Main issues and problems for achieving 24/7 schooling: a headteacher's view

 

Ms Cheryl Heron

Bridgemary Community Sports College
United Kingdom

 

Bridgemary Community Sports College is hoping to move towards to becoming a 364 day 24/7 learning community. There are many issues and problems to overcome in order to achieve this. Below are some of the issues and problems we have identified. I'm sure there are more!!

External Constraints

National and local issues govern schools. Laws and rules linked to things such as collection of data, league tables and timing of external examinations would act as barriers. How would Ofsted view the structure? If the government is moving towards decentralisation and encouraging schools to be more innovative, we need these barriers removed.

Personnel

Structures involving a different mix of staff, with different expertise, working in teams will be needed. New pay and conditions will have to be devised, as well as contracts that will include opportunities for staff to work flexi-time or in shifts. Teams that collaborate and network, rather than hierarchical structures, will need to be developed and may include staff who are shared by other schools or colleges, as well as experts from businesses and the community. This will mean a small core of staff in the school, as well as the need to ensure leadership was present at all levels.

High quality professional development and support through coaching would help the staff to move away from the 'old' model of teachers, as people who ensure knowledge and skills transfer to becoming mentors who help direct the learners they mentor and keep track of their progress. They would also need to be experts in the use of technology in its various forms.

Buildings

The school is based in buildings that were built for the 'old' model. There would have to be more flexibility in the design of the buildings to enable them to be used for a variety of needs. Any changes to buildings would also have to fit around the different types of technology that the learning community would need. There would need to be an acceptance that learning takes place in a number of establishments, such as industry or at home, based on a learner's individual needs and circumstances.

Time

We will need to move away from the standard format of blocks of time and towards developing a structure where time is linked to individual needs and ability. Individual Learning programmes and timetabling also needs to consider research on things such as circadian rhythms, as well as building learning into a whole-life skills approach. The 'one timetable fits all' approach will not work; we will need to develop a mosaic approach to timetabling.

Resources

Creating a 24/7 learning community will be very expensive! Internally, systems using technology will need to be created to support the new structure. Developing partnerships with others to develop other methods of resourcing the curriculum will need to happen.

Assessment

Individual learning programmes will need careful monitoring and tracking. Management systems will have to be designed to ensure that we can track the progress and outcomes of all learners. It must be well coordinated to ensure that the information is shared and accessible to the learners, parents and staff.

The biggest issues are linked to culture and the management of change. How do we change people's perceptions and attitude, especially those of parents and members of a community that don't have open minds? Their attitudes and beliefs are often entrenched in historical ways. For example, they see a school as successful due to league tables and results and an expectation that all schools will adopt the ways of these successful schools. Some believe that you have to physically go to a building called 'school' to learn and that students shouldn't be involved in deciding their own learning needs. We need to move people out of the zone of 'comfiness' based on traditions that shape their opinions, attitudes and behaviour. How do we get these people involved in the process that will benefit learners, especially the parents whose experience of school may not have been a positive one?

Support needs to come from a variety of sources, ranging from experts in particular areas, to those who can help us with resourcing the new systems. We also need support to help us achieve a culture shift, to open minds and develop a collaborative network in the community where students, staff, parents and members of the community can work together to achieve a 364 day, 24/7 learning community.

 

Ms Cheryl Heron is Principal of Bridgemary Community Sports College, in the UK.

The Discussion Forum on this Workshop Paper is now closed.