Residential learning outside the classroom: Achieving significant breakthroughs in learner engagement, attainment in core subjects and teacher-student relationships... and all in just one week! KILPIN ROOM

Professor Sir Tim Brighouse Paul Hamlyn Foundation Residential learning outside the classroom: Achieving significant breakthroughs in learner engagement, attainment in core subjects and teacher-student relationships... and all in just one week! Peter Carne OBE Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Sir Tim Brighouse Learning Away Steering Group Member Peter Carne Learning Away Project Leader

A five year action research programme. One of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s special initiatives. Supporting schools to develop, pilot & evaluate the impact of innovative residential experiences as an integral part of the curriculum. A selected group of 50+ schools, clustered into 13 partnerships. What is Learning Away?

The key aim of Learning Way is to achieve significant shifts in schools’ commitment to high quality residential learning experiences for all their pupils. How are we doing this?  We’re trying to discover exactly what it is that’s so powerful about residential learning.  We’re trying to develop exemplary & innovative practice.  We’re making the case for change (by finding compelling evidence of positive impact & sharing this evidence).  We’re developing a new website, resources, CPD materials & case studies.

Learning Away’s guiding principles Entitlement for all (not enrichment). Inclusivity i.e. accessible to all pupils. Integration with the curriculum (not an added extra). Progression i.e. a progressive programme with a sequence of coordinated residential experiences from age 4 to 18. A wide range of residential experiences integrated with other learning outside the classroom, school grounds & in class activities. Active teacher & pupil involvement in the planning, delivery & evaluation of the residentials. Whole school change i.e. high quality residentials that lead to changes in curriculum organisation & new pedagogical approaches.

Residential models offered include:  Low cost camping (on school sites, locally & further afield)  Youth hostelling  Partnering with outdoor education, field study & heritage providers (local authority, voluntary sector and commercial)  Family programmes (using holiday cottages)  School exchanges What are our Learning Away schools doing?

Each partnership has a distinct identity & focuses on the challenges/themes relevant to their context including:  KS 2/3 transition  Knowledge, skills & understanding at KS2  GCSE attainment  Resilience, confidence & wellbeing  Community cohesion & cultural diversity  Student leadership  Co-construction  Raising aspiration  Family support

Canterbury Academy, Kent – GCSE attainment residential “Experiencing it made it all a lot easier. We could write what we saw, what we smelt, what it was like.”

“When I was at Hampton Court there was just loads of stuff to inspire me. I probably did more hours of work in that one week than I did in the whole of this term, I just had so much inspiration from it.” ” Canterbury Academy, Kent – GCSE attainment residential

High quality residential learning programmes can: Boost progress & attainment in core subjects Improve student knowledge, understanding & skills in a range of curriculum areas Improve students’ engagement with their learning … leading to improved school attendance & behaviour Foster deeper student-teacher & student-student relationships Enable teachers to widen & develop their pedagogical skills Improve pupils’ transition experiences Offer opportunities for student leadership & co-design of learning Boost cohesion & sense of belonging Improve students’ resilience, self-confidence & sense of wellbeing

Evaluation process  Pupil surveys x3  Staff surveys x3  Parent survey  Focus groups  Some quantitative data collection – attainment, behaviour & attendance

Early evaluation findings – pupil surveys 1. Attainment

2. Engagement

3. Confidence

4. Relationships

What are we finding out about why? 1. Attainment We are discovering that high quality residential learning does appear to boost attainment. This seems to be the case because the teaching & learning approaches used on residentials are different to those experienced by pupils at school.  Practical, context-based, problem-solving & collaborative activities  More informal, equal relationships between staff & pupils that promote pupils’ ownership of their learning

2. Learner engagement There are signs that residentials promote deep engagement & engage previously disaffected pupils & those with challenging behaviour. There is also evidence that the engagement is sustained back at school & evidence of improved achievement as a result. Pupils’ evaluation responses demonstrate that they also believe their attendance & behaviour improves as a result of the residential.  Enjoy the pupil-centred collaborative approaches (e.g. being involved in co-design & problem-solving tasks) & learning ‘by doing’  Are undertaking challenging activities that provide new opportunities to experience success  Feel supported by their teachers & peers, with whom they enjoy better relationships.

3. Relationships Schools are succeeding in boosting relationships between staff & pupils & between pupils during their residentials. The residentials have enabled staff to build bridges with some pupils & enabled some pupils to start to trust staff more. Also evidence of improved peer relationships. Young people become more tolerant & caring & develop a wider circle of friends. These improved relationships are being sustained post-residential.  Shared challenging, problem-solving & teamwork activities  Working with others outside of normal friendship groups  Extended time beyond the normal school day  Opportunities provided by informal ‘down’ & social time  Different places, dress, sleeping arrangements, food, etc.

Brilliant Residentials Brilliant residentials are school visits with an overnight stay, which are led by teachers, co-designed with pupils and fully integrated into the curriculum. They are like a ‘multi-tool’ for achieving vital educational outcomes, have a huge impact on pupils of all ages and can help to deliver whole school change.

twitter.com/learningaway First national conference: 21st March 2014

Residential learning outside the classroom: Achieving significant breakthroughs in learner engagement, attainment in core subjects and teacher-student relationships... and all in just one week!