headteacher said their entire journey as a school with Rockerbox News had been excellent and that their students loved it. Another headteacher said their school loved sharing the leaderboards and playing their part in a “healthy competition”. They said they had noticed many improvements in engagement and enjoyment of non-fiction reading, especially amongst previously reluctant readers.
One teacher said the platform had given them immediate access to articles which were “stimulating and informative”, and that this saved them time searching for appropriate articles. They also said they now felt more confident that all children could access age and reading ability-appropriate high-quality information.
The Rockerbox News blog
Rockerbox News also has an informative blog featuring valuable information on its services and why access to quality reading material is so essential for young learners. One recent post, “5 Reasons Your Year 6 Pupils Should Be Reading Non-Fiction and Current Affairs” emphasised their passion for non-fiction material, saying that non-fiction texts were now a major part of SATs tests. The post said that reading non-fiction material was a great way for pupils to prepare for these tests and that it could help pupils to build up their vocabulary by introducing them to terms that they were unlikely to come across in everyday life on a regular basis.
The blog also talked about how non-fiction texts can help pupils to develop valuable analytical critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyse and interpret information. This is regarded as a vital skill that can serve pupils well long after their SATs tests have come to an end. Current affairs articles are also regarded as incredibly useful when it comes to improving general knowledge and remaining informed about the world children are growing up in.
Contact Rockerbox
Anyone who wishes to get in touch with the Rockerbox News team can do so by sending an email to info@myrockerbox.com or by calling 0800 644 8890. You can also get access to a Discovery Pack by completing the form on the site.