Interview with Claire Welsh - Primary Schools Programme Manager

ER [Alright] to that extent you're determined by who books in on a show whether that show runs or not?

CW Yeah, yeah I mean what, having said that, what we would also look at, well what time of year have we done it, you know, is it because, it's the week after Christmas or something, you know. Is, is - are there other reasons for it. But, yeah, certainly, I mean I've got a show at the moment, Plant Power, which we're not putting in next year's programme because it hasn't booked very well, for this year. It's in quite a sensible sort of time and, last year, it didn't book very well either. So, it's going out.

ER Why do you think that is?

CW: I think partly because it's a very small part of the curriculum. I was looking at it actually early on this morning and I think, I think it's partly, partly timing, in that - yeah, it's, it's in the middle of May and all these tests are going on the week after so that doesn't help get kids out anyway. I think it's, I think it's mainly it's a very small area, and I think a lot of biology things, I think a lot of teachers feel quite confident with, so a lot of the biology, biology side of things we don't get the numbers down for. Because teachers feel they can - they're ok on those, you know. Whereas you put something on on forces and they don't feel - a lot of teachers don't feel very confident in that so they'll, they'll come down here to sort of boost, boost their teaching on things they don't feel so, so confident with.