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CLOGS standing in Bitesize Daily virtual reality studio
Image caption,
CLOGS is a genius robot character who is keen to learn our human ways

Meet the genius new classroom assistant ready to help with extra learning while school's out for summer.

CLOGS is the new robot star of Bitesize Daily - the ±«Óătv education programmes originally launched during lockdown to support millions of parents, children and teachers.

This computer genius knows everything there is to know about maths and English, but has a lot to learn about living on Earth, and the strange things humans say and do.

The new series is split into three age groups for children between 5 and 11 years old and is designed around the maths and English curriculum. It also features lessons to help children with wellbeing.

You might have seen Bitesize Daily on C±«Óătv, broadcasting daily during term times as part of the Bitesize Learning Zone, and you can catch up with all of the shows on ±«Óătv iPlayer.

Each programme is 20 minutes long and can be used as a classroom teaching resource, or for learning at home.

CLOGS standing in Bitesize Daily virtual reality studio
Image caption,
CLOGS is a genius robot character who is keen to learn our human ways

"Robust curriculum-driven learning"

Executive Producer Dan Gooding says: "For a series of such scale and ambition, the first series of Bitesize Daily was produced in record time. It was a rapid response to the urgent need to support teachers and students forced to teach and learn at home by the pandemic. When planning this latest series of Bitesize Daily we had a little more time.

We wanted to retain the robust curriculum-driven learning as well as the fun and entertainment.

We also wanted to increase the production values and take advantage of some of the very latest technology on offer."

CLOGS and C±«Óătv presenter Rhys Stephenson, who is wearing a chef’s hat, standing in the Bitesize Daily studio
Image caption,
Executive Producer Dan Gooding: "We felt that a robot as a character would have a broad appeal to a range of learners"

Making use of motion caption technology

"The first step was to design a brand new virtual reality set. We came up with something bright, more school-like and more engaging than the simple, plain walls and screens of the first series. Whilst en route to achieving that, we thought something was missing.

Fortunately, the studio team we were working with already had motion capture technology and equipment in-house but had never used it and were extremely keen to give it a go. We seized the opportunity to create CLOGS.

We felt that a robot as a character would have a broad appeal to a range of learners. A robot also felt like the right ‘vehicle’ from which knowledge could be gained, or in CLOGS’ case, ‘downloaded’.

Once CLOGS’ appearance had been decided - Bitesize oranges and purples, rounded edges and a big head to make the character softer and ‘cute’ – we wrote CLOGS’ biography."

CLOGS and C±«Óătv presenter Rhys Stephenson, who is wearing a chef’s hat, standing in the Bitesize Daily studio
Image caption,
Executive Producer Dan Gooding: "We felt that a robot as a character would have a broad appeal to a range of learners"

"Like our audience, CLOGS is curious"

"CLOGS comes from an esteemed line of on-screen robots, those that are academically brilliant but far from Earth worldly wise. This gives our scripting team a chance to write jokes and use human idioms that our young audience will get but our hapless robot takes literally and doesn’t understand.

CLOGS is keen to learn our human ways. Like our audience, CLOGS is curious and wants to get smarter. We love this and never laugh at CLOGS for being clever
we are just surprised that CLOGS doesn’t always understand our funny human ways.

CLOGS is an acronym - but this academic android is reluctant to reveal what that acronym is. Some say it stands for 'Clever Learning Or Good Sausages.' Others say it’s 'Crunchy Lemon Oatcakes Going Soft' or 'Computerised Listening and Ordered Go-to System' 
all we know is that we love CLOGS and hope you and your children do too."

Watch Bitesize Daily on ±«Óătv iPlayer

Catch up with the all the new Bitesize Daily programmes so far using these links:

Find what else we're doing to support educational programming here where you can also download the latest TV schedules for the Bitesize Learning Zone on C±«Óătv.

Where to catch our educational programming for primary pupils. document

Find out about our educational programmes for primary pupils, which are continuing to broadcast on the C±«Óătv channel.

Where to catch our educational programming for primary pupils

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