Education without failure Is it an impossible dream

Education without failure Is it an impossible dream? Can the 21 st Century school do better than its predecessors?

The Task “I was supposed to be a welfare statistic……. It is because of a teacher that I sit at this table. I remember her telling us one cold, miserable day that she could not make our clothing better; she could not provide us with food; she could not change the terrible segregated conditions under which we lived. She could introduce us to the world of reading, the world of books and that is what she did. What a world! I visited Asia and Africa. I saw magnificent sunsets; I tasted exotic foods; I fell in love and danced in wonderful halls. I ran away with escaped slaves and stood beside a teenage martyr. I visited lakes and streams and composed lines of verse. I knew then that I wanted to help children do the same things, I wanted to weave magic. ” (From evidence submitted to ‘The National Commission on Teaching and America’s future’, 1999. )

Purposes of Education • Skills…………economic • Culture. . ……. . social • Citizenship…. moral

The Contexts The Schools • Strong Achievement Culture • Tenuous hold on Achievement Culture • Fingertip hold on Achievement Culture • Estate Schools • Crossroads Schools • Schools in Affluent Areas

The Values • Success not Failure • Multifaceted not General • Inclusive not Exclusive • Ipsative & Formative not Normative • Lifelong not Once and for all

Outstanding Teaching 1. Beliefs • • • Transformability rather than ability of children Success for all not some Intelligence is multi-faceted Every child needs a worthwhile relationship with at least one adult it may not be them A child’s failure to learn is a challenge to their teaching strategies not a sign of inability on the part of the child A child showing great effort in learning is a sign of their character not their lack of ability

Outstanding Teaching 2. Habits and behaviours • • • Always improve their story telling technique Always polish their skill in questioning Always extend their “best explanations” Observe other colleagues’ techniques Sing from the same song sheet … up to a point Treat teaching as a co-operative activity … use “we” a lot Store and share videos and/or dvds of “best” explanations for student use Use formative and ipsative assessment in marking Teach alongside, behind and in front of youngsters Share leadership and management Teach in the corridors Share their “hyacinths” in learning

The Passionate Teacher ‘Of some of our teachers, we remember their foibles and mannerisms, of others, their kindness and encouragement, or their fierce devotion to standards of work that we probably did not share at the time. And of those who inspired us most, we remember what they cared about, and that they cared about us, and the person we might become. It is the quality of caring about ideas and values, this fascination with the potential for growth within people, this depth and fervour about doing things well and striving for excellence, that comes closest to what I mean in describing a ‘passionate teacher. ’ Robert Fried

• The teachers talk about teaching • The teachers observe each other’s practices • The teachers plan, organise, monitor and evaluate together • The teachers teach other

Current Issues • Curriculum changes: – National – Local – International • Personalisation • Every Child Matters • School Improvement – ‘The essential pieces in the jigsaw of a successful school’

School Improvement • • • Data The Curriculum Learning Technologies The buildings School organisational changes Belonging to more than one school

Family of schools of similar socio-economic background Rate of improvement over 3 years QUADRANT B QUADRANT A 2 X 1 X 3 X 10 X 4 X 5 X 12 X 11 X 13 X X Average of all schools 6 X 7 X 8 X 9 X QUADRANT C 14 X 15 X 17 X 16 X 18 X QUADRANT D Key Stage 2, 3 or GCSE Key = X: These are 18 schools, numbered 1 - 18

The 21 st Century School Some of the features of the 21 st century school: • The need for a ‘homebase’ but belonging to more than one school • Metronomic and non-metronomic timetables • Sets of agreed experiences • The learning technologies • Support staff

What will the mature 21 st Century School look like? • A curriculum that is explicitly international, national and local • A curriculum that includes a set of ‘young people’s’ experiences both within and beyond the school designed to support and stimulate their learning and that provides opportunities for ‘co-production’ and ‘enterprise’ • Pupil access to ‘coaching’ at specified times and bespoke learning reinforcement at any time during the week

What will the mature 21 st Century School look like? • Pupil access to ‘best in class’ explanations of key concepts at any time • Individual pupil access to taking external exams/curriculum level tests when they are ready to succeed • Pupils who maintain a planned ‘out of school’ portfolio of experiences and learning – replacing homework • Planned ‘chunked’ and intensive courses and experiences

What will the mature 21 st Century School look like? • Continuous staff development including planned and focussed visits to other comparable schools and ‘best in class’ practice • A research programme • Shared back office services and a shared programme of professional development and pupil enrichment with other partner schools • Formal and active links with other professionals and community groups within the community