Games for Schools (GFS) is a long term programme developed by Into Games, Gamemaker, UKIE Edu and Technocamps with support from BAFTA and Sumo Digital to help provide game making skills to young people in UK secondary schools.
One of the biggest barriers to creating a diverse creative digital sector is a lack of access to equipment and the necessary industry engagement to bring it to life.
This programme will help at least 500 schools get access to free software and training, as well as help connect the games sector directly to those schools to help inspire their students.
Why is knowing how to make videogames important?
Game making builds technology skills, future proofs the economy, brings the curriculum to life, promotes teamwork, helps encourage STEAM skills, and provides creative career pathways.
In our studies with schools that currently use Gamemaker 2 on a regular basis, we have seen dramatic increases in learner engagement (+77.3%), class behaviour (+83%), programming skills (+89.3%) and confidence (+94%).
Can you use this to teach the National Curriculum?
Yes! As part of this programme, you will be provided with schemes of work that use Gamemaker to teach the KS3 computing curriculum.
You will also be free to adapt and remix any resources we give you to better suit your needs and expand upon that provision as you see fit.
Gamemaker Studio 2 is now being used to officially teach the computing curriculum in Wales from this year onwards.
What is Gamemaker Studio 2 and will it run on my school machines?
Gamemaker Studio 2 is a piece of software that allows you to build and program your own 2D games.
It has a low barrier to entry and acts as the perfect follow on from programs like Scratch, which students may have used in their primary school.
GameMaker Studio has been used to release many professional games and allows titles to be exported to consoles like Xbox and Playstation.
The program does not need a high-spec computer to run, has a good library of documentation and an active community of makers. It has also been tested in school environments and is robust enough for regular student use.
As an entry-level piece of software for games, it’s a great starting point.
Is my school eligible?
This programme is for UK secondary schools only.
It will give priority to schools that have high instances of free school meals (over 20%) and SEND schools but is open to any non-fee paying institutions.
We do not guarantee that your school will be chosen, but we are looking for schools that will really take this opportunity and run with it.
What could a ‘Games Club’ look like?
Not all schools will be able to apply game making software directly into lessons, so we suggest starting an extra-curricular games design session that could happen weekly.
You will be provided with activities, which include videos, presentations, and step by step guides on making your first 2D games. You can leave students to get on with these or get involved in the delivery yourselves.
These resources have been created directly with teachers and game industry professionals. The GFS website will be regularly updated with new resources from September 2021 onwards in an easily searchable format.
Your club will also get access to competition briefs provided by a range of successful UK game studios and games organisations like BAFTA and Sumo Digital, with prizes for students and the chance to speak to real industry staff via regular online meetups.
How much time and commitment will this take?
We know how busy teachers are, especially at the moment. This programme requires only that you attend at least one virtual training session.
We will then provide you with the software for your machines, instructions for your IT department on how to install and a link to a list of resources we have compiled.
At this stage, you can decide if you would like to run an extra-curricular club or simply use the software within your existing curriculum delivery. It’s up to you.
We would suggest that clubs run at least once a week for 1-2 hours.
What training and support will be provided?
You’ll be provided with one virtual training session, which we will run at regular intervals, as well as an online Q+A forum.
We also plan on running regular further teacher training for those that want to develop their game design skills.
All of our training will run in the evenings.
In addition this we will provide a range of free, teacher-led resources for you to use in class.
Is this just for IT or computing teachers?
No! While these teachers may be the most obvious choice to roll this out, we welcome any teachers that think this might be able to improve their student’s engagement and outcomes.
Games design is a naturally cross-curricular subject that sits in between creative and technical subjects. We welcome teachers from any subject to apply.
Will the software run on my school machines?
Most likely! The software we have chosen for this programme can run on basic Windows machines without intensive graphics cards. There is also support for Apple coming very soon!
I have more questions! Who can I ask?
Head to our contact page and shoot us an email. We will be in touch as soon as possible.
