Transcript Keir Bloomer - Journey to Excellence

“Our journey to excellence”
Presentation by Keir Bloomer
Dunblane Hydro
27 October 2009
“In times of change learners
inherit the earth; while the
learned find themselves
beautifully equipped to deal with
a world that no longer exists.”
Eric Hoffer, 1995
“Education thus presents itself as at once
preparation for life and an irreplaceable part of
life itself: hence the good school is to be
assessed not by any tale of examination
successes, however impressive, but by the
extent to which it has filled the years of youth
with security, graciousness and ordered
freedom….”
Secondary Education: a report of the Advisory Council on Education in
Scotland, 1947.
Purposes of Education
Successful
learners
Confident
individuals
To enable all
young people
to become
Responsible
citizens
Effective
contributors
Experiences and Outcomes
offer general guidance rather
than detailed prescription
give increased emphasis to
what pupils are able to do
Directly relevant outcomes
 I know, and can demonstrate, how to travel safely
whether on foot, on a bicycle, in a motor vehicle or
on public transport.
 I am encouraged to travel actively and safely to my
place of learning.
 I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect
myself and others and reduce potential harm when
possible.
Curriculum Principles
Breadth
Depth
Coherence
Challenge and Enjoyment
Progression
Relevance
Personalisation and Choice
SAFETY FIRST
“Learning through health and
wellbeing promotes confidence,
independent thinking and positive
attitudes and dispositions. Because
of this, it is the responsibility of every
teacher to contribute to learning and
development in this area.”
Building the Curriculum 1
Promoting the 4 Capacities
Successful learners
Responsible
citizens
Effective
contributors
Confident
individuals
In 30 years Britain has become a
different country
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Real incomes have nearly trebled
Inequality has increased sharply
More people are living alone
Life expectancy has risen by 6 years
More children are born to single parents
Migration and diversity have increased
Air travel has grown six-fold
Half of households have internet access
Consumer debt has trebled
We have modified our
environment so radically
that we must now modify
ourselves in order to exist
in this new environment.
Robert Wiener:
The Human Use of Human Beings
We are preparing young
people for jobs that
don’t yet exist…
requiring technologies
that haven’t yet been
invented…
to solve problems of
which we are not yet
aware.
And even more difficult….
We should be helping them to
lead purposeful and fulfilled
lives…
in circumstances changing at
unprecedented and
accelerating speed….
in ways that affect custom
and belief as well as material
surroundings.
Issues for society
 Globalisation
 Competitiveness
 Exponential increase in
knowledge
 Social dislocation
“I’m famous for
being a loser,
really. I often
get comments
like that and I
totally agree
with them”
Children do better in more equal societies
No longer "Seen but not
Heard“
Children's Commissioner
Youth Parliament
Dialogue Youth
School Councils
Young people’s risk behaviour
OECD Nations
Poland
Spain
Czech Republic
Austria
Hungary
Greece
France
Switzerland
Netherlands
Italy
Canada
Belgium
Portugal
Germany
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Non-OECD Nations
Croatia
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Israel
Slovenia
Russian Federation
0
5
10
Date: 2001/02
unicef – Child Poverty in Perspective
15
20
25
30
35
40
Subjective well-being of young people,
an OECD overview
Netherlands
Spain
Greece
Austria
Ireland
Switzerland
Sweden
Norway
Germany
Italy
Finland
Denmark
Hungary
Portugal
Canada
Belgium
Czech Republic
France
Poland
United Kingdom
80
85
90
unicef – Child Poverty in Perspective
95
100
105
110
115
120
Responsibilities of all staff
 Helping all children feel happy, safe,
respected and included
 Promoting positive behaviour in the
classroom and elsewhere
 Serving as positive role models and
contributing to the ethos of the school
 Dealing explicitly with issues of health and
wellbeing (including road safety)
More ways forward
 Improving school ethos and the social
experience
 Involving learners in decision making
 Providing individual support and mentoring
 Giving opportunities for personal
achievement
 Making schooling challenging and
enjoyable
“Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful
committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever
has.”
Margaret Mead