-Movement for Active Participation in Education-
"It is wonderful when an adult and a child discover something together that neither of them knew before." – David Gribble
In this newsletter…
UPDATE - What has Inspiring Schools been up to?-
EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
- Learning Exchange Event-
- Investing In Children Conference-
- New Developments in Student Voice-
- Powerful Voices Network-
- Citizenship and Human Rights-
- iNet Education Conference
- Institute for Participatory Practice-
RESOURCES - Liberation Education Website-
- David Gribble Website-
- International Democratic Education Network-
PRACTICE - School Councils UK Standards-
- Self Managed Learning-
RESEARCH - Children and the Commercial World-
POLICY - Updated ‘Working Together’ Guidance-
- European Forum for Freedom in Education-
Inspiring Schools has been established with support from Carnegie UK Trust, Esmee Fairbairn foundation, Save the Children and the Phoenix Education Trust. It aims to make education more inspiring, relevant and engaging by promoting:
o The development of a climate and ethos where the views and ideas of all stakeholders are valued, including school students, staff and parents.
o Learning and teaching methods which encourage interaction and dialogue.
o Children and young people’s active involvement in decision-making within education (individual and collective)
Inspiring Schools is about putting people in touch with people. It is about sharing and exchanging ideas and experiences, working together and avoiding duplication. Inspiring Schools aims to link practice, research and policy in order to work together to achieve a critical mass!
UPDATE
· Thanks to the Phoenix Education Trust Inspiring Schools has been able to continue to employ Rachel Roberts to develop Inspiring Schools’ work.
· A website designer has been employed; a brand new Inspiring Schools website is on its way, so watch this space!
· Inspiring Schools had a successful event for teachers, students and governors in partnership with the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University. An analysis of the event is being produced by the university, see attachment for an outline of the event and participants comments.
· Funding applications have been submitted, so fingers crossed Inspiring Schools will be delivering many more events and will connect more people over the coming year!
Now to hear about what everyone else has been up to...
EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
Learning Exchange 25th May
This is an event for anyone who is interested in real learning for
young people at the South Downs Learning Centre in Brighton.
This special one day event is jointly sponsored by Personalised
Education Now, the national organisation that promotes radical ideas in
education, and the South Downs Learning Centre, which provides Self Managed
Learning programmes for young
people aged 11-16. To find out more about the learning centre and to
access free downloadable articles go to www.thelearningcentre.selfmanag
Investing In Children Conference 28th May
The conference title is Children and Young People as partners in dialogue: making their rights real. The conference will examine the position of children and young people in society and the issues they face; their rights as citizens; the current debate about wellbeing and how it takes into account the views of young people. Central to the conference are the workshops led by children and young people, so you can hear from them directly as they describe their experience of attempting to engage in a dialogue about issues that affect them.
The conference is on the 28th
May at York University. To read the full details of the
conferences purpose, speakers, workshops, prices, booking form please visit www.iic-uk.org/conference.htm To access the booking form electronically
please visit http://www.iic-uk.org/conferenc
New Developments in Student Voice 12th June
This event will push contemporary student voice work into new and exciting territory. With the support of the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, and as part of Michael Fielding’s' work at the Institute of Education towards a Centre for Radical State Education, this is an event for colleagues in schools and colleges who are committed to working with others to move student voice forward. There will be practitioner led learning conversations and Michael Fielding will present the position paper ‘Beyond Student Voice to Democratic Community’.
This event is on the 12th June at Birkbeck College, University of London from 11.00-15.00. This event is free of charge with limited places. To book a place please contact James McSean email fpsadmin3@ioe.ac.uk Tel 020 7612 6565
Powerful Voices Network 11th June and 14th June
The Powerful Voices
Network is a lottery-funded project based as Beaumont
College in Lancaster
working across the North West.
They aim to bring together young disabled people aged 13-25 who live in the
North West to ensure participation in local, regional and national decision
making forums, and for young people to influence service providers.
Through this new campaigning network young people with additional needs are
empowered to speak out. The network has just released their first
newsletter and launched their website www.thepowerfulvoicesnetwork
Website Design Event 14th June
A free web design event on the 14th June 11am-3pm for any young people with a disability or additional needs aged 13-25. In this event young people will decide how the website should be developed, what it should look like and what it should do. The event is a Beaumont College, Lancaster, for more information contact Mandy McKnight on mcknightm@beaumontcollege.org
Time to Get Equal – Transition and ‘Me’ Seminar 11th June
An event for Professionals working with and delivering services to young people with disabilities on 11th June 10am-3pm. Young people will share their experiences of transition, exhibit a short film, ‘Parallel Lives’ and explore what they would like from transition services with you. The event is a Beaumont College, Lancaster, for more information please contact Catherine Yearron on yearronc@beaumontcollege.org
Citizenship and Human Rights 19th June
The British Institute for Human Rights (BIHR) and the Centre for
Citizenship and Human Rights Education (CCHRE) are hosting a teacher’s
conference at the University
of Leeds on 19th
June. It is part of their celebration of the 60th anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There will be practical
activities, as well as key note speakers, about strengthening human rights
education in secondary schools. Registration is by the 23rd
May for more information go to http://www.education.leeds.ac
iNet Education Conference 23rd June – 1st July
This conference is about the power of networking in the context of education. Networking and collaboration at the local, national and international level allow school leaders and teachers to benefit from a huge pool of knowledge and expertise, which can be drawn from to transform and enrich student learning. How does your school/education organisation contribute to, and benefit from, networking and collaboration at all levels – local, national and international?
If you are able to write
a paper, for reflection and discussion online by education colleagues it would
be welcome and should be emailed to Debra Brydon at brydon@cybertext.net.au by the 9th June, and
register yourself online for the 2008 iNet online conference series for educators at:
http://www.cybertext.net.au
For more detailed information on the 2008 online conference series, please see the iNet website at:
http://www.ssat-inet.net
Institute for Participatory Practice - August
This is an international workshop on participatory practice from the 19th-28th August in Kerala, India. This event provides development workers, policy makers and proactive individuals with a forum for reflection as well as learning. Participants can learn about the latest tools, techniques and trends in participatory development from experienced workers in the field. Participants must register by the 30th June for more information see http://www.theworkshop.in or email info@theworkshop.in
RESOURCES
Liberation Education (LIB ED) Website
LIB ED examines the way our society educates its members. LIB ED believes that schools, because of their very nature, allow some scope for libertarian teachers to have an influence. LIB ED publicises and encourages this work. There are regular online articles at www.libed.org.uk
David Gribble Website
David Gribble has spent much of his life addressing educational philosophy through promoting pupil participation and respect for young people in schools. David has visited democratic schools all over the world as well as working in democratic schools in the UK. In this new website David shares the wealth of his experiences and knowledge. www.davidgribble.co.uk
International Democratic Education Network (IDEN)
Democratic Education is education in which teachers and students have an equal say in the decisions about their learning and their social lives. There are over 200 places offering democratic education in more than 30 countries, working with over 40,000 students. IDEN connects promotes and supports this work. To find out more go to www.idenetwork.org
PRACTICE
School Councils UK Standards
School Councils UK have been holding a series of stakeholder days in which they have addressed the fact that school councils can be an effective means of actively engaging students in their community, but they do not always live up to their potential. Through these stakeholder days Schools Councils UK have devised an assessable standard. School communities can use this standard to assess the outcomes of their school council. This standard will ensure that participation is a full part of the school communities’ ethos and that the school council is genuinely student led and effective. For more information and to follow the development of this standard go to www.schoolcouncilstandard.org
Self Managed Learning for Gifted and Talented
Self Managed Learning is an approach that can be
applied to all students. It is often a highly effective way of motivating
less able and disaffected young people. For more information about Self
Managed Learning go to www.thelearningcentre.selfmanag
Neale-Wade Community College has been using Self Managed Learning as a strategy for motivating and challenging students. They have focussed this work on the often marginalised group of gifted and talented students at the school. The method has proved to be such a success that Neale-Wade is developing a variation on the model, as from September Personalised Learning and Thinking Skills will be extended to all year 7 students.
See the
attached full article for more information about the Self Managed Learning work
at Neale-Wade. For an example of some of this
outstanding work see the student written and produced anti bullying video
“Beat the Bully” under Neale-Wade on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
RESEARCH
Children and the Commercial World
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has launched an independent assessment of the impact of the commercial world on children’s well being. DCSF are asking children, parents and other interested parties to contribute to the review.
The assessment panel will be asking children and young people for their views on what impact they think commercialisation is having on young people.
The call for evidence will close on Monday 30 June 2008.
For
further information visit: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consulta
POLICY
Updated ‘Working Together’ Guidance
The Department for Children Schools
and Families has just published an updated version of the ‘Working
Together’ Guidance. This guidance promotes the participation of
children and young people in decision-making in school, local authority and
related settings and provides advice on the principles and practice that
support such involvement. This Guidance can be downloaded from http://publications.teachernet
European Forum for Freedom in Education
As the UK office of the European Forum for Freedom in Education, Human Scale Education (HSE) contributed to the recent consultation conducted by the European Commission into ‘Improving the Quality of Teacher Education’. HSE highlighted the importance of the history and philosophy of education, child development and pedagogy in all teacher education courses and also stressed the need for increased teacher autonomy at a time of growing centralisation and control. The annual EFFE Colloquium is taking place in Brussels 13 – 15 May and will address the European wide problem of disaffection amongst teenagers. Mike Davies of HSE and until recently Principal of Bishops Park College will present the inspirational work of the College which currently has only 2% of school leavers not going on to further education, training or work. The outcomes of this Colloquium will be presented in a special session at the European Parliament.
The moral of the story is...
There are lots of people doing lots of great work, so let's keep at it and keep in touch!
If we work together we can really get the momentum going and keep the ball rolling!
Do get in touch for more information about anything featured in this newsletter or other Inspiring Schools work.
And, let me know if there is something you're doing which you would like to be featured in the next e-newsletter.