Sept. 25, 2024
Back when Britney Spears and Ricky Martin were topping the charts, Beyonce was just another member of Destiny's Child, and only the second Toy Story had hit the cinemas... 2Simple released the Infant Video Toolkit - a treasure trove of educational tools like painting, coding, graphing and desktop publishing (sound familiar?). All of this creativeness was tucked away on those good ol' CD-ROMs. Quite the flashback, huh? The Infant Video Toolkit became an instant hit, capturing the hearts of countless primary school teachers faster than you can say "ABC".
I have such great memories of using your CDs. The children loved using them and really did get a lot from them. I used 2Type for a research project and got fantastic results on the group that used it every day. I remember how everyone was so friendly and helpful. Here's to the next 25 years!
I have been teaching at the same school for 20 years now. I loved using the 2Simple CDs when I taught Year 1! My best memories are using 2Create a story for our weeks English lessons in the summer every year.
With the release of Toy Story 3 came Purple Mash's release onto the World Wide Web - giving teachers and students a digital wonderland which offered learning opportunities like never before. Following close on Purple Mash's heels came Mini Mash, Serial Mash and Evidence Me (formerly known as 2Build a Profile).
(and Toy Story 4...😂)
In 2020, we introduced Striver, a PE and wellbeing platform that empowers even non-specialist teachers to inspire the next generation through exercise and a growth mindset. There's more – we also launched Python in Pieces, a platform that guides secondary school learners from block-based coding to the world of Python programming!
In the UK, our leadership and management suite got a fantastic new addition. With the entrance of Know my School, we equipped schools with the intuitive tools known as Coach and Hub which support schools through their school improvement endeavours.
The UK team also welcomed Dot Com Digital, now part of our wellbeing suite – covering over 24 themes, empowering schools to deliver a comprehensive PHSE curriculum while ticking all the boxes for the 2020 RSE framework.
And then, the world faced an unprecedented challenge. A global pandemic thrust remote learning into the limelight. Virtual classrooms and video conferencing became the canvas for education. Yet, amidst the chaos, we rose to the challenge and made sure we were there for teachers and learners, adapting our offerings to provide seamless online solutions that bridged the physical and digital realms.
Today, our award-winning resources grace 8,500+ schools in 74 countries, equipping learners and educators for success.
Beyond software, 2Simple's heart beats for philanthropy. From #EduFootyAid uniting teachers through football for charity, to 2econd Chance providing learning opportunities to adults, and Lemon Soul and Purple Mash Publishing supporting charitable causes, we stand as a beacon of impactful education and compassion.
I do remember the CDs, mostly from my previous school when Purple Mash began 25 Year ago! But at Bromley High I have had the privilege of working with the team for 20 years! I can remember the excitement of using the infant toolkit CD installed on our server for access over the desktops. Then came the revelation of moving to Purple Mash online and even single sign on! The tools have developed with the times but Purple Mash has always stayed a secure and safe environment, free from external access to the World Wide Web!
This is why we continue to utilise the site in school but miore importantly promote it as a safe, fun area for our students to explore at home. Our parents are grateful to have access to materials they know are child friendly and secure.
Our development and education team are always busy creating new tools and resources for you and your students. Here are some of our latest updates:
Purple Chip app launched, allowing students to program external devices such as tablets and phones.
Purple Mash Browser app launched, giving an smoother experience when using Purple Mash on tablets. In May, 2024, the app reached one million downloads!
Purple Mash Tools refreshed: a number of tools have been refreshed in the past few years including 2Calculate and 2Quiz, adding functionality and ensuring consistency across all the Purple Mash tools.
Schemes of Work: Purple Mash had the Spelling Scheme of Work updated, and the DigiTech Scheme of Work is constantly being added to, to ensure it matches curriculum expectations and makes the job as easy as possible for teachers.
Updates to products:
Mini Mash has recently had a refresh, being made to reflect the layout of Purple Mash and to give more functionality for teachers and students.
Look out for exciting projects with our Mashcot Cody, as well as resources from brilliant Mash Partners.
The future may also bring Toy Story 5 in 2026 😉
Winner: Secondary Resources or Equipment (ICT) - Python in Pieces - Education Resources Awards
Finalist: Educational Resource Award: Primary - Purple Chip - Education Business Award
Shortlisted: School Business and Procurement - Know My School - Teach Secondary Awards
Shortlisted: Curriculum Improvement - Striver - Teach Secondary Awards
Nominated: Best Supplier of ICT Software - Education Today School & Supplier