Next Practice in Communities for Learning
The Innovation Challenge
The life chances of people living in poorer communities often significantly decrease over time. Engaging the community in children's learning can help reverse this trend by using new sources of support for children's learning, both within and beyond the school. Not only does this help widen the expertise and opportunities available to students, it also helps forge links between the school and the community.
The Innovation Unit designed and ran a series of events where school representatives were invited and ideas were generated and shared around creating Communities for Learning. Twelve sites were selected to develop their ideas further.
Eight sites were then selected to receive a second phase of intensive consultancy and coaching support to further develop and implement their ideas. This support was crucial to the development of the innovative practices, with consultants playing a key role helping practitioners at sites by holding them accountable for their own aspirations, amid the turbulence of day-to-day delivery.
The consultancy team worked with all field trial sites to capture their collective knowledge and learning.
Outcomes
There were numerous examples across all of the eight field trial sites of how Communities for Learning changed the lives of young people, families, teachers and member of the community. Examples include:
The Bloomer Family, who won the 2008 Family Leaners of the Year. Helen, Sam and Eve Bloomer left school without qualifications and had 18 children and four grandchildren when still in their thirties. Now all have numeracy, literacy and classroom assistant qualifications and have broken the cycle of underachievement. Their children and grandchildren now have a new view of learning and the value of education.
Tom, who previously had trouble controlling his anger, which affected his concentration and learning progress. Tom was encouraged to attend a 'Disolving Barriers to Learning' workshop where, working with a local third sector organisation, systemic methods and tools were used to unpack and seek ways to resolve personal issues. He is now keen to achieve his GCSE's and sees attainment of these as necessary for life improvement.
Organisation
Innovation Unit
—
Website
innovation-unit.co.uk
—
58:12 Properties - Aquila Way
—
Aquila Way works in partnership with private landlords and trained volunteers from local churches to help vulnerable access and retain rented homes of their own.
—
More on 58:12 Properties - Aquila Way
Achieving Wider Key Skills through Boxing
—
Tamworth Boxing Club is the first Boxing Club in the country to deliver both Wider Key Skills and the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) qualification.
—
More on Achieving Wider Key Skills through Boxing
Avon Tyrrell Youth Achievement Foundation
—
UK Youth's Youth Achievement Foundation at Avon Tyrrell aims to engage at risk young people in positive activities.
—
More on Avon Tyrrell Youth Achievement Foundation
Create-A-Scape
—
The Create-A-Scape website aims to offer the inspiration for teachers and pupils to start using mediascapes, and to provide easy-to-use guides and free software.
—
More on Create-A-Scape
From offending to success
—
Northamptonshire Youth Offending Service works with young people between the ages of 10 and 17 with the aim of reducing their offending and helping them lead a positive life.
—
More on From offending to success
Greenfingers at Cockwood Primary School
—
Greenfingers is a horticultural project offered through the Co-operative College’s Young Co-operatives scheme.
—
More on Greenfingers at Cockwood Primary School
Halesowen Partnership of schools in Dudley
—
The Innovation Unit's Communities for Learning project works to strengthen and extend relationships between schools, students and their surrounding community.
—
More on Halesowen Partnership of schools in Dudley
Highbury Fields School and the Youth Achievement Awards
—
Young people at Highbury Fields School have been working on a project to benefit young people in their local community.
—
More on Highbury Fields School and the Youth Achievement Awards
InLiving - Creative North and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing
—
Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing worked with Creative North, a games-developing social enterprise to develop a mobile phone game to help young people think about the challenges of sustaining a tenancy.
—
More on InLiving - Creative North and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing
Life Routes
—
Life Routes is an innovative programme for vulnerable young people aged 11-19. The programme is managed by the National Children’s Bureau and funded by Nokia.
—
More on Life Routes
Liverpool World Centre
—
Liverpool World Centre works with school councillors to increase their awareness and understanding of global interdependence.
—
More on Liverpool World Centre
Making the Case: 1 to 1 Support for Young Offenders - Prince’s Trust and The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation
—
Providing joined-up mentoring services for all 16-25 year olds leaving custody.
—
More on Making the Case: 1 to 1 Support for Young Offenders - Prince’s Trust and The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation
Mencap's Youth Action Team
—
Members of Mencap’s Youth Action Team are currently undertaking a series of challenges for their Youth Achievement Awards.
—
More on Mencap's Youth Action Team
NCY Trust and the Youth Achievement Awards
—
NCY Trust, a children’s charity, works with young people at risk of offending.
—
More on NCY Trust and the Youth Achievement Awards
Next Practice in Communities for Learning
—
The life chances of people living in poorer communities often significantly decrease over time. Read about how the Innovation Unit helped to reverse this trend by engaging the community in children's learning, both in and out of school.
—
More on Next Practice in Communities for Learning
Next Practice in Parents and Carers: Raising Community Aspirations
—
Next Practice in Parents and Carers supported 12 sites in transforming parental attitudes to education, engaging not just parents but schools, community organisations, employers and local government.
—
More on Next Practice in Parents and Carers: Raising Community Aspirations
Next Practice in Parents and Carers: Reach Out
—
Next Practice in Parents and Carers supported 12 sites in transforming parental attitudes to education, engaging not just parents but schools, community organisations, employers and local government.
—
More on Next Practice in Parents and Carers: Reach Out
Parliament's Education Service - empowering young people
—
Parliament’s Education Service works with schools and Members of both Houses of Parliament to support young people in developing their understanding of Parliament and democracy.
—
More on Parliament's Education Service - empowering young people
Staffordshire Firefighters
—
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have been teaching young people about teamwork and responsibility.
—
More on Staffordshire Firefighters
Steps Club for Young People
—
Steps is a youth centre in Weymouth, which has been teaching young people life skills in a fun and engaging way.
—
More on Steps Club for Young People
Taking a team approach
—
Titans Community Foundation aims to promote community participation in healthy recreation activities and advance and improve the education of children and young people in Rotherham.
—
More on Taking a team approach
The Academy - Dance United
—
This award-winning organisation provides dance-based alternative education programmes to young offenders.
—
More on The Academy - Dance United
The Ashbourne Centre
—
CCE's Creative Partnerships programme is designed to develop young people's skills, raise their aspirations and widen their opportunities for the future.
—
More on The Ashbourne Centre
The Global Youth Action Project
—
Global Youth Action is a national project that supports young people to explore and take action on the global issues that matter to them.
—
More on The Global Youth Action Project
The Saturday Project
—
Young people at the Saturday Project have been taking part in their own Youth Challenges in Swindon.
—
More on The Saturday Project
The Stanley Heritage Project
—
The Stanley Heritage Project have provided young people with a great opportunity to learn new skills as they work to protect the environment.
—
More on The Stanley Heritage Project
Thomas Hardye - 'Motivational interviewing'
—
Exploring how motivational interviewing and a co-constructed AFL language might address the issues of young people not achieving to their full potential, or who are resistant to learning.
—
More on Thomas Hardye - 'Motivational interviewing'
Young Advisors
—
Young Advisors was launched as a charity three years ago and already has 40 teams across the UK and 400 young people acting as young advisors. Non-formal Learning Advisor Terry Tasker explains the huge impact the ASDAN Activities Award has had on the charity.
—
More on Young Advisors
Young Refugees in Coventry
—
A group of young refugees in Coventry have been designing a news publication to help other young refugess.
—
More on Young Refugees in Coventry