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REGIONAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE

Martha Critchlow Jake Reynolds

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EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM MANIFESTO

• Shared vision and strategy for delivery and development of Education Outside the Classroom

• Statement of common intent to help align currently disparate activity

• Guide for public, private and voluntary sector commitment

• Benchmark to help DfES assess its work and monitor progress

• Call on the wider community sectors to join in enriching the lives of school children

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“Education for sustainable development is a life-wide and lifelong endeavour which challenges individuals, institutions, and societies to view tomorrow as a day that belongs to all of us.”

UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Strategy

2005-14

THE BROADER PICTURE

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“Every school should [also] be an environmentally sustainable school, with a good plan for school transport that encourages walking or cycling, an active recycling policy (moving from paper to electronic processes wherever possible) and a school garden or other opportunities for children to explore the natural world. Schools must teach our children by example as well as by instruction.”

DfES Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners, 2004

THE BROADER PICTURE

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“Sustainable development principles must lie at the core of the education system, such that schools, colleges and universities become showcases of sustainable development among the communities that they serve.”

Securing the Future, the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, 2005

THE BROADER PICTURE

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“Identify effective mechanisms to enable the establishment of a sustainable development partnership support framework at local and regional levels” (1.5)

“Implement communications programme linked to specific SD events/themes” (1.5)

“Identify sustainable development advisory and facilitative NGOs to promote good practice and disseminate information to appropriate sectors” (1.5)

“We will make effective links between education and sustainable development to build capacity within local communities” (4)

“Identify mechanisms that link education with other local fora and in particular the opportunities created by LSPs and Local Agenda 21 to join up learning and local networks” (4.1)

“With the support of GOs, LEAs, schools, colleges and related units will be encouraged to build on existing SD activity and play an active part in their communities” (4.1)

“Create new mechanisms for supporting ESD at local level” (4.2)

RECAP ON CURRENT COMMITMENTS (2003)

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• SDAP was not communicated well

• Context for working with schools has changed:

– the new relationship

– need to embed in existing programmes

– need to ‘sell’ the benefits

IN PRACTICE …

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Current focus:

Every Child Matters

Extended schools

Head teacher standards

Broader context:

Children’s well-being

Partnership working

Safer, stronger, greener communities

Current focus:

National Curriculum aims

Statutory provision

Out-of-classroom manifesto

Broader context:

Enrichment

Inclusion

Personalisation

Curriculum Campus

Community

Current focus:

Food improvement

Travel planning

Healthy Schools Standard

BREEAM building standard

Broader context:

Healthy living

Operational efficiency

CHILD

EMBEDDING IN EXISTING PROGRAMMES

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Be healthy Reconnects pupils to food supply / natureFocus on local, fresh, healthy foodPromote walking, cycling, outdoor play

Stay safe Respect for the local environment and communityPositive behaviour in and outside school

Enjoy and achieve Practical learning, relevant to pupils’ livesConfidence via achievement outside classroom

Make a positive contribution

Contribute to safer, stronger, greener communitiesSense of place / belonging for all

Achieve economic well-being

Functional and organisational skillsEco-innovation and social enterpriseLink local action to global trends / opportunities

ECM EXAMPLE

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• Sustainable schools:

– motivate pupils and staff

– save money

– have excellent community ties

– prepare young people for an uncertain future

SELLING THE BENEFITS

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• EOC fundamental part of achieving ESD

• Skills of sustainable living best acquired while studying real issues in real settings

• Engaging, motivating and confidence building for all abilities – counterweight to classroom study

• Can help to re-include difficult pupils, and improve attainment / behaviour

• Staff interested too, but lack confidence and support

CONNECTING ESD AND EOC

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• The Department recognises that:

– a common vision is needed

– schools will need help to grasp the opportunity

– roles of key actors need to be clarified in light of new relationship

UPDATE FROM DFES

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Local well-being

Energy and water

Food and drin

k

Travel and Traffic

Buildings and grounds

Purchasing and

waste

Inclusion and

participationGlobal citizenship

DOORWAYS

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• Revised SD Action Plan (2005)

• Sustainable Schools consultation

– vision, strategy, expectations, roles

• Sustainable schools web site

– advice, links, tools

• Self-assessment / action planning tool

COMING UP

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• A new SDAP is being prepared

• There are compelling reasons to take ESD/EOC forward

• Given this:

– Are we clear about the regional role?

– Are we embedding EOC/ESD inside core programmes?

– Are we sharing good practice?

– Are we tapping in to regional resources?

WHERE NEXT IN THE REGIONS?

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