About my school

I am an RE teacher at a secondary school in Warwickshire with around 1,500 students. Our school serves a community with a high level of deprivation and a significant number of students with SEND or SEMH needs, as well as a large proportion of pupil premium students. We are currently rolling out two specialist hubs within the school: one for students at risk of permanent exclusion, and another for students with profound SEND needs.

What attracted you to Propello?

I was looking for a resource to specifically support several students who struggle to access lessons, so they could engage with the curriculum outside the classroom. While we have support spaces like the Hub and the Hive where students can study, they don’t always have access to a laptop. I needed something that could be used both online and in print – something my current platform didn’t provide. By offering printed versions alongside online activities via Google Classroom, I can help these students stay on track and avoid gaps in their learning when they miss lessons.

How do you use Propello in the classroom?

I check Propello to find the resources I need, and so far, everything has been there. It aligns so well with AQA that I never have to worry about gaps in content, which is a real strength. I have three students with attendance issues: two who rarely attend and one who comes sporadically. I usually wait to see if she arrives, then assign work to all three individually via Google Classroom. I can then give students feedback by reviewing their work and adding comments in Google Classroom. I can highlight what they need to improve and direct them to the specific section on Propello they may have missed.

How has Propello helped your students engage with the curriculum?

The students who sit in the hub are definitely more engaged. I think it’s because it feels like a real lesson – not just reading something on a screen and answering questions. They don’t feel like they’re missing out, and if they do have questions, they can email me. It gives them more confidence because it’s structured like an actual lesson, not just, “Here’s some homework to do during class time,” which is what most other platforms offer.

I have a student with ASD and chronic anxiety who won’t attend lessons if she’s even a minute late – as a result she’s missed an awful lot of lessons. I’ve been setting her work through Propello, and we’ve just had the mock exams and despite all the lessons she’s missed she’s on track. That’s obviously partly due to her motivation, but it’s also the quality of the resources she’s had access to. It’s worked really well for her.

What aspect of Propello has been most helpful to you?

The lesson plans and especially the PowerPoint slides have been the most helpful for me. They closely match the way I plan my lessons – you can tell they’ve been created by a teacher. This helps students feel more confident with the material and more willing to engage with it. For me, this is the key strength, as it’s something other platforms often lack.

How confident are you using Propello resources in your lessons?

I feel confident using it not only because the quality is genuinely high but because my students also feel confident with it. It’s clearly well put together, not something thrown together quickly, so I know my students will be able to access and engage with it. They’ve been really happy with Propello which is great.

Would you recommend Propello?

I’d definitely recommend Propello, especially to early career and newly qualified teachers. While creating your own schemes of learning and your own lesson plans is a very important skill, the reality is we just don’t have the time anymore. I’m lucky to have years’ worth of resources to draw on, but new teachers often don’t. Without central planning or support, there’s a real risk of burnout. Propello offers this planning and support, which is why I’ll be recommending it next year.