Last weekend the BBC Proms had some surprising visitors; our founder Henry Wood returned after a 63 year gap, bringing with him a terrifying Queen of the Night and a 12-foot gnome amongst other things. It's true, the Proms team are known to have limited amounts of sleep during the season, but I'm not hallucinating, this was all part of the third iteration of the Ten Pieces Proms, designed to introduce classical music to new audiences.

BBC Ten Pieces is the BBC's biggest music education initiative to date, so far reaching over 4 million people. Its aim is simple, encourage creativity with classical music. This year at the Proms, Ten Pieces presented 'Sir Henry's Marvellous Musical Inspirations'- a journey through the many things that have inspired composers to make music. Mozart was presented alongside music by Ravi Shankar, Lili Boulanger, and a piece composed and performed by 40 young people from North Lincolnshire Music Hub. Those young musicians, alongside those a little further along their musical journey including BBC Young Musician Finalist Jess Gillam, are central to what we do at Proms Learning; nurturing young talent and giving opportunities to perform on a world-class stage, alongside world-class musicians.

My favourite moment of the Ten Pieces Prom? 500 young people, aged 9-18 performing a new work by Kerry Andrew, "No Place Like". Kerry wrote the piece especially for Ten Pieces III (coming out this autumn). It's about home, the words were contributed by children from across the UK and their emotion and feeling about where they come from is evident in every note. The performance was spine-tingling, as was the audience reaction; 'I wish I could sing that' said one 9 year old in the audience, she can and I hope it inspires her to create her own music one day.

If nurturing talent and creativity is one central pillar to what Proms Learning do, the other is reaching and inspiring new audiences. This Saturday 29 July we present the first ever Relaxed Prom, suitable for children and adults with autism, sensory and communication impairments and learning disabilities as well as individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and partially sighted. We've worked closely with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who have been developing work for these audiences for the past 20 years, and the Royal Albert Hall's Education and Outreach Team.

Presented by conductor Grant Llewellyn and musician Andy Pidcock, the Relaxed Prom is a fun and interactive musical experience in a welcoming environment, with plenty of opportunities for participation. During the concert there will be a relaxed attitude to movement and noise in the auditorium. (There are over 80 musicians in the orchestra alone, so it will be loud!) audience members can move about, dance, sing or just listen. 'Chill-out' spaces outside the auditorium are available.

I'm really looking forward to meeting a relaxed audience in the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday and enjoying a very special BBC Prom with them. The best place to be as always will be the Promming arena, with plenty of space to move, dance and enjoy the music. Tickets are available on the day and everyone is welcome.

Ellara Wakley is Senior Learning Manager, BBC Proms

• Find out more about the Relaxed Prom 

We’ve developed the “BBC School Report Uploader” which mirrors the way young people share and upload content on social networks and online and makes it easy to pitch stories. Ideas can simply be sent in the form of videos, vlogs, pictures or text from a computer or a mobile phone.

BBC School Report gives 60,000 young people each year the opportunity to research and produce their own reports with the help of BBC staff mentors. The project works in partnership with all types of secondary education schools and establishments, including Hospital Schools and Pupil Referral Units and involves young people of all social backgrounds and a range of special educational needs. The project culminates in an annual News Day (this year on March 16th).

We’ve also made the project year round – so we can reflect the stories and views of young people on stories throughout the year – not just on one day.

The BBC is in a unique position to give young people an opportunity to learn about journalism and since its launch BBC School Report has enjoyed many highlights. As well as reporting on stories that matter to them School Reporters have interviewed high-profile personalities and notables over the years including four serving Prime Ministers, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, Malala Yousafzai, Children’s Commissioners, the UN Special Envoy for Education, Director General of UNESCO, David Beckham, Angelina Jolie and Olympic and Paralympic athletes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Richard Branson and the Earl of Wessex.

The project  has won national and international awards including RTS Innovation in Education and the European Diversity award for Diversity in the Journalism category. But we want it to become an even better project which finds new ways of carrying on the good work. It is now a partnership made up of BBC News, BBC Sport, BBC Childrens’ and the BBC Academy. I hope these new partnerships will really help the project to play a greater role than ever before in educating young people about creating content which is interesting, accurate, and informative.

BBC School Report shows us that young people have passionate views on politics and the challenging social issues facing them, their friends and their families, and they are not afraid to speak out. We want to continue to find ways for them to express their opinions and share their experiences.

We hope that by making it easier for young people to engage with the BBC we can share even more of their stories and ideas and help them use their digital skills to create content. If you’re 11-16 – or know someone who is – and have an interest in telling stories submit your stories here. There will be more opportunities to have stories commissioned by news teams throughout the year.

As we enter a new charter finding new ways to understand, reach and reflect young audiences is a vital part  of the BBC’s mission. We want to give them a voice – and we want to listen.

Sharon Stoke is Editor, BBC News School Report

• Submit stories to The Pitch via the BBC News School Report website
• BBC News School Report News Day is on 16th March 2016

Today we’re launching another onto BBC Taster, giving audiences a unique Queen’s eye view of ‘Trooping the Colour’. Teams from around the BBC have been working on a small number of ‘true VR’ experiments as well, which we’re also unveiling today. Andy Conroy, who heads up BBC Research and Development, has blogged about some of these more advanced projects, which you can find on the BBC R&D Blog. This is all part of the BBC’s early experimentation to help us better understand emerging technology and new mediums, explore the potential for future audiences, and see what kind of role the BBC should, or shouldn’t, be playing.

In terms of the technology, the main difference is that VR is more interactive and immersive than 360 degree video, which is very much as it sounds - a video played out in 360 degrees around the viewer.  However, both have the potential to give viewers a sense of presence. This is interesting to us as programme makers as it can help make people feel like they’re at the heart of the action or the story, which could help future audiences better understand important current affairs, news, science and history topics or give them a new perspective.

Experimenting with 360 video also has an advantage from a production point of view. The cameras or camera rigs are widely available and give programme makers the chance to see how it might complement our storytelling elsewhere, or get even more out of the projects they’re already working on. And we have hugely talented editorial teams inside BBC Studios wanting to explore this potential too - it's the people behind our BAFTA award winning TV series like Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners, VE Day, and Stargazing Live that are piloting these experiments on Taster.

But they are not doing this on their own. VR pioneers like Oscar Raby, digital agencies like Rewind, Aardman, VRTOV and Crossover Labs, BBC R&D specialists like Zillah Watson and Simon Lumb, along with teams in BBC Learning and innovation teams across BBC TV are forming a "coalition of the willing and able" to better understand the opportunities and challenges in this emerging field.

For example, as well as watching Alexander Armstrong's BBC One documentary Rome's Invisible City, Alexander can now take you on a 3D tour of Rome's magnificent pantheon in virtual reality. BBC Learning can complement a TV and Radio season around the Easter Rising by transporting you to O’Connell Street in 1916, immersing you in one of the BBC’s first VR documentaries Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel. And in addition to watching Tim Peake on BBC Two's Stargazing Live, we can now put you in his spaceboots and send you 240 miles into the void above Earth in Home – a VR Spacewalk - inspired by the real VR training Tim performed.

Audiences have already responded to other immersive pilots on Taster. In fact there have been over eight million views for projects as varied as the Natural History Unit's Sir David Attenborough & The Giant Dinosaur, Click's tour of the CERN Large Hadron Collider and Strictly Come Dancing, all in 360 video.  Almost 2,000 pieces of feedback from people on BBC Taster have been completed with audiences responding favourably with an average score of 3.5 out of 5 stars, and comments stating that they felt immersed, part of the story - some even said it was "more real than TV".

Where these experiments with immersive technologies will take us is uncertain. They offer a glimpse of the promise of VR and what immersive experiences could provide to audiences, but they also bring new challenges we need to better understand. This is very early days, but these experiments, and the audience and industry feedback we can get from BBC Taster, are helping us do just that - helping inform any strategy the BBC may need in future.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is the highlight of Radio 1’s calendar. Every year we get to visit a different part of the UK, meet our audience face-to-face, and party with them alongside some of the biggest artists in the world.

But it’s not just about the music and the event itself. In the lead up to Big Weekend we also meet thousands of 16 to 19-year-olds at our Radio 1 Academy events. These are a series of bespoke workshops, sessions, gigs and Q&As specifically designed for young people in the local area. We talk to a range of people months in advance, from focus groups, to community groups and local councils, to find out what they would like, and what we can bring to the table. We then spend weeks with our colleagues in BBC Learning shaping a programme of activities, which will give people

We then spend weeks with our colleagues in BBC Learning shaping a programme of activities, which will give people hands-on experience, as well as behind-the-scenes insights into everything from how presenters run their social media accounts to putting on a radio show. There are also opportunities to meet Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJs, whether it’s in a mixing workshop, a demo listening session, or just to ask those questions you’ve always wanted to ask.  

This year in Devon, we’re working with 2 local councils, Exeter City Council and Teignbridge District Council, and we’ve created a month long season of events across both areas, with around 7,000 opportunities for young people to get involved.

We kicked off with Radio 1 DJ Dev hosting 'A Day In The Life Of Radio 1' at Hannah’s at Seale Hayne. He was also joined by his production team and our Head of Programmes, Rhys Hughes, who gave loads of valuable advice on working in the industry.

We also book in some big name guests - we love to surprise people. Friend of Radio 1, Craig David, made an appearance at Coombeshead Academy to talk about his career and perform an acoustic set of some of his most memorable songs. We also had our very own Annie Mac and Charlie Sloth deliver a 10-minute talk on their journey to becoming a successful presenter including personal branding and authenticity - both are up on Radio 1’s YouTube channel.

The month culminates in five days (17-21 May) of activity at Exeter Phoenix, where we’ll be broadcasting live each day, and our Live Lounge artists will be recorded there too including Aluna George, Laura Mvula and Jake Bugg. There’s far too much to mention here, but to give you a taste of the range of sessions, we’ve got Tinie Tempah in conversation with Clara Amfo, a 'How To Get a Job In Music' speed meet (a bit like speed dating, but with professionals in the music industry), a pitching workshop with some of the ‘Dragons’ from Dragons’ Den, and a TV and film Q&A including a Game of Thrones camera operator on the panel. There's also a rare chance to see first-hand how the Radio 1 playlist meeting operates featuring our Head of Music and the entire playlist team. 

The theme of the 2016 Radio 1 Academy is 'creativity' – all the sessions and workshops will be about the different ways people can use their creative talents, from song writing to making props for festivals, to thinking up new games for Scott Mills to play on the radio. We are looking forward to inspiring thousands of young people to take the first step towards a creative career. 

You can find our jam-packed list of sessions on the Radio 1 Academy website now.

We are really proud of the enthusiasm, passion and determination of the young people in the region to better themselves, help their friends, and their community – I hope you are too.

Louise Kattenhorn is Editor, Radio 1 & Radio 1 Xtra.

• Find out more about BBC Radio 1's Academy.
• Read the press release unveiling the BBC Introducing stage line up at the Big Weekend on the Media Centre website.

Like me, you probably remember making countless revision cards as a stressed 16 year-old desperately trying to prepare for summer exams.

Today’s teenagers are no different, but of course now their lives revolve around their smartphone.

The recent Childwise Monitor Report found that 94% of 15-16 year-olds have their own mobile phone, spending four hours per day on average accessing the internet on it, with 61% saying that their phone is the first thing they check in the morning, and/or the last thing they check at night.

That’s why BBC Learning is launching a new revision app, bringing Bitesize revision flashcards direct to smartphones.

Flashcards will mix text, audio, video, infographics, quotes and quizzes to help teenagers understand and learn what they need to know for their exams. We believe it will be a real help to students in those critical weeks before sitting their GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or their Nationals and Highers in Scotland.

We know that children and young people already value BBC Bitesize. In the summer term, an incredible nine out of ten students in Key Stage 4 who use the internet for study say they use Bitesize. We pride ourselves in providing students with the information they need and can trust, as well as support and motivation at what can be a really stressful time. 

After last summer’s GCSE exams, we commissioned independent research to find out what students felt about the difference Bitesize made to their revision and results. Four fifths of Bitesize users agreed that ‘Bitesize helped me feel more prepared for my exams’ (80%); Just over half of Bitesize users agreed ‘Bitesize helped me to achieve better grades in my GCSEs’ (57%) and ‘I’d have found it harder to get through my GCSEs without Bitesize’ (51%), whilst 45% agreed ‘I’d have done worse in my GCSEs without Bitesize’. That’s a real endorsement of the BBC’s commitment to supporting young people through their education.

What’s really exciting about the new Bitesize revision app is the way it brings personalisation to our formal learning offer for the first time. By signing in and entering information, including their country within the UK, school year, subjects and exam boards, the app will only present students with the revision material they need. We’ll be extending this signed-in personalisation to the desktop Bitesize in the coming year. Students of all ages will then enjoy a significantly improved experience when using the BBC’s online formal learning site, seeing only the Bitesize content that’s relevant to them.

BBC Bitesize has been supporting students for many years now, and we know that revision isn’t fun. Many students find exam time tough, so we’re really pleased to be able to offer this app as a practical tool to help see them through the revision period. Staying motivated, keeping calm and getting to grips with those facts and figures can be hard, but the BBC is here to help.

Lisa Percy is Executive Editor, Bitesize, BBC Learning

• The app is now available to download free for Android (via Google Play) and iPhone (from the Apple iTunes App Store).
• Read more information about the Bitesize app on the Media Centre website.
• Discover more about our revision and learning service on the BBC Bitesize website.

Back in work after unemployment                                                                                                       

After two years of being unemployed, Sam Wade, 21, from Sunderland discovered that just a couple of weeks in the classroom helped boost his confidence with Maths, English and how to use social media in the work place. In the last week of his traineeship he was offered a full time apprenticeship with VW.

“I’m now a service technician apprentice and I have a mentor who I shadow. We mainly do mini services on cars and I’m still learning the ropes. After the apprenticeship I hope to see how far I can climb up the company,” Sam said.

“It can become very demoralising after applying for many jobs and then getting knocked back, but being back into the world of work is great. All I did was work hard and I got a job out of it. The opportunities are out there, so I recommend anyone to just grab them!” he added.

Catapulted to management

Mercedes Gomez, 22, from Birmingham, says the digital marketing techniques she learnt provided her with a life-changing opportunity.

Mercedes, who is originally from Guatemala and came to the UK three years ago, had worked in a coffee shop and in a junior position at a private medical practice before starting the trainee scheme in summer 2015. During the traineeship, Mercedes got the opportunity to put her new skills into practice during a three-week work placement at the Custard Factory, Birmingham’s creative quarter.

After being hugely impressed by the new skills Mercedes had learnt, her previous employers asked her to return when she completed the traineeship and offered her the job of Practice Manager.

“The BBC Make It Digital Traineeship really broadened my horizons and made me realise there are so many basic digital skills, such as creating and editing websites and using social media for business, that you can apply and really help you in the workplace.”

“I also learnt a lot of personal skills like how to speak in public, which really helped me feel more confident about my own potential. In my new role I am in charge of bringing new clients to the clinic, so I need to be successful in promoting the business that I work for.”

Gaining the confidence to work in television

Sam Kerr, 22, from Norwich, completed a placement with Apprenticeships Norfolk, based at Norfolk County Council. Sam has now successfully secured a full time apprenticeship with Norwich-based film-makers Wide Angles TV.

“I learned about my own skills, like finding out that I had more confidence than I ever realised, learning how to do presentations professionally and networking. Meeting new people and making new friends has been a massive part of it as well. It’s been really good.”

“If you want to get into the media sector, this traineeship helps you so much with everything. Videos, photography, all of the digital side of it, there is so much to learn. Everything that we've done you wouldn’t think it’s possible to do in eight weeks, but it is, and it’s really fun as well,” she said.

Jessica Cecil is Controller, BBC Make it Digital

• Apply for a place on the Make it Digital Scheme via the BBC Academy
• Discover more about Make it Digital here
• Read other posts by Jessica Cecil

It was a very different type of film première.

A small cinema in central London - a family, their friends, teachers, youth workers, the national press. And at the heart of it all, a powerful and disturbing film - about a talented and much loved 14-year-old boy Breck Bednar who had been lured to his death by an online predator.

I was at a screening of BBC Three’s 'The Life and Death of Breck Bednar', part of an event organised by the BBC’s Outreach team to raise awareness of the dangers of online grooming, with an expert panel and teaching resources from BBC Learning. It was one of a number of events organised by BBC Outreach to maximise the impact and reach of the programmes we make.

The film, a docu-drama which includes interviews with Breck’s family and friends, as well as reconstructions of the events leading up to his death, starts with the chilling phone call made by Breck's murderer Lewis Daynes to the police shortly after Breck died. 

The film is difficult to watch at times - although there’s warmth and even humour - but it’s an important film and vital viewing for anyone who knows or cares about young people and the risks associated with the internet. It includes interviews with police investigating officers as they piece together how Lewis groomed Breck over a period of time, turning the social gaming he loved into a means to separate him from his family and friends.

The screening was followed by a stunned and respectful silence. There was a pause - and then Breck’s family and friends walked with quiet dignity out of the auditorium. The panel chair, Radio 1’s Tina Daheley explained that Breck’s family wanted a moment to gather their thoughts.

And then they returned - Breck’s mother Lorin LaFave taking the stage with two other speakers - Jonathan Baggaley from CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) and Kat English, the film’s Director.

After Breck’s death, his family, including his mother, father and three younger siblings agreed that they wanted something positive to come out of their great loss - so they are committed to spreading the word about the dangers of online grooming. Participating in the film and attending the screening was part of that commitment.  

During the panel session which followed the screening Lorin talked about the lengths she had gone to to protect her son - every parent listening could relate to what she had to say.

At one point during the discussion Breck’s mother was asked why she agreed to make the film with the BBC. Her response was that, although she had been asked many times if she would be involved with filming, she decided to go with the BBC because of the resources, like the learning materials and the Outreach event, that the BBC would bring.

BBC Outreach also organised a session after the screening where staff volunteers worked with teachers and youth workers on how the key messages from the film could be built into lesson plans.  During this session they viewed three films commissioned by BBC Learning which covered issues such as stages of grooming, online safety and challenging perceptions of paedophiles, and used BBC Learning workbooks.

There’s a lot of information about online grooming available for parents and teachers, but the teachers involved in the workshops said what was different about these resources was that they were current and new and featured the voices and opinions of young people themselves. In this way, the film helps young people watch out for each other, something which has more credibility and resonance than being told what to do by parents or teachers.

This event brought together different parts of the BBC - BBC Three and its YouTube Channel, BBC Learning and BBC Outreach - all of us working in the spirit of true public service broadcasting. We felt a great sense of responsibility to Breck and his family to make the lessons they so painfully learnt available and accessible to all. 

The main credit for the power of the film goes to Breck’s family and his friends for their bravery and determination to raise awareness. But I would hope that the work done by the production team and other parts of the BBC is a worthy support to their courage.

The film starts with Breck’s death, but goes on to talk about the life he lived, with a loving family and fantastic friends who shared his passion for gaming. 

At the screening, Breck's friends wanted to make the point that although online gaming was the means used to groom their friend, it was also the way they supported each other after his death. It’s also the way teachers, parents, youth workers and children can download resources and learn more about keeping themselves and their friends safe.

This is very much in the spirit of the Breck Foundation which was set up by his family. The message is to enjoying playing games online but still keep it real with family and friends. In their words, to ‘Play Virtual, Live Real’.

• Murder Games will be broadcast on BBC One at 10.45pm on Wednesday 3 February. It is also available to watch via BBC iPlayer or via the BBC Three website. 
• Read Siobhan Kilroy's post on how BBC Outreach helped make Murder Games. 
• Other sources of help, information and advice as well as the BBC Learning materials can be found on the BBC website. 
• Watch interviews with Breck’s mother Lorin and his friends Sully and Max.
• BBC Three goes online-only on Tuesday 16 February 2016; see the beta version of BBC Three's Daily Drop online now.   

New term. New start. Pristine, untouched exercise books and, if you’re really lucky, newly printed text books too. That was all thirty years ago for me. Now, today, another thing to add to the list of signs for autumn: a new selection of Ten Pieces, this time for secondary schoolers.

The premiere of the second instalment of BBC Learning’s hugely successful ongoing Ten Pieces project was projected onto a big screen in central London earlier today. Four schools from across London were in attendance, so too some of the Ten Pieces ambassadors, all smiling excitedly about the prospect.

There was a different kind of hubbub to the one I experienced at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet a few months back. Back then, the wide-eyed excitement of the primary schooler’s audience had whipped up proceedings into quite a frenzy. At that Ten Pieces Takeover Day (just like many others I’ve attended across the country) there was a palpable feeling that we were sharing something incredibly special with an unsuspecting audience. 

The children displayed a sense of wonder about what they saw. This wasn’t just Barney Harwood fandom, there was something more. Ten Pieces I felt as though we were giving an intensely personal gift, sharing a favourite toy or introducing a lifelong pal to a new set of friends. Introducing classical music is an incredibly moving affair.

Today’s event had the same thinking at its heart, of course. In his introduction to the premiere Director-In his introduction to the premiere Director-General Tony Hall said, “The most important thing is about giving people the chance to decide whether they like classical music or not.” But, as we leaned back in our seats and stretched out to listen to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, an extract from Shostakovich’s 10th symphony or the Mambo from Bernstein’s West Side Story, a secret weapon emerged to engage this new audience: the thrill of participation.

These weren’t only exhilarating works to listen to, they were works I wanted people 30 years younger than me to experience the thrill of participating in. I remember that feeling: being in amongst it brought classical music alive.

I first experienced some of these works via the National Youth Orchestra as a listener, watching school- friend Rebecca on stage playing violin in Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony. She was the first person I knew who had been on television. That and her demanding daily practise schedule inspired me to commit to improving my own clarinet playing. That work paid off and eventually resulted in me becoming a member of Suffolk Youth Orchestra, in no small part due to Rebecca introducing me to its conductor, Philip Shaw.

When it came to us getting a chance to play some of the music in Ten Pieces in Suffolk Youth Orchestra, then the connection was irrevocably sealed. Rehearsing Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story hour after hour back in 1990, hardwired the score into our brains. It is now an audio shortcut to some of the most important musical memories I had as a teenager, when classical music and the contemporaries who shared a passion for it, acted as a lifeboat from the boredom of everyday schooling and teenage angst.

When the Suffolk Youth Orchestra of 1990 reunited early last year, there was a loud cry to play the Symphonic Dances again. We never got around to playing it in the short time we had together. I suspect if we had, the difficulty of the music, which the intervening years had conveniently airbrushed from our memories, might have damaged our teenage memories.

It is the participation, performance or the re-enactment of that music, which moves classical music from being a passive experience to one of active participation, and with it the visceral emotions that such participation provokes.

The line-up of works offer a rich experience. Stokowski’s arrangement of Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem, the second movement of Shostakovich 10, and the third movement of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto are all-encompassing numbers, especially in surround sound in a cinema.

In the Ten Pieces film we’re up close to the musicians who play in dramatic surroundings. The musicians look like contemporaries – Mums, Dads, sisters and brothers. Young and middle-aged, all dressed in neutral, low-key outfits designed to draw attention to the instruments, their faces and most importantly, the music. It seems so simple an idea to present classical music in this way, that it seems somewhat ridiculous to point out some of the more striking parts of the production. But it’s something I as an adult (and one who loves classical music) appreciate. Introductions at the beginning of each extract contextualise the work and – for those of us for whom a lot of the repertoire is very familiar – succeed in breathing new life into the music itself.

The most striking elements of the list of works, are the two contemporary pieces: Anna Clyne’s Night Ferry; Gabriel Prokofiev’s Concerto for Turntable for Orchestra. Not only are the sound worlds entirely different from anything we’ve heard before,they’re also put striking demands on musicians, and in the case of the Prokofiev, the DJ himself. These are not creations trying to appeal to a younger audience. They are works which exist in theirown right, do something daring and also appeal to a younger audience.

As an adult who loves classical music, the Ten Pieces II film doesn’t just strike me as a gift of music, it’s also promises the thrill of participation, if it turns out that’s something that floats your boat.

Jon Jacob is Editor, About the BBC Blog

• Teachers can sign-up for the latest updates on the Ten Pieces website.
• Book tickets for free nationwide screenings of the Ten Pieces Second film. 
• Visit bbc.co.uk/tenpieces for free online music teaching resources for both KS2 and KS3.
• Primary schools can still get involved by ordering Ten Pieces I on DVD and using the KS2 music teaching resources via the Ten Pieces website. 
• Read about the Ten Pieces Takeover Day in Purfleet. 
• Read a blog by Katy Jones from 2014 introducing the first Ten Pieces film. 

The BBC micro:bit website has been created as a one-stop shop to introduce teachers, parents and students to all aspects of the micro:bit. Anyone can have a go, write code, and see how it would play back on the BBC micro:bit online simulator. This initial beta release focuses first on giving teachers and educators the information and inspiration that they need to start to plan how they’ll use the BBC micro:bit with their students. We’ll be updating the site over the next few months as new resources are added, and as we build up to the micro:bit arriving in schools, classrooms and homes.

Let me outline some of the resources that have gone live today.

Getting Started

The new BBC micro:bit beta site is the place for teachers, students and parents/guardians who are new to coding and the BBC micro:bit to get started. In the first instance, watch some short videos that offer inspiring ideas for using the BBC micro:bit, and get introduced to the different code editors. 

Learning Resources

Our amazing partners are producing an abundance of resources to kick-start students and support teachers and parents on their BBC micro:bit adventure. There are exciting projects to remix and download, step-by-step interactive tutorials and lessons plans, and detailed information on each coding editor. Explore some examples on the BBC micro:bit homepage from partners such as Microsoft, Kitronic, Technology Will Save Us and Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Create code for the micro:bit

Select “Create Code” to choose an editor and start writing code for the BBC micro:bit.
This week we’re releasing the Microsoft Block and Microsoft Touch Develop editors. Coming very soon is the Code Kingdoms JavaScript editor, followed by a Python editor from the Python Software Foundation.

Run your script on the Simulator
Once you’ve written a code script, select “Run” from within the editor to run it on our online simulator. Light up the LEDs, make some virtual button presses and spin the compass dial! It’s a great way to test how your code’s working before transferring it to a BBC micro:bit – and a helpful tool for teachers ahead of the delivery of the devices themselves.

Teacher registration

From today, teachers and other educators will be able to register on the website, enabling them to

• Save and retrieve their content (via their login)
• Compile code scripts (into a format ready to transfer to a micro:bit device)
• Publish code scripts (to share with other micro:bit website users)

If you’re a teacher and haven’t yet registered your school to receive BBC micro:bits and website registration codes, please do so using our online registration form. You can read more about the device delivery plans in Sinead Rocks’ blog post.

What’s next?

We’re in Beta, whilst we complete our testing and add some more features and enhancements. We’d welcome your feedback, either via the comments below or to microbitsupport@bbc.co.uk, to inform our next stage of development.

Over the next couple of months, we’ll be focussing more on the experience for the Year 7 children or equivalent who will be receiving BBC micro:bits. These students will then be able to register to use the website, via their teachers, closer to the time that micro:bits will start arriving in schools.

I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our key collaborators for this website launch:

- the Microsoft Touch Develop team, who have led with us on the development of the website and web services. They have designed and developed the web application and editor environment, based on their Touch Develop platform, as well as the Microsoft Block Editor and Microsoft Touch Develop Editor.

• Tangent Design, who have designed and built the top-level website, in collaboration with the BBC and Microsoft
• Code Kingdoms and The Python Software Foundation, whose editors will follow shortly
• ARM, who provide the code compilation service
• Lancaster University, who have written the Runtime: the firmware that specifies the micro:bit functions that the editors can write to
• Our Learning Resource providers and champions – listed on our Partners page

Leigh Aspin is Executive Product Manager, Knowledge and Learning 

After months of anticipation, we have now finally unveiled our finished BBC micro:bit.

Back in March, we announced our intention to give one of these pocket sized, programmable ‘computers’ to every child in Year 7 across the UK. Since then we’ve been working with our partners (all 28 of them!) to develop the concept and create the hardware and software needed to bring these tiny devices to life. 

The BBC micro:bit has been designed to encourage children to move away from seeing laptops and tablets as ‘devices you can do things on’ to ‘devices you can use to make other things happen’ - a concept that has arguably been lost to many as so many types of technology have become ever more intuitive and easy to use.

Our research and testing suggests the micro bit can do just that. Once we shared our prototype with young and creative minds, they quickly got to work... using it initialy to do simple things such as spelling their names through the red LED's  before quickly moving on in really surprising and inventive ways such as creating video games, turning it into a remote control for mp3 players and cameras and even using it to forecast the weather.

Much of that activity was supported by some of the most amazing teachers we have ever worked with – in fact, throughout the development phases of this large scale educational initiative; we have tried to involve teachers at every step. That’s because we know, for this to be a success, the micro:bit needs to work for them as well.  I like to think of the UK’s teaching community as our 30th partner. And so, if you’re a teacher, you’ll be getting your micro:bit before any of your pupils – to ensure you get the opportunity to play around with it and to explore how you might want to use it in your classroom. We’ll also be sending a Quick Start supported by Microsoft from mid-September, with student devices starting to arrive after half-term.

And we need your help… we want to ensure that your school is registered so look out for emails from the BBC. We have sent out two already to introduce the micro:bit and two more will be sent out over the summer leading up to the start of term. The summer emails will contain a link to our online registration form. You can find this link on the micro:bit website as well, so don’t worry if you don’t see the email.

We know that there are nearly 18,000 teachers of computing in the UK. That is an enormous base of talent and experience from which to draw inspiration for projects, ideas and clever ways to harness the power of the micro:bit. We want to hear from teachers right across the UK and to ask for their help in developing and refining our resources for teachers throughout the autumn term and beyond. We welcome your input as experts in the subject so do get in touch with your regional CAS group or colleagues at STEMNET. For our part, we will be laying on some exciting broadcast moments in the autumn in the run up to Christmas.

The partnership of micro:bit product champions are currently finalising an exciting range of support materials, available when the website is launched later this summer, to equip teachers, parents and students for when they receive their micro:bit. There will be a wealth of online resources, applications and technologies, printable materials and videos as well as a range of face-to-face activities such as workshops and training alongside local and national events.

There will be opportunities for teachers to view online, adapt, download and embed resources to deliver lessons using the micro:bit. There are also resources being created that are aimed at getting parents and families engaged too. 

It promises to be an exciting summer ahead.

Here are some ways for you to get involved…

Do keep checking the micro:bit website (which will be at http://www.microbit.co.uk/), especially the teachers and parents section for updates, events and project ideas, including the link so that you can register your school to receive your devices. The website will soon be launched, allowing teachers and young people to practice coding through a simulator, well before they receive their micro:bits. The simulator shows how their coding will illuminate the LEDs on the device and with practice, users can learn how to control other devices using the Bluetooth functionality.

Our partners, especially CAS and STEMNET will be detailing regional events in your area. Sign up and take part.

And finally, talk to us about the micro:bit on email using microbitinfo@bbc.co.uk

All the organisations involved in the micro:bit initiative want to inspire a new generation to get creative with digital technology – to do that we need your feedback, guidance and support.

Sinead Rocks is Head of BBC Learning

• Read the press release on the Media Centre
• Find out more in Sinead's previous blog Inspiring a Generation – the BBC Micro Bit
  
• You can now register your school to receive micro:bits. To register simply click on the online form

Schoolchildren from across Suffolk participated in a BBC Ten Pieces Take Over Day yesterday. The event for Primary Schools was part of the 2015 Aldeburgh Festival, and staged in conjunction with the Suffolk Music Education Hub. School performing groups got the chance to perform their artistic responses to the music in the BBC Ten Pieces project before joining up to rehearse and perform Anna Meredith's participatory work Connect It.

Schools also got a chance to attend a BBC Symphony Orchestra rehearsal in which they heard another of the Ten Pieces - Storm from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten. The orchestra was performing at Snape Maltings Concert Hall as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. Their concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 last night. 

• Discover more about the Ten Pieces project and watch some of the creative responses to the primary school initiative. 
• Book tickets to the Ten Pieces Prom concerts on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July
• Read about the BBC Symphony Orchestra's Ten Pieces concert in Purfleet
• The Ten Pieces scheme for secondary school children was unveiled earlier in the year. To find out more, visit the Ten Pieces website.