BBC launches educational site for children

Designed as a mix of formal curriculum-based resources and informal learning, BBC Jam is aimed primarily at children themselves rather than parents or teachers.

It can also help complement school lessons to help teachers get children interested in topics.

The service hopes to encourage parents to be more involved in their children's education.

Liz Cleaver, controller of learning and Interactive, BBC, said: "The world in which pupils today live and learn is changing and with BBC jam we wanted to provide a service that would stimulate children and engage them in education by putting creativity and control in their hands.”

The service will see 20 commissions scheduled to go live throughout 2006. The first six are Maths and English for five to seven year olds, Science for seven to nine year olds, Geography for seven to 11 year olds, French for 11 to 14 year olds and Business Studies for 14 to 16 year olds.

Other topics will include Design and Technology, History, Religious Education Music, Physical Education, Welsh, Welsh Second Language and Financial capability.

Citizenship studies and its equivalent subjects, will also be included. Other subjects will continue to be added until September 2008.

Also covered will be Field Studies for those with severe learning difficulties.

Mark Thompson, BBC director-general, said: “Learning has been one of three pillars of the BBC since the 1920s and it remains so today. I'm extremely proud that we have been able to design a service in discussion with the young people who will use it, to bridge the gap between home and the classroom by creating something innovative and distinctive which really works for them.”