The programme, Copywrite!, has been designed with the help of National Schools
Partnership, to be used as part of the KS3 curriculum in English, Citizenship, Drama and ICT and helps students understand why copyright is so important. 

Barbara Hayes from ALCS said, “Young people these days are growing up in a culture where “copying and pasting” from the internet is prevalent.  We need young people to understand  why copyright matters and how it affects people who write for a living – which may be them one day.”
 
The programme includes lesson plans for teachers which encourage creative writing and
thinking in the students and highlights the social and moral context of copyright.  Video
insights are also used to reinforce the effect plagarism has on individuals, showing interviews with four professionals from the writing industry including novelist, Sophie Kinsella, TV  scriptwriter, Toby Whithouse, journalist, Danuta Kean and publisher, Richard Charkin.

As well as the school resources, Copywrite! also includes a creative writing competition
where the winner gets a netbook, Amazon vouchers and books, as well as £1000 book
voucher for their school library, an author school visit and class trip to a literary event. 
National Schools Partnership is overseeing the schools participation in the programme and
has had a fantastic response from teachers.  “I think schools recognise that plagiarism is
becoming a big problem these days with young people having easy access to so much
information from so many sources. Quite often students use material without having any idea why they shouldn’t and this programme will really help educate them about why copyright  matters,” comments Mark Fawcett, Chief Executive of National Schools Partnership.

If you would like more information about Copywrite! or would like to register to use the
resources, please go to the website.