This four-part blog series explores the method and impact of Project Based Learning (PBL), an approach that Sycol encourages within its educational organisations.
Post 2
In Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why, he describes a pattern of leadership called “The Golden Circle”. Sinek asserts that, while most start from the outside in, the most inspirational leaders and organizations start from the inside out. They Start With Why.
Innovation Unit’s (IU) mission is to develop different, better, lower cost solutions to social challenges. This mission provides the reason “Why” they work with different organisations. Whilst developing the REAL Projects program, IU strove to develop a different, better solution to the high levels of disengagement in UK schools as well as the lack of 21st century skills in most graduates. Through this lens the “Why” of REAL Projects was developed, to transform learner engagement through rigorous project based learning. The three underlying philosophies of the program are:
- All children are capable of excellence, regardless of prior attainment, needs or background.
- Student work should matter beyond grades and exams.
- Schools and classrooms are communities of learners; teachers learn from and with each other.
Everything within the program was developed with these foundational philosophies at the heart. I’ll get into the “How” and “What” that looks like in future blogs. For now though, I’d like to demonstrate how some of REAL Project’s most successful schools Started With Why.
School 21 in London: School 21 is a state-funded free school for students aged 4 to 18. In 2013, Peter Hyman (former advisor to Tony Blair) set out to open a school designed for the 21st century. He and the other founders wanted to develop the whole child, a student that was highly prepared for both exams and for the world beyond school. They have spent the past three years building a school culture and pedagogy around this “Why”.
XP School in Doncaster: XP School in Doncaster started from the vision of two men, Andy Sprakes and Gwyn Ap Harri. They had visited High Tech High in San Diego and recongnised that they wanted to send their own children to a school with a similar ethos. After a few years of research and visiting other innovative school systems in the US, Andy and Gwyn applied to open a free school designed around the Expeditionary Learning Schools of Ron Berger. As with School 21, their ‘why’ is clearly stated on their website: ‘To prepare their students to be successful in the modern world.’ Now in their second year, they have been so successful building a school around that ‘why’ that they’ve already been approved for a second free school in Doncaster.
All other blogs in this series:
Blog 1. What Makes REAL Projects Golden: Introduction
Blog 3. What Makes REAL Projects Golden: The How
Blog 4. What Makes REAL Projects Golden: The What
Image copyright attributed to Simon Sinek