Beat the summer slide and plan ahead with smarter student share insights

As the academic year winds down, many teachers are already thinking ahead about how to keep students engaged over the summer, and how to kick off the new term with strong momentum. That’s why we’re excited to introduce a small but powerful update to the ERA Streaming Platform: a new share feature that gives teachers more control, flexibility and insight when assigning clips to students.

Whether you’re setting tasks to prevent the summer slide or planning flipped learning activities for September, this new tool is designed to support you every step of the way.

What’s new?

Teachers can now do more than just share a link to a video, they can also track how much it’s being used. The updated share feature shows:

• How many views are remaining on a shared clip
• How many days are left before the link expires

This added visibility means you can monitor student engagement more effectively and ensure resources are being used as intended.

Preventing the summer Slide

The long summer break can often lead to what’s known as the summer slide – a period where students lose some of the knowledge and momentum gained during term time. Furthermore, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) notes that extended breaks can disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils. With the new share feature, teachers can now assign targeted clips for students to watch over the summer and track expiry dates for access that aligns with their learning goals.

Whether it’s revisiting a key scene from An Inspector Calls for GCSE English Literature exploring Natural Disasters in Geography, or simply assigning TV and film clips that align with key themes across your curriculum. Help keep your students learning active by bridging the gap between terms and supporting better retention.

Planning ahead for the new school year

Teachers can plan ahead by pre-assigning video content to support upcoming units, using the view-tracking data to shape in-class discussions or support formative assessment. This approach can support flipped learning models, where students engage with media before lessons and arrive ready to reflect and contribute. The ability to share content with individual pupils or targeted groups allows for personalised learning interventions, whether that means offering additional support or extending learning for high achievers. With clearer insight into student engagement, teachers can make smarter, evidence-based decisions that refine their classroom practice.