To develop your passions in life you have to have time to tinker and think, time to invent, create, research, read, write, play and be with others in dialogue in hundreds of different ways.
With timetabled skill slams and project-based learning, the pupils also have dedicated time for self-directed Learning (SDL): to carry out research projects of their own design around the things that most interest them.
There are also a number of other workshops that pupils can sign up to attend on one afternoon a week.
During SDL teachers are close by to challenge them and help frame learning when it’s needed. Sometimes pupils work alone or in small or large groups. From upper key stage 2 SDL included project management, this involves submitting a form which scopes out the project, the desired outcome, identifies the skills they want to learn and the resources they will need and a project timeline. This needs to be agreed with their teacher before they start the project. They manage the project during SDL sessions, this involves setting clear targets for the session. At the end of the session each student reflects on their progress and sets their targets for the next session.
