The Open University

OU partners with BBC to support the nation in maintaining good mental health

15 May 2020

The Open University has partnered with the BBC to co-produce a digital series to support maintaining good mental health during the pandemic lockdown. New content – featuring clips and illustrations – will be released daily to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 May), covering topics from toxic productivity to relationship tips. OU academics, Will Murcott, […]

International Nurses Day – Lisa’s pride in her profession

11 May 2020

After finding her path with an OU nursing degree and a sought-after place on a healthcare leadership programme, Lisa says she has never felt prouder of her fellow nurses in these unprecedented times. As we mark International Nurses Day (12 May), read about Lisa’s journey. Lisa had been working in healthcare for 18 years, but […]

OU partners with The Young Foundation to launch coronavirus citizen science project

7 April 2020

The Open University has partnered with UKRI accredited Independent Research Organisation, The Young Foundation to launch a landmark new project to capture the social impact of coronavirus on individuals and communities across the UK. Delivered on the OU’s citizen science platform, nQuire the project aims to understand how this generation-defining moment impacts the future of […]

OU academics cast doubt over accuracy of fertility and pregnancy planning apps

6 April 2020

New findings, published by Open University academics suggest there are gaps in the reliability of popular apps used by many to estimate fertility and for pregnancy planning. Academics from the OU have put together an evidence review looking at menstruation and fertility apps. Published today in the BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health journal, the findings […]

Teaching your children – a chance to reconnect and rediscover

1 April 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has radically altered the formal bricks and mortar environment of school education that much of the UK’s children were used to. Whether we call it home schooling, home education or home learning, this new realm is fresh and challenging territory for many parents. Drawing on her expertise in home education, Dr Amber Fensham-Smith, […]

OU partners with Brook to deliver online course to support abortion education in schools

31 March 2020

The Open University (OU) has partnered with sexual health and wellbeing experts, Brook to deliver an online course to support teachers in providing abortion education in schools. Designed to improve the knowledge and confidence of those teaching about pregnancy decision-making and abortion to young people aged 13+, the free course has been shaped by research […]

Advice on supporting your child during self-isolation

25 March 2020

John Oates, Professor of Developmental Psychology at The Open University, writes about how to cope with children being at home during this period of self-isolation, with advice and helpful suggestions on supporting them through this difficult and confusing time. It probably came as a shock hearing that schools will be closing, on top of all […]

World Social Work Day – focus on OU’s new Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship

17 March 2020

Today (17 March) is World Social Work Day, a day to raise awareness of social work as a career path and recognise the incredible contribution that this sector make to our community. The Open University has a range of courses available to support and train social workers, including the Social Work Degree (SWD) Apprenticeship, which […]

How to recover from burnout and chronic work stress – according to a psychologist

11 March 2020

Rajvinder Samra, Lecturer in Health, The Open University writes for The Conversation about how to recover from burnout and chronic work stress. It’s pretty likely you’ve heard of burnout – and you may have even experienced it. Caused by chronic work stress, it’s characterised by signs such as emotional exhaustion, lack of energy, and loss […]

Turning 20 – final episode of ‘Child of Our Time’ airs tonight

11 March 2020

Child of Our Time, the ground-breaking series that began 20 years ago filming a group of babies from the moment they were born, returns to our screens on Wednesday 11 March at 9pm on BBC Two. Co-produced by the BBC and The Open University’s Broadcast and Partnerships team, the one-off episode draws on hours of archive […]

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