The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will deliver a message of hope to school pupils across the country in online hub Oak National Academy’s first assembly this week.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson will also appear in what is expected to be the biggest school assembly ever held in the UK. 

Background: Oak National Academy - everything you need to know

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Related: 250K lessons on day one of online academy

Since its launch last week, the online classroom has seen over 2 million lessons accessed.  

The Archbishop’s address will be streamed through Tes from 10am on Thursday. It will then remain available on the Oak National Academy website.

A message of hope to school pupils in coronavirus lockdown

He will say: “It’s wonderful that this academy is growing and exists in these dark times - it’s a place of light and of commitment to the future.

“I suspect this year 2020 will stick in the mind for many reasons and there are lots of things that you will be going through.

“What do we do with that?

“For Christians, it’s all summed up in a word ‘hope’… hope means the certain expectation of something you don’t have yet but you will have in the future because it’s been promised by God.

“Hope is hope of life, hope of purpose, hope of peace, hope of justice, equality and a good future.”

The archbishop also draws on the words of Nelson Mandela, as well as his own experience of a visit to Sudan where he met and prayed with a young Christian refugee.

It will be the first of a series of Oak National Academy assemblies, held in partnership with Tes and delivered by a range of well-known faces.

They will focus on topics like hope and resilience, as well as practical advice and support. The assemblies are designed to offer a moment for the country’s pupils to come together, and to provide reassurance during this uncertain time. 

In addition to the assemblies, Oak National Academy is also partnering with the Church of England to provide separate weekly collective worship sessions led by schools, which will be accessible to those of all faiths and none. This will be part of the Church of England’s forthcoming Faith at Home programme. 

Oak National Academy opened its virtual doors on 20 April as a direct response to the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of schools.

It offers more than 180 lessons a week, the equivalent of three hours a day for primary school students, and four hours a day for secondary. The online classroom has the support of various education organisations including the Sutton Trust, Teach First, the Teaching Schools Council and the Confederation of School Trusts, and is backed by the Department for Education. 

Matt Hood, principal of Oak National Academy, said the assemblies would be designed to offer reassurance, advice and practical support.

He added: “They will provide a focal point for pupils across the country, allowing them to hear inspiring messages from well-known faces.

“I’m delighted that our inaugural assembly will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury. His message of hope is an important one for young people of all ages, of all faiths and none.”

Ann Mroz, editor and digital publishing director at Tes, said: “We are delighted to be using the Tes platform to host these assemblies. We know that both teachers and students are missing the social and communal aspects of school right now, so hope that this helps in some way.”