Oak Academy: Funding, Purpose, Teaching Resources and Impact on Schools

Oak Academy is an online education platform that provides teaching and learning resources for schools in England. It became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many schools needed online lessons to help students continue their education from home.

The platform later became the Oak National Academy, a government-funded organisation created to support teachers and improve access to curriculum materials. Its work includes developing lesson resources, helping teachers plan their classes and giving pupils more ways to learn.

The organisation has also faced questions about government funding, teacher choice and the role of private education publishers. These discussions became more important when plans were announced to move Oak into a new public body.

What Is Oak Academy?

Oak Academy, also known as Oak National Academy, is an online platform designed to support teaching in schools. It offers lesson materials and other resources that teachers can use in their classrooms or when planning lessons.

The platform first became important during the pandemic, when school closures made online learning necessary for many children. Teachers and parents could access lessons and learning materials through its website.

Over time, its role expanded beyond emergency remote learning. Teachers began using the resources for lesson planning, covering classes and supporting pupils who needed extra help.

Oak National Academy aims to make good-quality teaching resources easier to access. Teachers can use the materials to support their own lessons rather than having to create everything from scratch.

Why Did the Government Provide Funding to Oak Academy?

In 2022, the UK government set aside up to £43 million to support Oak National Academy over three years. The funding was intended to help the organisation develop and provide curriculum resources for schools.

A significant part of the money was expected to go towards creating educational materials with the help of schools, publishers and other organisations.

The first planned round of work covered curriculum materials for six subjects, with a budget of around £8 million. Further subjects were expected to be included in later procurement rounds.

The organisation also needed money for technical services, website hosting and other operating costs. These services help keep an online education platform available to teachers and pupils.

Because Oak was being established as a new public body during the financial year, the government also planned to use money from its contingency fund to cover some initial costs. This temporary funding was intended to be repaid once the formal budget arrangements were in place.

These figures relate to the funding plans announced in 2022. They should not be treated as Oak Academy’s current budget.

Why Was Oak National Academy Moved Into a Public Body?

The move was intended to give Oak a more formal role in supporting schools across England. Instead of operating only as an online lesson platform, it was set up to develop curriculum packages and educational resources on a wider scale.

Under the framework announced at the time, Oak was expected to work independently when creating its resources while taking the national curriculum and government guidance into account.

Its main aims included helping teachers deliver lessons, improving pupil outcomes and reducing gaps between pupils from different backgrounds.

However, the change was not welcomed by everyone. Some education groups questioned whether the government was giving Oak too large a role in deciding which curriculum materials schools would use.

There were also concerns about how the new organisation would work with existing publishers and whether teachers would retain enough freedom to choose their own resources.

Who Joined the Oak Academy Board?

When Oak moved towards its new structure in 2022, an interim board was announced to help guide the organisation.

Ian Bauckham, who chaired Ofqual and led the Tenax Schools Trust, was named to lead the interim board. Henry de Zoete also joined temporarily, bringing experience in technology and product development. He had previously worked as an adviser to education secretary Michael Gove and later became known for his business Look After My Bills.

Louise Thompson, a partner at KPMG, was also appointed because of her experience in finance, risk and auditing.

These appointments were part of the organisation’s early plans to establish its leadership and operating structure. Permanent appointments were expected to follow through a public process.

How Do Teachers Use Oak Academy?

Oak Academy offers resources that teachers can use in different ways. The materials can support everyday classroom teaching as well as lesson planning and revision.

Common uses include:

• Lesson planning: Teachers can use existing materials to prepare lessons and organise topics.
• Cover lessons: The resources can help when a teacher is absent or a class needs a prepared lesson.
• Extra learning support: Pupils can revisit lessons and practise topics they find difficult.
• Remote learning: Online materials can help pupils continue studying when they cannot attend school.
• Curriculum support: Teachers can use the resources as a starting point when preparing their own teaching plans.

Teachers do not have to use every resource exactly as it is provided. The materials can support their work, while teachers adapt lessons to suit their pupils and classroom needs.

Oak Academy’s Impact on Schools

A report by ImpactEd covering the 2021–22 school year found that around 32,000 teachers and 170,000 pupils used Oak Academy each week on average.

The report also noted a change in how teachers used the platform. During the pandemic, it was often used to provide lessons for pupils learning at home or to cover classes when teachers were unavailable. Later, curriculum planning became a more common reason for using it.

In the survey described in the report, 43% of users said they used Oak for curriculum planning, while 37% used it to arrange cover lessons.

More than two in five reported uses suggested that the platform helped reduce teacher workload. Those users reported saving an average of three hours per week.

The report also found that Oak’s reach among primary schools had fallen from 48.8% to 37%, while its reach among secondary schools remained around 74%.

These figures describe the period covered by the report and should not be taken as current usage statistics.

Main Concerns About Oak Academy

Although Oak has offered useful resources to many teachers, its expanded role has raised some concerns.

Teacher Choice

Some education groups argued that teachers should have the freedom to choose the teaching materials that work best for their pupils. They were concerned that a government-backed organisation could have too much influence over classroom content.

Relationship With Publishers

Education publishers also questioned how the new organisation would affect their work. They raised concerns about competition and the possibility that publicly funded materials could change the market for teaching resources.

Workload and Quality

Ready-made lessons can save teachers time, but the resources still need to suit the needs of individual pupils. Teachers may need to adapt lessons, check content and add activities for students who need a different approach.

Oak’s supporters have argued that sharing high-quality materials can help teachers focus more time on teaching and less time creating resources from scratch.

How Can Students and Teachers Access Oak Academy?

Teachers and pupils can visit the official website to explore the resources available.

Official website: https://www.thenational.academy/

Users can browse available lessons and learning materials by subject, key stage or topic, depending on the resources offered on the platform.

Teachers can use suitable materials alongside their own lesson plans. Students and parents can also use available lessons to review topics and practise what has been taught in school.

The platform’s available content may change over time, so users should visit the official website for the latest information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Thoughts

Oak Academy has played an important role in online learning and continues to provide educational resources for teachers and pupils. Its materials can help teachers prepare lessons, support students and save time during the school day.

At the same time, its wider role in curriculum development has led to discussions about public funding, teacher choice and the relationship between government-backed resources and education publishers.

For teachers and students, the most useful approach is to explore the available resources and choose materials that meet their learning needs.

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