Lyfta

What is Lyfta?

Lyfta is a digital platform which has been designed to give pupils experience of different cultures and perspectives. The content and resources within Lyfta are ideal for teaching a range of subjects including English, PSHE, geography, citizenship, PE, science, RE, design and technology (DT) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which links with our status as a Rights Respecting School. Lyfta offers a series of immersive learning environments called story worlds which are real life human stories explored through stunning 360° environments and high quality films and digital content.

A range of themes such as sustainability, wellbeing, human diversity, gender equality and compassion are taught through:

• Interactive and immersive technology - creating deep engagement and an emotional connection with the content
• Children experiencing different perspectives and having human encounters they might not otherwise be able to have.
• Powerful short documentary films by award-winning filmmakers from around the world.
• A student interface which supports a flexible range of delivery methods such as whole-class, face to face, blended, teacher-led, independent or remote learning.

Why do we use Lyfta at Beaconsfield?

As well as understanding and appreciating their own culture, at Beaconsfield we recognise the need to ensure that all children are fully prepared to become global citizens within the framework of British Values. To ensure effective teaching and implementation of Lyfta, we have identified appropriate links within our existing PSHE curriculum. By launching Lyfta within the PSHE curriculum, children make connections and links to key topics. This provides a great opportunity to strengthen the teaching of different topics through an immersive platform with engaging and powerful visuals and storyworlds.

Lyfta Environmental Art Competition Winners!

The competition invited students from across the UK to explore Lyfta’s immersive Beachcomber storyworld and be inspired to make their own artistic creations in response to the theme. We are pleased to announce that Chrisan (Year 6) won the overall competition and Siena and Sydelle were also selected as runners up!

Judges commenting on the winning work from Chrisan, thought the piece was “highly creative and well put together and was submitted with a wonderful, heartfelt, apt, and eloquent summary to explain the motivation behind the work”:

“I was influenced by the environment we live in and this project is to spread awareness to everyone on how to improve the world, to teach to the next generation. This doesn’t just include rules but also key involvement and togetherness for these issues. The world will be a better place if we can start now. As we know, wild animals are having a hard time due to less food, deforestation. In addition, plastic has been a major problem to many and this project has all the solutions in creating a better world. Overall, we should push ourselves out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves.”

Rob Arnold (a judge and the artist who appears in Beachcomber) commented:

“Chrisan recognises all the problems, not just the plastic. I love how she respects the wild animals and their right to be here too. She recognises that repairing this world won’t be easy for us but it’s important and urgent that we all pull together with love and support for our planet.”

Siena and Sydelle were also chosen as runners-up for this wonderful poster. They were inspired by the work Rob is doing to protect the environment and could see and understand that we need to consider all of our actions to protect the environment, even the small things. Sydelle writes:

“I have made this poster because I want everyone to be aware of what we are doing to the planet and the action we can take to cause less harm to the environment like Rob. We can recycle and reuse, not litter, use public transport and simple things like: taking short showers or switching the light off. My inspiration was by walking around town and observing and trying ways to fix the environment and do my part. Be the person to make a change.”

As the competition winner, Chrisan secured for the school a beach trip worth £500, and our runners-up Siena and Sydelle  won signed and framed prints of some of artist Rob Arnold’s amazing work. We are so proud of them!