The AV1 is an avatar robot. It is designed to help children and young people with a long-term illness reconnect with school and their social lives.
The AV1:
- acts as the child or young persons eyes, ears, and voice
- becomes their `physical presence` in the classroom when they access the robot from hospital or home
Watch a video about the AV1 Robot.
How AV1 Robots can help
- support and re-engage those absent from school for medical or anxiety reasons
- improve attendance rates. Students can be marked as present for lessons they participate in through the AV1
- maintain or improve attainment rates
- stop needs escalating
- stop pupil's feeling lonely and isolated
- support pupil's out of and back into education. The pupil keeps in touch with teachers and `normal` teaching
- compliment any medical tuition arrangements
How the AV1 Robot works
- user connects to their AV1 Robot (which is at school) through the AV1 app
- works on WiFi and 4G
- end-to-end encryption
- 6 hour battery life. Must be charged nightly
How to access AV1 Robots
Southend-on-Sea City Council has 50 AV1 Robots. The education access team can offer an AV1 Robot to a child who is not able to access school for medical/health needs. If the AV1 is deemed the most appropriate service level offer, they are delivered and set up for free.
Southend schools can also loan AV1 Robots from the team for a small fee, if they need an intervention which may not warrant a medical referral. Schools loan AV1 Robots for a variety of reasons.
For more information contact educationaccessteam@southend.gov.uk