Screens, Security, and Saftey Trends: Your 5-Minute Friday Briefing
By Phillippa Chippendale — ICT in Schools Team
Hello Everyone! Welcome back to your weekly 5-minute Friday digest of technology updates, designed to keep you up to speed on the latest innovations in the world of education and tech.
We’ve gathered the latest news from around the web—covering everything from excellent classroom curriculum utilities to critical online safeguarding clinics and half-term student events.
Grab a hot coffee, take five minutes, and catch up on the week ahead!
🛠️ App of the Week: Classroom Screen
Looking for a seamless way to manage your daily classroom workflow without the hassle of a complex setup? This week’s featured tool is Classroom Screen.
- What it is: A completely free, browser-based single screen that displays all of your essential classroom management widgets in one unified interface.
- The Best Part: Absolutely no logins, profile credentials, or setup sequences are required for basic, everyday use.
- Pricing: Free! (There is a premium option available if you want to permanently save your custom screens across multiple sessions, but the free tier is more than comprehensive enough for daily classroom routines).
👉 Try out Classroom Screen here
🔒 Safety Tip: 2-Minute Password Audit
Take two minutes today to check the status of your online security.
Your Weekly Reminder: If your current work or personal password includes a pet’s name, sequential numbers, or your birth year, it is time for an upgrade.
For maximum security, try switching to a passphrase format. This involves stringing four entirely random words together (for example: purple-correct-chair-ocean) to create an entry phrase that is incredibly difficult for malicious software to crack, yet easy for you to remember.
💡 Weekly Spotlight: AI Study Buddies
More students than ever before are turning to personalized AI tutors for assistance with homework.
While these platforms are incredibly beneficial for explaining complex math formulas and breaking down dense concepts, it is vital that educators and parents ensure students understand the definitive line between learning from an AI tool and simply letting the AI do the work for them.
📅 Upcoming CPD & Training Courses
Note: Professional development training courses are entirely FREE to all schools enrolled in our service agreement. External schools are most welcome to attend for £40 + VAT per person.
Maximize Your Budget with “Duo Courses”
Our Duo courses are structured to help you upskill your staff while making the absolute most of your school’s curriculum balance points.
- Step 1: The class teacher completes the specified training course.
- Step 2: Book a half-day follow-up class visit to The Word so your pupils can practice what you learned.
The Savings: Every class teacher who attends the course unlocks a 50% points discount on their class visit, meaning it costs just 30 curriculum points instead of the standard 60.
(Please note: The attending teacher must accompany their class to the half-day session as part of their professional development, and schools can only claim this reduced rate once per specific Duo topic).
Summer Term Lineup:
- AI Risks: Smoothwall Monitor Clinic An overview of current online safety safeguarding trends, highlighting emerging risks linked to AI usage, student behavior, mental health, and technology use. 📅 Wednesday, 3rd June 2026 ⏰ Two sessions available: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM OR 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Duo Course: Y2/3 Stikbot Animation 📅 Tuesday, 9th June 2026 at 4:00 PM
- Summer Termly Website Clinic (Virtual) 📅 Wednesday, 10th June 2026 at 1:30 PM
📨 To book a place on any of these events, click the button below to email Julia directly:
👉 Book with Julia ([email protected])
🎮 Half-Term Community Events
Please feel free to share this information with families and parents on your school’s official social media channels!
We are hosting interactive Minecraft Coding Sessions during the upcoming school break. These are chargeable community activities that must be booked ahead of time.
- 📅 When: Wednesday, 27th May 2026
- 📍 Where: The Word
🔗 Book Your Minecraft Coding Course Here
☀️ Live Summer Quiz: Now Including Key Stage 1!
Get ready to test your knowledge, because our live summer quiz via Google Meet is officially returning!
This year features an incredibly exciting update: for the first time ever, Key Stage 1 classrooms are invited to join the fun. There are 3 live time slots available to best accommodate your school day calendar:
- Session 1: Exclusively reserved for Key Stage 1 participants.
- Sessions 2 & 3: Two time slots for Key Stage 2 classrooms (Morning and Afternoon blocks).
📅 Date: Tuesday, 16th June 2026
Note: Please ensure that a separate registration form is completed for each individual class participating from your school.
👉 Sign Up for the Summer Quiz Here
📌 Looking Ahead: Curriculum Bookings 2026/2027
It’s time to organize your goals for the next academic term! How does your leadership team want to utilize your school’s 180 curriculum point allocation for the 2026 – 2027 school year?
Regional calendar dates fill up rapidly. Please get in touch with our bookings office NOW to lock in your preferred days for workshops and team visits.
Thank you for tuning in to this week’s newsletter! Stay tuned next Friday for more educational tech developments, practical ideas for your lessons, and school leadership tips.
If you have feedback or a topic you would like us to cover, please feel free to reach out with suggestions.
Have a wonderful and safe half-term holiday week!