Press release

The Life Channel facilitates Global Partnerships

19 Mar 2009

The Life Channel Schools network, an in-school TV channel, is being utilised to promote global partnership between St Thomas More RC School (Specialist Sports College) in North London and The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom School in Pretoria, South Africa.

The development of The Life Channel Schools network into Africa is part of a planned expansion based on the successful implementation of the service in Europe. Broadcasting to over 5m people per month, in over 4000 locations across the UK, The Life Channel is the largest health and wellbeing TV network in Europe.

Fitting in with the DFID's Global School Partnerships remit, The Life Channel Schools network will give both schools greater partnership and cultural development on a global scale by enabling them to:

Share Life
St Thomas More RC School and The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom School will be able to upload relevant video footage and photographs of life in their school (including clips of students, assemblies, internal and external events) and share it all with the school abroad. Both schools will be able to share and develop the curriculum and cultures with each other without the need to transfer people. This will cut down on costs and time constraints.

Share Educational Content
Motivating students to learn, easing school management and generating greater school communication, The Life Channel Schools network supports and reinforces what schools in the UK have been carrying out to fulfil their ECM and OFSTED criteria by producing age-appropriate content including eating well; having an active, fun-filled life; respecting oneself and others - with significant emphasis on bullying and peer mentoring; avoiding drink and substance misuse; helping others and inspiring aims and achievement. Relevant content is provided on screens in South Africa.

Share Technology
Both schools will have their own dedicated TV channels. A two-way satellite communication system is installed to deliver content and enable the schools to communicate with one another using high speed Internet access. Education professionals can download any programmes from The Life Channel website's unique online portal and show them on their interactive whiteboards. Helping teachers and students to become more ICT-competent, the network also allows schools to upload their own information and content onto the screens to be shown in-between The Life Channel School network's programming.

"I was stunned with the potential [The Life Channel Schools network] seems to offer. I think any way in which you can communicate a message to people across the world is fantastic; especially when it's a positive message about life, health, personal safety, hygiene, all those types of issues that are affecting people all over the world."
Niall Wilkins, 2nd Secretary, South African High Commission