The need for a vision

• Further resources

The Writhlington Way: how a vision influences the curriculum, school design and role in the community

Website

www.wsbe.org.uk

Key challenges

• To what extent will this curriculum help develop young people who are successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens?
• What digital technologies can help you deliver your future educational vision, and how?
• What sort of learning relationships do we want to foster?

Overview:

The idea at the core of the redesign is to prepare students for the world by encouraging learning - rather than teaching. This is achieved by investing in staff and bringing in local businesses.

The notion of introducing 'zones' gives teachers as well as students autonomy in how that particular area is structured, which is motivating for both groups.

Approach:

The first task: to create a vision around student expectations focusing on learning and the transformational agenda - from which the buildings emerge.

A working party from the staff came up with the Writhlington Way - a curriculum statement achieved by thinking ten years ahead. The resulting teaching and learning framework revolves around values and generic skills such as encouraging autonomy, presentation skills, making decisions, risk taking, enterprise skills and so on.

Staff considered the future economy - a 'knowledge economy' - and looked at employment profiles, spoke to employers, read Regional Development Agency reports and strategic economic development plans (employment areas for the future). Students get involved in decision making through the student council, assemblies, and by direct consultation for projects such as the rebuild.

There are four key innovative practices around school redesign, the curriculum, staff and community services:

The concept of zones

The school rebuild is planned around seven zones: Science and Technology, Maths, Communications, Humanities, Business and Enterprise, Creative and Expressive Arts, and Sport and Leisure.

Each learning zone has its own vision statement which feeds into the overarching programme, and stretches and challenges staff.

Each zone will have subject-related workspaces, a shared break-out/resources area and a staff workroom. Rooms will reflect the type of learning - e.g. smaller soundproofed rooms for music rehearsals, an observatory, and the kitchens can be used as part of the Food Technology curriculum. English and humanities classrooms will have flexible walls to enable the learning area to be increased or decreased.

New training, new timetable

The school has invested heavily in staff training, and rearranged its hours so that the students do not lose any teaching time. Yet school closes at 2.30pm on Wednesday so that staff may have two hours a week to develop teaching and learning strategies. This includes visiting schools around the country and generating material for the E-portal and virtual learning environments.

Community activities

The school is open between 7am to 10pm. The zone for adult and community activities is, where possible, different to the students' area e.g. the library is not designed for teaching. Facilities for students and community alike include: community theatre, creche and the sports centre. Businesses can also use the facilities in the school. And a wide range of courses await adult learners.

Enterprise/applied zone

Instead of classrooms the enterprise zone is set up as an office. With a huge investment in IT, each 'company' has its own telephones, printers, fax machine etc. The school's business sponsors set challenges for students who work in teams to solve the problems. It's a dynamic environment that supports a shift from teaching to learning.

By encouraging community involvement the school becomes integral to that community and is cherished.

Key points and recommendations:

• Creating your vision - for the medium term (3-5 years) and long term (5-10 years) - it does not matter if there is no funding or immediate chance of it occurring, but it forms a framework.
• Have buy in from all stakeholders and make sure they are kept up to date on any activities occurring - and participate.
• If the community feels a sense of ownership over the school then there will be more pride in it.
• Publish findings around the school redevelopment so others could learn from this experience.
• The capturing thoughts tool might be useful for generating the ideas.