EOB Academy gives young people access to learn about video game creation and esports from fantastic tutors in great environments - be it online through Discord or at one of our physical locations in Letchworth.

We are looking to recruit an experienced Learning Support Assistant who would be required to support named students subject to an EHCP. We currently run education courses in video game design based in the Letchworth area for KS4 and KS5 as an alternative provider to mainstream education.

Many of our students have additional needs such as ASD but not exclusively and are not suited to attending a mainstream environment for their education but have a passion to learn about gaming and the digital world.

We offer formal qualifications in a more relaxed and fun environment to allow students to learn about gaming as well as achieve a qualification to support their future in further education or the working world.

We require an LSA who has experience in supporting students with ASD and social/emotional needs who have struggled with mainstream schooling and for many this is a last resort for them to attend education in an environment they feel comfortable. Experience supporting SEN students is essential, EHCP named students is desirable.

Demonstrate experience in supporting students with additional needs to engage in effective learning including but not limited to ASD and social/emotional difficulties

Has experience of working in an environment where students have additional needs and complete differentiated activities prepared by the tutor and delivered by the LSA;

Has experience of supporting the social and emotional needs of students including the management of challenging behaviour and promoting positive behaviour for learning; working 1-1 with students on their social and emotional difficulties outside of the classroom; signposting students to other services outside of this course where required

Can bring creative ideas to the table that based on their own experience; engage learners with the above needs

Interest in gaming desirable but not essential

Has experience of carrying out administrative duties such as preparing classroom resources in liaison with the tutor

This list is not exhaustive of responsibilities and required tasks and this is adaptive depending on the individual needs of the centre and the students.

 button to send your CV and Cover Letter for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of: Student Support Coordinator, Learning Support, Support Assistant, Learning Support Worker, LSA, Learning Guidance Advisor, LSW, Learning Support Assistant, Student Support, Learning Advisor, Learner Support, Guidance Advisor, Support Worker, Learning Assistant may also be considered for this role.

LSA Job Role Hertfordshire Enemy Of Boredom

A lot of the time, a game will tell its story with gameplay intervals known as cutscenes. These can help create continuity between levels.

Video Games Tell Stories: Video Games can tell stories that no other type of format can.

One of the significant elements of modern video games is the way they present a story.

Like movies, a lot of the storylines in games follow a 3 act structure with a beginning, middle and end.

Other ways games can tell a story is through gameplay events, which is when something major happens during the actual game (like witnessing a character die or a ship crashing).

QTEs (Quick Time Events) is another means of story progression in games. This is when a game throws a button prompt at you for a short amount of time.

The thing that makes the narrative in gaming very impactful is that you interact with the story.

With a movie or TV show, you're just watching it play out, but with a video game, you are putting in the input to do many of the actions, which can give a lot more of a personal feel for some.

Video Games didn't start adding stories to them until the later years of the 8 Bit era when the NES and Master System were released.

In those days the story was only used as an excuse to explain who the character are and why they're fighting their enemies.

Over time as hardware got more powerful and games got bigger and more ambitious, the focus on writing stories became more prevalent.

By the time of the 6th generation of consoles (Dreamcast, PS2, XBOX, Gamecube) video game developers started to spend a lot more time on fleshing out the narrative for their games.

Many video game stories feature characters going through struggles that can be seen as relatable to many players.

A game genre that is well known for having these types of stories are RPGs (Role Playing Games).

A notable modern series of that genre story wise would be Persona. The Persona games feature modern Japanese teens dealing with various different everyday life issues with also fight monsters in a mysterious world.

The storylines in video games can also teach the player many valuable life lessons. These include themes such as friendship, building confidence and expressing yourself, to name a handful.

If the story really hooks the player, they might think about its themes in a real-life situations.

I find that the narrative in video games is just as important as the gameplay itself.

Including a story 'within a game' is a great way to motivate people to keep playing till the end, especially if it's a well written one.

The variety of stories that can be found in video games is pretty endless. There will probably be at least one storyline that would peak your interest!

Article written by the Goose - an ex EOB Student

Video Games Tell Stories

Follow Your Gaming Passion Academically 2020-2021 - EOB Academy

. Alongside our partners Sutton District Training, we have 60 spaces for the 2020-2021 academic year for passionate video gamers who will learn the skills that enable them to develop their own video game. 

Our Level 1 & 2 courses, from our venues in Carshalton and Letchworth, are perfect for those looking to pursue their passion academically.

The EOB Academy Courses Letchworth & Carshalton

Our courses will teach you how to use video game design software, 3D modeling software, coding and story development for computer games. 

With these skills, you will be able bring your video game ideas to life and build your own game.

 and you will have the option to travel and take part in competitions, develop your own video gaming brand and meet pro-players. 

The power is in your hands. You will take charge, brainstorm, and plan your own esports event which will be hosted in an esports venue.

If you love games, there is a place for you here. 

Our courses have an open door policy to EHCP students. We also offer English and Maths as part of the course and have many ‘Life Skills and Enrichment’ classes to help confidence building. 

The new course starts in Letchworth or Carshalton on September 7th 2020 – if you’re 16-19 (

) you’ll have a chance of getting a place.

Follow your gaming passion academically. EOB Academy doesn’t judge you on your previous grades. We prefer to focus on your passion

Follow Your Gaming Passion Academically

Gaming with the family is good for you – Family Gaming?

Since the Wii was released in 2006 as the ‘family console’, video gaming has become a popular way for families to 

Bond University and the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA)

‘s 2017 research found almost half of parents play games online with their kids, with reasons for playing together including education and family enjoyment.

And that enjoyment comes from sharing an interest in something. Imagine talking about the games you love and teaching your children or parents how to play it!

Research from Xbox Australia in 2017 found that:

49 per cent of parents claim shared digital experiences have a positive effect on family bond building

48 per cent of parents claim shared digital experiences have a positive effect on their relationship with their children

35 per cent claim they are playing more videogames as a family than the previous year

Up to 45 per cent said that gaming created more conversation amongst the family

With that in mind, EOB Esports Academy has decided to put some attention to promoting family gaming with Esports Family Sundays!

“We would like to connect family time and create some magic moments with video games as the connector,” says EOB Esports Academy creator Steven Godwin. “We want to make that experience real. We will practice together, create family esport teams and then once ready compete in EOB event competitions.“

Create your family gaming team, sharpen your Rocket League, Smash Bro’s and Mario Kart skills, and show the other families what you’re made of!

Video Gaming With The Family Is Good for You

 in the world. But how did gaming go from the private and personal, to the worldwide competitive sport status? our history esports hopes to explain.

1972 – Game tournaments were common among friends, but the first recorded public video game competition was held at Stanford University, US, and featured the game 

“The first ‘Intergalactic spacewar Olympics’ will be held here, Wednesday 19 October, 2000 hours. First prize will be a year’s subscription to ‘Rolling Stone’.”

1980s – During this era, video games grew in popularity. Atari’s Space Invaders Championship, known as the first large scale gaming competition, capitalised on this popularity and attracted nearly 10,000 competitors. The scale of it brought reporters and coverage from the 

, bringing competitive gaming into the mainstream.

So much so that TV appearances saw a surge. Starcade (1981-84), for example, was a popular TV show that showcased people competing playing arcade games. The entertainment and spectator value cemented esports in mainstream media.

The history of esports included personalities and a celebrity culture also grew in the esports world, with Bill Mitchell the most notable name at the time for holding record high scores for games like Pac-man and Donkey Kong.

1990s – The first online sports game peaked (labelled by 

). Although Netrek – a multiplayer (16) team combat and real-time strategy game – was created in 1988, it rose in popularity in the 90s due to the rise of internet connectivity.

Large scale esports tournaments grew as a consequence – 

2000s – esports became a global phenomenon and the industry grew rapidly with the surge of technology. 

South Korea established KeSPA, a government branch regulating esports, and hosted the World Cyber Games, US based 

 was founded and began hosting multiple large scale esports competitions globally; France founded 

 broadcast esports matches regularly; China held the World e-Sports Games (2004-10); UK channel 

 broadcast esports competitions from 2007 to 2009; and 

 aired pre-recorded footage of the 2007 

2010s – Would esports be as big an industry without Twitch.tv? The live video streaming platform has become the 

 of esports’ since its creation in 2011. Born out of Justin.tv, the platform (now in partnership with Amazon) grew to cater to video gaming content online – providing a cheap and easy way to push live streams to millions of viewers with minimal lag.

 on esports is in the numbers. In October 2012, Twitch.tv had just over 20 million monthly visitors. In August 2013, the monthly traffic rose exponentially to over 45 million. And the most popular game streamed during that period (and to date)? None other than esports poster game 

In 2015, it was estimated by SuperData Research that the global esports industry generated around $748.8 million that year, and could reach 

Game developers usually added to the prize pot but sponsorships from PC retailers, energy drinks companies, and computer software entered the fray. 

As of 2016, League of Legends awarded approximately $30 million within 1749 registered tournaments; and in addition to the prize money, 

 provides salaries for players within their 

 (World esports Association) was founded in 2016 by 

 and competitive teams across the globe to “become the global benchmark for industry-wide standards”.

The British Esports Association has recently taken to promoting the industry in schools with hopes to inspire new generations of gamers. Gamers, who through 

, can gain employability skills, confidence, and target their passion for gaming.

History of Esports

Our EOB Esports Academy programme chose gaming to be an avenue for reaching young people – we explain why in depth.

Yet research around the effects of gaming on young people continue to confuse. There are many contradicting reports: gaming 

, suggests this 2015 report; and gaming could help young people 

Since then, what new information has come out to ease the confusion? And what are the real effects of video games on young people?’

The 2015 research, which took place in Northern Ireland, claimed young students’ grades were negatively impacted by gaming. It involved more than 600 children aged 14 to 16 from 2012-14.

41% who played at least two times a day are more likely to achieve GCSE grades of A* – C, compared to 77% of those who gamed once a week.

Fortnite, a battle royale style game, popular with young gamers is also a good example to look at. According to 

's 2018 report, 62.7 percent of Fortnite players are between the ages of 18-24 and spend six to 10 hours a week playing the game.

Additionally, 35 percent of students who played the game skipped school, and 20.5 percent of those in work skipped working it to play it.

Excessive gaming, especially in late hours, retracts hours spent on studying; and consequently, makes pupils less focused at school the following day. Hence the bad grades.

And it's bound to impact work – especially professionalism and time-keeping – if players are skipping work to game.

Video games can also lead to violent behaviour, addiction and mental health issues. Leading to the World Health Organisation (WHO) making 'Gaming Disorder' – for excessive gaming so severe that it takes "precedence over other life interests" – an 

But how rampant is the 'gaming disorder' issue?

Firstly, for a 'gaming disorder' to be diagnosed the symptoms must severe and evident for at least 12 months. Meaning there is plenty of time to recognise symptoms and take proper steps towards it. It’s also important to note that most of gamers wouldn’t be diagnosed with the condition.

 says just 0.3% of gamers might experience problems controlling the time they spend playing video games. Which isn't the epidemic headlines suggest.

In fact there are positives video gaming can bring – from educational and social skills to mental health!

 suggested video games could help succeed at university. It said gaming improved communication skills, resourcefulness, and adaptability!

Lecturer Matthew Barr said many video games encouraged “

critical thinking and reflective learning

“, found students increased their employability skills, and believes this means video games could have “a role to play in higher education”.

Playing action video games can also make the 

, and makes gamers better able to apply decision making in real-world situations.

Video games can also develop reading and maths skills, as gamers need to read to get instructions, follow storylines of games, and get information from the game texts; and, must be mathematically aware if managing resources are a feature in the game.

It’s always difficult to conclude as this topic remains controversial, with both sides aiming to prove a point. Yet it’s important to find the valid points in both types of research.

 puts it perfectly. “Educators can take advantage of the positive learning characteristics of games with the use of well-designed software, but should also be aware of potential negative issues such as anti-social content and cyber addiction.”

And we at EOB are doing just that. We've found out from recent research that 

families that game together can have strong relationships

 to successfully teach people professional and social skills!

EOB ESports Academy has created a safe learning environment, with a popular strategic game. We have trained 150 young people since 2017 and many students have already found full time work.

Effects of gaming on young people

Esports workshop backed by Prince’s Trust aims to help unemployed youngsters find work.

The British Esports Association recently visited the new EOB Esport Academy. How does it work? Rob Allen reports.

A new Enemy of Boredom (EOB) esports initiative has been set up to help long-term unemployed young people learn new skills and access new opportunities.

British Esports Article about the EOB Esports Academy

WUWO Media’s, EOB Esports Academy for the Prince’s Trust Young People.

EOB Academy alongside digital agency Clock, are providing young, unemployed people with a unique opportunity through esports education to obtain a qualification. 

The ultimate aim is to then connect these hard-to-reach individuals with employment or further training.

Being an original Prince’s Trust startup 20 years ago, Clock continually follow and support Prince’s Trust initiatives. 

With this one championing the emerging industry that is ‘Esports’, Clock were the ideal partner for this EOB Academy programme due to their ongoing relationship with their client, Riot Games.

13 young people aged from 19-24yrs were selected to join the 

After 4 weeks, the participants will gain a qualification having learnt and utilised skills gleaned during the programme ranging from esports education and coaching, basic English and Maths, through to journalism, social media and game design. 

On Friday 2 June 2017, the participants were asked to present back what they have learned from the invaluable experience as well as their plans for the future.

 leading game League of Legends – a gaming platform that sees an audience of 28+ million in Europe alone – through showing the young people the importance of teamwork in a competitive gaming sector. 

Esports is a current, opportunistic industry that this initiative aims to demystify and celebrate. 

 creator of the esports education programme says 

“Using Competitive Video Gaming we have created a programme that teaches young people teamwork skills, backed up by a very hands on schedual learning about the running of a pop-culture magazine – our young people are able to become more self assured and confident citizen.

The aim is to help each young person start a career in something they enjoy and EOB will be supporting them until each individual is more secure in their life. 

We have plans to expand the EOB course into other towns and cities so we’re able to help more young people move forward and succeed. And just to let you know, EOB stands for The Enemy of Boredom”.

“We are delighted to partner with EOB Academy on their Initiative to help young people gain the skills and experience they need to forge a career in the digital and cyber industries. By attending events, hearing from guest speakers and learning from experts, this course will inspire the group and open their eyes to different employment opportunities within the digital world.” 

Paul Beesley, Director for Central England, The Prince’s Trust.

“A great initiative and a brilliant way of using 

 as a tool to teach teamwork, strategy and sportsmanship. We are proud to support young people through WUWO Media and the EOB course as well as helping The Prince’s Trust. The course also spreads the word about how Esports can help build communities and develop individuals”. 

Mark Cox, Head of Publishing for League of Legends

Results of the combined efforts? This disadvantaged group of young people have been given the opportunity to gain a qualification, learn about the esports industry and build a digital magazine. 

Each young person will then have the opportunity to start an Apprenticeship in their chosen field with the support of West Herts College and EOB Academy.


The first programme ran until 2 June, the next programme starts July 24th 2017. For more information please visit 

For media enquiries contact about the course: 


WUWO Media was founded by Steven Godwin in 2012, Steven was also supported with a loan from the Prince’s Trust. 

WUWO Media has been involved in many ventures, from the running of an entertainment and lifestyle magazine to starting its own creative digital agency. 

WUWO Media ethos has always been to help young people since its creation, after time it was clear that education was the right path for the company. 

WUWO Media have so far help or support 62 young people get into work, set up successful projects with Thames Valley Housing and at West Herts College, now also partner with Tenfold Gaming in New York, helping NYC and UK’s young people interact and work together.

 are a digital agency founded by Syd Nadim with a Prince’s Trust loan 20 years ago.

In an increasingly busy and fragmented digital landscape, Clock helps brands to build meaningful relationships with their customers – driving engagement, trust and loyalty. Clock is an independent agency, established in 1997. 

The knowledge and experience built up over nearly two decades means they are experts in all aspects of creating world-class products and services. Their multidisciplinary teams are focused on delivering three things: strategy, design and engineering.

They’re a 50-strong agency, but like to work in small focused teams with the agency directors actively involved in all projects. 

In collaboration with their clients, Clock make products and services that resonate with today’s demanding consumers.

 helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. 

Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1976, the charity has supported 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion for over 40 years.

Many of the young people helped by The Prince’s Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or they have been in trouble with the law. 

The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. 

Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training.

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