Primary schools in England and Wales participated in a free educational programme set up by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for students to learn about the census.
ONS is currently conducting a census ‘rehearsal’ to test the processes, systems and services it needs to use before the Census 2021. In the rehearsal areas (Carlisle, Ceredigion, Hackney and Tower Hamlets) participating schools held a Let’s Count! day where pupils explored their local area and created school-centred maps and displays on what they discovered.
A panel of judges, which included RSS vice president for education and statistical literacy, Sharon Witherspoon, selected a winner for each of the census rehearsal areas, with the winning schools being awarded a prize of school equipment.
‘I’m delighted at the level of engagement pupils had with the programme,’ Sharon Witherspoon commented. ‘The Let’s Count! displays were very impressive and showed how important programmes like this are to mathematic, statistical and cross-curriculum skills.’
The winning schools were: St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School in Tower Hamlets, Ysgol Llanfarian in Ceredigion, Jubilee Primary School in Hackney and Blackford Primary School in Carlisle. The winning schools received a prize of £500 in school supplies, except for Jubilee Primary School which, as overall winner, received a prize of £1,000 in school equipment. A number of runner-up schools won £100 of school supplies.