A Learning School: some current projects
Partnership with the Western Norway University of Applied ScienceWorking alongside teachers in training from Norway, Blue Gate Fields Junior School has shared excellent practice through modelling lessons and sharing good practice in planning and delivering R.E. The school was chosen by the local authority as a school which has participated in the Excellent R.E. Project and Understanding Christianity Course.
BREE ProjectBuilding Resilience to Extremism through Enquiry (BREE) Project
Schools have a duty to safeguard children and to help them develop critical thinking in relation to extremism. This is hard to do: these are controversial topics, and discussions need to be well managed. In this project, teachers are trained to establish a Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach in their classrooms and deliver a carefully designed teaching sequence to build understanding and critical thinking about extremism. P4C is a globally-established programme which encourages young people to explore challenging issues through discussion. P4C provides a safe space where students can air, examine and challenge views. During 2018, 45 schools in Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Cumbria and London piloted the project. Teachers and students both strongly endorsed the programme. Among students at a high school in Bolton: · 75% said they “now feel more confident to talk about these issues with other people, including friends, teachers and family members” · 95% said they “recommend that pupils in other schools have opportunities to take part in the same activities” As a result of our involvement in the project, Blue Gate Fields have designed additional lessons which will be incorporated into the teaching sequence for the BREE programme. |
Professor Mike AskewFocus and aims:
![]()
|