Ofcom commissions Common Sense Media for media literacy education in schools in Devon and Cornwall

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has commissioned Common Sense Media UK, a child tech and education charity, to deliver bespoke media literacy education for multi academy trusts and local authorities across Devon and Cornwall.

Common Sense Media will provide free dedicated implementation planning and teacher training, helping students to question and create media and communicate effectively in a digital age. They are seeking participation from schools in Devon and Cornwall.

The programme compliments the interim findings of the DfE’s current curriculum review and the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s Media Literacy report highlighting the need for responding to social and technological change, examining how education can better prepare students to grasp the opportunities of the future and addressing trends in digital information, tackling misinformation and navigating the rise of AI. The online resources from Common Sense Media will continue to be freely accessible.

Common Sense Media have developed a fully-resourced digital citizenship curriculum, CPD programme, and workshop series to help schools, teachers, children and families navigate technology responsibly with confidence.

Claire Levens, Head of Media Literacy Policy and Evaluation, Ofcom said: “We know that teachers are really important people in helping children and young people make sense of and manage the content they see online. We hope that by equipping teachers with media literacy skills and resources, they can support children and young people to navigate content safely and flourish online.”

Lord Ed Vaizey, Chair of Common Sense Media UK added: “In today’s fast-moving digital world, helping young people build the skills to think critically, stay safe, and thrive online is more important than ever. The Common Sense free whole school Digital Citizenship Curriculum has been a game-changer. It gives children the tools to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. Our teacher's self paced courses are timely and impactful.