BBC School Radio
| City | 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TQ |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom |
| Frequency | Radio 4 DAB |
| Repeater(s) | BBC |
| First air date | 4 April 1924 |
| Affiliations | BBC Radio 4, BBC Learning |
| Owner | BBC |
| Webcast | Podcasts |
| Website | BBC School Radio |
BBC School Radio is a division of the BBC providing audio learning resources for primary schools in the United Kingdom.
The first broadcast to schools was organized by the privately owned British Broadcasting Company and given by the composer Sir Walford Davies, Professor of Music at Gresham College. It was transmitted from Britain's second ever radio station, 2LO in London, on 4 April 1924.
Following the dissolution of the British Broadcasting Company on 31 December 1926 and the transfer of its assets to the Crown-chartered British Broadcasting Corporation, the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust funded a project on broadcasting to schools based on feedback collected from teachers in Kent. In 1928 the Central Council for School Broadcasting (CCSB) was established; its first two Chairmen were Herbert Fisher and Eustace Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle. For each curriculum subject covered in the broadcasts there was a Subject Committee, staffed by teachers.
From 1929-57, the first Director of School Broadcasting was Mary Somerville. By the 1930s, secondary schools were included in the target audience and broadcasts were added covering foreign-language learning. Older listeners were also tuning in.
During the Second World War, School Radio gained a new importance. Any regional variations were consolidated into a single home service for children with a five-minute news broadcast that was designed to explain the confusing circumstances. By 1942, half of all British schools were listening.
The School Broadcasting Council for the United Kingdom had been set up in 1947, replacing the CCSB, and included Scotland and Wales.
After the Newsom Report in 1963, more series were made about the transition from school to work. The 1960s to 1980s were regarded as a 'golden age' for British schools radio broadcasting.
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