School Tasking

@schooltasking.bsky.social

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National outreach project for less-advantaged primary schools | Created by @dralistruthers.bsky.social at Warwick Law & now running at 34 universities across the UK & Ireland | ✉️ schooltasking@warwick.ac.uk | www.taskmastereducation.com/school-tasking

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Footage from the School Tasking Champion of Champions
I keep seeing all the wonderful posts from other School Tasking team members (well done Lloyd Gash, Diana Kirsch, John Lunney, and loads of the brilliant student team members across the competition 👏🏼) and it puts me to shame for being utterly useless at social media... So, popping on to do a shout out for the Regional Final for the West Region, hosted at the most spectacular venue, Kenilworth Castle 🏰 Five superb Year 5 teams from University of Warwick, University of Derby, University of Wolverhampton, University of Birmingham and University of South Wales competed against each other in a bid to be crowned West Region Champions and it was Warwick Law that won the day with the team from Charter Academy - well done Cov on Top! We'll see you at the Champion of Champions in June! 🏆 Well done to all competing teams on the day - your enthusiasm was infectious and you all put in so much effort 👏🏼 Thanks to the teachers, students, and university staff (Nia Stead, Ruth Dawson, Jennifer Plumbley) who helped on the day and huge thanks to my amazing team, Jo Sinton-Hewitt and Phil Jemmett for being the best comrades and being able to nail a jump shot 📸 Huge thanks to English Heritage for always being so generous in their support of School Tasking and to the always brilliant, Stuart Hollis, for his beautiful photographs.
Poster showing Ali Struthers and Alex Horne on stage in the Warwick Arts Centre in front of of a crowd of children, with a large rubber duck to the left hand side of the stage.
James Blake-Lobb helping a child carry a massive teddy bear whilst Phil Jemmett looks on, sniggering.
Poster for School Tasking Champion of Champions with Alex Horne standing beside a child dressed as a chicken. Free entry for year 5 or 6 classes with higher than average % of free school meals. Email schooltasking@warwick.ac.uk for tickets.
Ali Struthers smiling at the camera with a miniature crocheted version of herself standing next to Little Alex Horne smiling at the camera with a miniature crocheted version of himself.
Alex Horne speaks directly to camera and is thrown a tiny crocheted version of himself.
In 2024-25 28 Universities In 6 regions across the UK and Ireland and approximately 1,900 children from 51 schools took part. The primary schools taking part meet the criteria for widening participation, with higher than average numbers of pupils receiving free school meals and/or a lower than average attainment level (pupils meeting expected standard in reading, writing, and maths) For the cohort in this study, the average number of pupils receiving free school meals is 39.9% (England only; nationally this is 25.9%) The average attainment level of the schools in our cohort is 56.4% (England only; nationally this is 61%)
Alex Horne making an 'ooh' face wearing a suit and a badge that says 'Taskmaster's Assistant'
A chicken and Alex Horne look at the camera. A School Tasking participant looks at the chicken.
A bucket of different sizes and colours of rubber ducks.
Martha, one of our student ambassadors holding the award and certificate
Phil Jemmett and Ali Struthers smile at the camera.
Alex Horne and Ali Struthers speaking into the camera with photos from the School Tasking Champion of Champions interspersed.
Alex Horne wearing pineapple sunglasses.
Crocheted Alex Horne in front of an audience.
Alex Horne stands in front of a red curtain talking to camera.
Alex holds up two fingers and accidentally swears...
Alex high fives one of the kids.
Alex smiles at the camera whilst signing a book for one of the kids, sitting next to him.
Alex Horne holds a gold trophy on a tall stick with a barrister's wig and scales of justice.
Phil Jemmett holding the real trophy shaped like a gold pineapple, with a hand crafted gold pineapple trophy in the foreground. Phil smiles for the camera.
A fantastic colouring sheet with Alex Horne labelled
The winning team cheering in orange t-shirts, holding up a trophy with Alex cheering alongside.
A watermelon with googly eyes and a sad face beside a potato with googly eyes, but not a sad face.
Suyi, Alex and Kirsten stand outside the front door of the Taskmaster House smiling at the camera.
Alex Horne sitting in the front seat of a car with the GIANT teddy from Taskmaster season 10.
Video of the 2024 School Tasking Champion of Champions at Warwick Arts Centre.
Lego stop motion animation of the famous case of R v Dudley & Stephens.
A stunning priory with high ceiling and wedding tables and chairs set out, alongside a projector showing the 'School Tasking' logo.
A school tasking questionnaire answer that says 'listen to Alex'
The Taskmaster timer and amazing Taskmaster lightbox made by No Context Colouring sit on the stage in front of the School Tasking logo at A&O Shearman.
Teacher with children crowded round an iPad and building Lego.
3 children building with Lego.
A display of human rights made out of Play Doh, with a school, and people with signs for the right to freedom, the right to meet and the right to protest, as well as a UN clinic.
Video showing the School Tasking Champion of Champions show in June 2024.
Feedback talking about how a year 5 pupil was inspired to think about university after meeting with a School Tasking student
Alex Horne stands in the dome outside the Taskmaster House.
Alex Horne off camera holding up a little model of Alex Horne speaking to camera.
Alex Horne stands in the door of the Taskmaster House with an Alex Horne box on his head.
Comedian Mike Wozniak stands in a plane on Taskmaster, looking expectant. We all know what happens next.
Ancient pots inside the Antiquities Cabinet in the Department of Classics at Warwick.
1 by 1 sigma kids Ultimate power Fire archers The prime Supremes Denominators
Photo taken in the Taskmaster garden, featuring Linda the cow, the bathtub, phone box and caravan with the School Tasking logo in the middle.
A gold pineapple trophy atop a plinth that says 'Slytherclaw'.
Photo of the Taskmaster House with the Dome in the foreground containing the golden pineapple. Blue sky behind.
Alex Horne looks grumpy in his Taskmaster suit holding a miniature crocheted version of himself looking happy, also in a Taskmaster suit.
Two Year 5s wait patiently whilst Alex Horne signs something for them.
3 light boxes in frames showing Taskmaster house, caravan, dome and cow.
#SchoolTasking not only aims to teach children about some of the most interesting aspects of law, but also ultimately endeavours to widen access to higher education through building positive connections between schools in less advantaged areas and their local universities. And we are so grateful to have had such generous sponsors for the project. But, as many of you will know, the higher education sector is in dire straits and budgets are being tightened across the board. This means that School Tasking teams, including mine, are struggling with costs associated with running the project (including resources, getting student teams to the schools, transporting the children to the regional finals and, in my case, getting teams to the Champion of Champions). To offer the children the same experiences and the same magic as last year, we desperately need some additional financial help. Can your business or organisation help us? We will be producing an impact report at the end of the the academic year, so you'll be able to see exactly how many children your donation has impacted. Sponsorship would be put towards resources, food for the children, as well as transport for teams. And all sponsors are guaranteed an invitation to the hottest (and noisiest) ticket in town - the Champion of Champions in June 2025! 🏆 Footage from the 2024 final is below 👇 If you might be able to help, please do get in touch with me on here or via schooltasking@warwick.ac.uk. And please do share this post - I'd be so grateful! Thank you 🙏
Alex Horne stands with a group of Year 5s, throwing his arms up in the air in delight. A girl with a yellow t-shirt stands in the foreground.
Scrunched up evaluation forms
Old buildings in the background with a green lawn and a light blue sky with clouds.
Thursday 19 June 2025, 1pm – 2.30pm, Warwick Arts Centre School Tasking is an outreach project that enables young people to learn about interesting aspects of the law through fun and interactive tasks - all in the style of the popular TV series, Taskmaster! Children from across the UK compete against each other, culminating in the School Tasking final at Warwick Arts Centre. Here, they will battle it out in tasks created by celebrity Alex Horne, to be crowned this year's Champion of Champions! You are invited to come and watch the final at the Butterworth Hall. Schools will need to arrange their own transport, but entry to the show itself is free of charge. This event is aimed at children in years 5 and 6, along with their teachers, from schools meeting Widening Participation criteria (higher than average percentage of pupils in receipt of Free School Meals). To express your interest in attending, email schooltasking@warwick.ac.uk. Visit the website to find out more about School Tasking.
Tasks and rolled up paper in a stack of buckets
Two photos on top row. First of Alex Horne wearing pineapple glasses, second of him wearing aviator goggles. Bottom row is Jack Dee with aviator goggles and Emma Sidi with pineapple sunglasses.