Introduction to School 21

My aim for today:

To start a conversation about:- 21st century schools- “next practice” not just “best practice”- Ways of collaborating and continuing the

dialogue

School 21: the facts

• Free school opened September 2012 in portacabins • 4 to 18 • 75 in a year • Admissions identical to all Newham schools: proximity • Funding identical – per pupil• Above average SEN, EAL, FSM • Currently 4 year groups – Reception, year 1, Year 7,

year 8• Refurbishment of an old secondary school

What are the key ingredients of a 21st century school

Integrity“We are true to our word”

Humanity“We look out

for each other”

Our Core Values

6 attributes: to prepare children for success in the 21st century

And to close the achievement gap Only 44 children on FSM in the whole country get 3As at A level - the odds are stacked against all these children… and more

What is school for?

To create beautiful workTo make a difference to

the world

Small is beautiful: 75 in a year group, 12 in a secondary coaching group, 25 in a primary class

Impact: Students known, gaining in confidence able to grow

Our foundation and focus is the power of the English Language

Impact: progress in reading and writing at 4 and 12 is well above national averages

We have put oracy (talk) at the centre of our school

Impact: the eloquence and self –confidence of our students is striking

Collaboration between primary and secondary including shared CPD

Impact: quality of teaching high with all teaching good or outstanding

Outstanding learning: teachers combining experiential and cognitive learning

Impact:Strong teaching, rapid progress from students, engaged,motivated children

Students are motivated by real audiences, real products, real purpose

Impact: The craftsmanship and reflection results in work that is above their years as evidenced in the products and books

Impact: Children developing e-portfolios of best work, reflection blogs – all helping to accelerate progress

Technology integrated seamlessly into learning

Growth MindsetLanguage of the school

One to one coaching

At our core – we are about developing the well-being and growth of every child

Well-being taught through rich texts

Impact:High attendanceFew exclusionsExcellent behaviour

Structured conversations with parents

A 21st century teacher is a: Project designer Coach Mentor Subject specialist Teacher of English

Language Well-being teacher

And…..a juggler of all these roles!

Integrated technology

Authentic assessment

Real world learning with

partners in the community

Well-being of whole child

A 4 to 18 personalised

journey

English Language /oracy

Student Leadership

Joining cognitive and experiential in Incredible learning

spaces

21st century, collaborative

teacher

GROWTH Each person growing

each day

Immersion and compelling enquiryBig ideas, dilemmas,

controversies

Learner Collaboration Learning pace and scope

in hands of students

KnowledgeExpertise

Acquisition of knowledge, concepts, ideas

Rich use of LanguageWritten and Oral, precise

and expert

Learning at School 21

How we work together

Familiar set up in many schools• Over monitoring and lack of trust • Culture of complaint• Often divisions or outright hostility between

SLT and rest• Everything top down - very few people make

the decisions • Often lots of cliques and political games • Big divisions between teachers, TAs, support

staff • Resistance to change• School – a bubble, everything inward looking • People set in their ways – we’ve always done

it this way• Teachers isolated individuals in their own

classroom

School 21 ambition • Valuing of all staff and each person

contributing fully • Flatter structure with everyone given the

chance to shape the school• Peer accountability and trust as much as

top down accountability • Kindness and supportiveness towards

colleagues • On-going innovation shaped by staff • School porous to new ideas, new people,

new partnerships• Staff always learning, always striving for

better – can do • Teachers genuinely collaborating across

subjects, ages, sectors

A 21st century curriculum

ExperiencesStoriesBig ideas/conceptsAttributes SkillsBodies of Knowledge

How we deliver the curriculum

Toolkit lessons

Mastery lessons

Project based learning

Coaching Time

Foundation Courses

Teacher collaboration

• 2 hour CPD meetings each Wednesday • Assemblies used as CPD• Trios that report back • Paired coaching groups• Outsiders developing toolkit with us• Primary and secondary together • Cross departmental working • Sharing resources on-line • No hierarchy of ideas

Who/what is the enemy?

• The patronising of children with unchallenging work

• The relentless boredom of most school activities

• The overly large impersonal school• The achievement gap between rich and poor• Inertia, conservatism,

Students need to enjoy school today, not just be planning for tomorrow

Questions

Who or what is your enemy?

Which piece of the jigsaw is most important/are you working on?

What do you want to focus in on today?