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SecEd: On Your Side
Rewarding innovation;
So, what do you
do for a living? heralding best practice
Ah, there’s the rub.
some occupations are worth
Hilary
choosing for their kudos value
Moriarty
The 21st Century Learning Alliance
in conversations with strangers.
Guest
brings together a range of experts
“rocket scientist” has a nice
Editorial
and educational organisations to
ring to it; instant respect;
what enormous brains you must have. And these days,
debate the best ways to take the
“footballer’s wife” has potential; what big – no, let’s not go
school system forward. Chris Parr reports
there.
the rocket scientist may have the sneaky advantage of
being a wolf in sheep’s clothing, like the really fast cars which
reAdIng thrOugh the for the Future (BsF), there ought
don’t look brassy and obvious, but zoom past surprising you.
members and affiliates of the to be some sign that it is helping to
21st Century Learning Alliance is make school life easier and more
exciting when they do.
like reading a Who’s Who of the effective, and that it is improving
But how many teachers thwart or deflect enquiry with a education world. outcomes.”
not-quite-straight-forward answer? I know one who swore that
the organisation regularly sir Mike admits that much of the
saying he taught physics just ruined his holidays: strangers
brings together the likes of sir Mike Alliance’s discussions go no further
would then launch into diatribes about their own dismal days
tomlinson, sir tim Brighouse and than an open-ended debate among
Mick Waters to discuss the best the organisation’s members.
with dire physics teachers boring them to death.
ways to take education forward, he continued: “the debates can
so he told everyone he was a scientist working for the and uses its illustrious networks be very lively. they are discussions
gas board. Actually, I think he could well have stopped
to offer support and guidance to without any threat – we are not
with “scientist” and skipped the gas board bit. “scientist” is
schools which it deems to be lead- required to come to any set conclu-
ing the way. sions or decisions. For that reason,
fascinating and mysterious enough for most casual enquiries.
so where did the organisation in terms of a teacher’s day-to-day
Oh, the possibilities – neuroscientist, astrophysicist?
come from, and what does it want life, much of what the Alliance does
Just being a common or garden scientist is a step up from to achieve? has very little impact. I can under-
ordinary mortal-dom, even if the speaker’s degree was a poor
Martin ripley, managing direc- stand why teachers might not care
third from a less than top flight university. “A scientist” has
tor of the government’s World about what we’re doing.
Class Arena initiative, which aims “however, other aspects will be
achieved so much in their field, he or she has become part of
to identify and assess students gift- of interest. With the Fellowships
the small, select army of “ists”.
ed at mathematics and problem- and the Awards, any school can
As it happens, the “ists” in any staffroom are quite a diverse
solving, was one of the Alliance’s get involved, and we do hope to
group, including the artist and the classicist. Oh, especially
founders. influence practice and influence
the classicist; I’ve always thought they verge dangerously
he tells us: “I used to work as thought.”
director of e-strategy at the then the website information
on the elitist, too. they know, understand and can do things
Qualifications and Curriculum for the 21st Century Learning
which mere mortals simply cannot comprehend. Like rocket Authority, and we always felt there Alliance’s Awards states that they
scientists, but deep in history rather than the future.
was more scope for government aim to “identify and celebrate the
historians bring us to the other handy sub-group for
and industry to work together achievements of schools that are
teachers who would rather not own up: the “ns” – historian,
to support schools in innovative excelling in how they approach Supporting innovation: Esther McQueen, teacher at
practice, and provide the tools to key areas of their work or envi- Sharnbrook Upper School in Bedfordshire, with students
mathematician, musician.
help them. ronment”. and ‘The Rubbish Pupil’, which was made as part of a
Both historians and mathematicians – and probably a lot “the fact is, the education indus- In layman’s terms, the organisa- 21st Century Learning Alliance Fellowship project
of the “ists” as well – are surely often asked: “Oh, so what do
try wasn’t doing everything it could tion is looking for schools that can
you do?” there is something about the statement of “ist”-ness
and I felt there was space for an demonstrate an interesting approach Annika small, current direc-
organisation that rewards schools to any one of four areas: teach- tor of education at the tony Blair
or “n”-ness which presumes that you must be capable of many
for being innovative, and finding ing and learning methods; people, Faith Foundation, and former chief
things, that many worlds are open to you, including saving
forward-thinking solutions.” resources and the curriculum; time; executive of education innovators
the one we live in. “how exciting! how interesting! tell me And so in 2006, the Alliance and space. Futurelab, explained: “through the
more!”
was founded, with a flexible brief For example, the overall winner Alliance, I have had the chance
sadly, this is a rare response to admitting to spending
to discuss the innovative use of ICt in 2008 was Leasowes Community to work with Portsmouth’s Priory
in education, and to reward schools College in dudley, which pioneered school which is going through a
one’s life teaching. so who can blame those who could
that were putting their own new a “flexible Friday” approach, allow- BsF rebuild. It picked up one of
spend a lifetime in the classroom and would still rather define
ideas to the test. ing students to spend five hours the Alliance’s Fellowships, which
themselves – in the thumb-nail sketch demanded by casual
the two current chairs of the focusing on one curriculum area on mean we offer the school support
acquaintances – by the subject they studied for three years
organisation, overseeing the one day each week. and guidance.
when they were still wet behind the ears?
“With david rogers, geography
curriculum leader at the school, I
It is a sad indictment of our lives and times that such a
truthful answer is almost reluctantly given and perceived as
giving us low status, making us less interesting, less useful,
yeah yeah, whatever.
the world has tried to change this, with jobs for advanced
‘
We always felt there was
have had the chance to talk through
ideas for how best to develop
the learning spaces. It is some-
more scope for government and
thing I’d had experience of while
at Futurelab. now, after working
skills teachers, and awards like Oscars to celebrate excellence
industry to work together to
with the school, I can bring this
experience back and share it with a
in the classroom. But you can hardly say, “I’m an advanced
skills teacher” – can you? It would be like saying, “I’m a
support schools in innovative
range of different organisations and
individuals at the Alliance board
really good accountant”. silly.
meetings.”
But why do we have so little pride in the job, pride in what
practice, and provide the
this ability to share ideas, and
actually encourage schools to put
we do, pride in what we achieve by, with or from all those
pupils whose lives we touch? Without us, in the classroom on
tools to help them
into practice their own innovations
is what makes the 21st Century
a daily basis, actually doing the job we chose or which chose
Learning Alliance so important.
us, the next generation of “ists” and “ns” and “ers” (lawyers
Ben Arora, director of educa-
Alliance’s discussions and help- the Fellowships, meanwhile, tion at the national endowment
and footballers) and “ants” (accountants) and even “kers”
ing to support its programmes, are offer schools up to
(don’t go there) would not reach their own dizzy heights.
’
£6,000 to help for science, technology and the
sir tim Brighouse and sir Mike develop their ideas with the help and Arts, and also an Alliance board
so where do I fit in to this pattern of “ists” and “ns”,
tomlinson. advice of the Alliance’s contacts. member, sums it up perfectly: “We
sounding cool and suave and proud and mysterious and
sir Mike told us that in addition the projects are many and var- can reach some of the finest educa-
interesting? I have two degrees in english literature, and tried
to discussing how best to develop ied. sharnbrook upper school in tional minds in the country, which
education, the organisation fulfils Bedfordshire is investigating the is a very powerful tool to have
to teach the joys of our language and literature to as many
another vital purpose: ensuring that “stretch and challenge” agenda, – the ability to bring these people
children as would listen for 25 years. I never found it possible investment in education technology and looking at ways to help gifted together and look for solutions.
to recast my qualifications into an “ist” or an “n”. so when
has the desired effect. students; Bishop’s stortford high “If you get two educationalists
anyone asked who I was and what did I do, I only had one
he told us: “there has been sub- school is looking at the impact together, you’re bound to get dis-
answer: I am hilary Moriarty, and I am a teacher.
stantial investment in ICt in recent of netbook computers on learn- cussions on the key themes, such
SecEd
years, and for the amount of money ing; Bowland high school in as assessment or the use of tech-
• Hilary Moriarty is national director of the Boarding Schools’
going in, it’s important that some- Lancashire is using ICt to help a nology, and hopefully reach some
one questions the extent to which group of year 9 boys with below conclusions and solutions. that’s
Association and writes in a personal capacity. Pete Henshaw
it has improved teaching and learn- average literacy skills; and Priory what we are aiming to do.” SecEd Together we are stronger:
is the editor of seced and delivering diplomas. Email him
ing. has it improved these areas to school in Portsmouth is helping (from top) Among the 21st
on editor@sec-ed.co.uk or visit www.sec-ed.com or www. the level that might be expected, students to use their knowledge of
Further information
Century Learning Alliance
deliveringdiplomas.com
given the finances involved? the built environment to engage the Alliance’s Fellowships and members are Martin Ripley,
“If we’re going to invest through architects and planners during the Awards are open now. Visit www. Sir Mike Tomlinson, Ben
programmes like Building schools BsF process. 21stcenturylearningalliance.org.uk Arora, and Annika Small
6 SecEd • March 4 2010
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