Children Leading Learning
A school needs to value the opinions of all learners and should find ways of developing the student voice. It should usechildren as learning resources for one another, helping their peers to learn and develop, within the classroom and beyond. For example, use of peer review, discussion forums, blogs, wikis through the VLE, pupil supported nurture groups, for social, emotional and behavioural learning and “stage not age” models.
Outdoors Curriculum
The school should emphasise outdoor education, providing opportunities for children to engage in physical and environmental challenge, with risk taking as a cornerstone of learning. While playing they can try things out, solve problems and be creative. They develop skills, knowledge and values that promote behaviour in support of a sustainable environment, not confined to formal schooling but in a wide range of non-formal education settings at work and at home.
Areas of learning
Evidence indicates that the curriculumshould be organised into areas that bringtogether knowledge, skills and understanding.This allows more meaningful links betweensubjects and areas of learning.Organising the curriculum in thisway means there is more opportunity to makelinks between subjects and between areas oflearning to deepen children’s understanding. The curriculum might focus on creativity and issues based learning including the values of democracy, human rights and justice. Children learn through thematic topics and projects which provide greater context and meaning for learners.
Extended Learning Times
Many schools have experimented with extended opportunities for learning where, for example, every student has permanent access to a handheld learning device. Where schools make effective use of online learning real time contact between teachers and students can take place anywhere that there is access to the internet. Greater access to interactive learning opportunities enables flexibilities in terms of using different curriculum approaches and teaching spaces
Clubhouse/Classroom and the whole school campus
A “clubhouse” immerses pupils in opportunities to design and create, particularly with new technologies. Children are fluent with new technological media which involves the ability to express, explore and realise ideas. The external environment can be used to support this learning and teaching. Outdoor spaces could include open air theatres, gardens, environmental areas, eating spaces and social spaces. Easy access to the outdoor space encourages more use of school grounds resources.
Family Learning
Many schools have developed approaches to engaging parents in their children’s education, offering courses for parents to develop their skills, for example, in literacy, numeracy or technology, or running “father and child” family learning programmes, linking learning to particular activities.Schools have explored this approach, identifying key learning styles and tailoring their learning to achieve most effectively, but at the same time extend their “style stretch” to enable them to learn more effectively in other styles.
Developing Thinking Skills for Successful Learners
Today’s children have quicker access to information, but that information is often less authoritative. The ability to develop critical thinking skills is central to today’s learners. In teaching children to think and reason in a structured way, schools develop a vocabulary for thinking and concept development. Schools adopting these approaches have often introduced philosophy for children to extend thinking skills.
Confident Individuals Communicating Learning
Today’s technologies require more than ever children to develop a wide range of learning and communication skills. Whole brain approaches to learning have extended the range of skills available to make learning more effective. Examples of such tools include mind-mapping, concept mapping, memory tools, speed-reading, note taking etc. A range of methods of communication also need developing through speaking, writing, video and audio, for example.
Life Long Learners
Responsible Citizens
Independent learning is about working towards children’s autonomy by providing opportunities and learning experiences which nurture self-reliance and self-belief.
It emphasises children responsibility for self-management and self-direction. It involves children in choice and decision making. When linked to issues based learning it leads to children who develop into responsible citizens who continue to learn throughout life.
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