You don't fix 'Broken Britain' by having Broken Schools
A speech by Ty Goddard, Chief Executive, British Council for School Environments (www.bcse.uk.net)
Conservative Party: Education Fringe Meeting, Tuesday 6th October 2009
For those of you who do not know, the BCSE is an educational charity with its prime focus on creating quality school and learning environments for all young people to learn and our teachers to work. We are also a membership organisation with a mixture of almost 400 private, public and voluntary sector members - we develop major programmes of work, collaborative projects, conduct research and run events.
In fact, we were influenced by an organisation called the British Council for Offices - as back in the 1990's industry invested time and resource in researching what works to make office environments deliver for their inhabitants and make us productive. But for some reason we haven't done the same with schools -- yet these are the places young people and teachers spend their lives working and learning in every day. Why not -- why do we still believe that as a society, we should think about our places of work (and indeed our homes) and not our schools? That's something that drives us every day in our work.
We also believe passionately (and is one of the key reasons we are supporting this session and the work of the Centre for Social Justice) that at a time of great stress on the public purse, the greatest investment you can make is in education and in building an infrastructure that can tackle the costs of social breakdown and help prevent it.
In other words - you don't fix 'broken Britain' by having broken schools.
Let us have a clear focus on teaching and learning, leaders who lead and let's use the school environment as a tool of school improvement.
In the last week I have visited two schools actively involved with the BCSE -- which stress this point but also exemplify one of our key arguments: that the missing link between education and social justice is the school environment.
Both schools are in Brighton and Hove -- but they could be in any area of the country. The first -- Carlton Hill Primary - is just behind the offices of American Express and just next to Tarner Park.
It is a school with a vision, passion and rigour to overcome disadvantage.
A school that works with its community. A school that promotes and nurtures its parents. There's a core belief that if they and their community don't succeed then it is unlikely that their young people will succeed. There is a focus on positive behaviour, meeting the individual needs of the pupils, a creative and vibrant curriculum and the school has excellent leadership and a highly motivated staff team. There is an extended day, breakfast clubs, weekend catch up sessions and after - school clubs help pupils with literacy, social skills and personal development. It seems like common sense.
Ofsted in June this year declared it 'outstanding'.
What is clear about this school is not just a rigorous focus on standards but how the whole school environment - inside and outside -- is harnessed to support the vision of the school. It is almost as if every inch of the school is thought-through -- from curriculum areas, to outdoor and sporting facilities to a new staffroom and teacher preparation area that promotes staff wellbeing (an area that is often forgotten in rebuilding programmes).
Investing in the school building is a key investment in the workforce.
It is this school environment that supports young people, their teachers and parents.
The school building helps professionals get on with their job -- it enables rather than hinders their ability to teach and young people to learn. And it won't surprise you to hear that they've got big plans for their school environment for the future -- to keep being outstanding.
In other words -- the design of the school environment is to enhance teaching and learning not for design's sake.
We know this from our work with schools across the UK and from our experience of the various models that are starting to influence the education system in the UK. When we first started visiting Sweden 3 years ago and observed the Kunskapsskolan model or more recently in our discussions with colleagues in the US about the Knowledge is Power Programme (KIPP) in the USA -- each place a significant value on the school environment for all those that use it.
And whatever the educational structure for the next government - New Academies, free or parent-promoted schools - we need school environments that fundamentally respect teachers and young people.
The second school is Portslade Community College -- a National Challenge school with a new headteacher only 3 weeks in post. His belief in the power of the school environment was shown when he chose to take part in our recently launched programme, 'The Big School Makeover' -- which aims to get teachers, parents and young people across the country changing their school environment. In a week where he knew he was about to receive an Ofsted inspection, we helped him transform an unloved hall and dining space into a fit for purpose dining, social and multi use space fit for the 21st Century.
What's important is that he saw our project as a major statement of intent about what he wants to do as a Headteacher with the school and as a catalyst for how he wants to change the fortunes of this community.
We are also very grateful to our members who have donated time, energy and resources to making the School Makeovers happen.
But the Head wants to do more. The school is a hotch potch of investment across the ages! He has a 1920's school hall that we transformed. This whole school environment is not due for renewal until 2017 -- he's got to act now.
We believe that we need to free up schools and headteachers to come up with solutions that work and to change their environment now - particularly for those in the most challenging areas and communities.
The present Government deserves praise for massive investment in our education infrastructure. We had become experts at 'patch' and 'mend'. Our teachers and professionals who work with schools shouldn't have to just 'make do'.
And yet, whilst celebrating this investment there are 3 points that strike me:
1) I'd argue that there is a level of disconnect in the policy environment between parents and schools; between the centre of government and the practice of schools. There's also greater value to be gained in the costs and timescales for delivering major policies that could be scaled back and achieve more for less -- as David Cameron says its not just pay and pensions - it's a third 'p' -- procurement. Is each BSF bid costing us all the equivalent of a Primary School?
No one gains from waste in procurement.
2) We need to think deeply about how school capital investment and other policies are acting as a real catalyst for school improvement or improving outcomes for young people? Is the capital investment really acting as a tool for social justice - encouraging self- esteem, civic engagement, respect, academic achievement and well-being?
There's also not enough sharing of what works between schools, down the road, let alone from Sweden to here.
3) And finally - we know that school buildings make a massive contribution to the local, regional and national economy as much as they do to standards. We know from our members that there is a major industry at stake if investment falters.
But we still don't know enough about what works. For such a vital investment in this area of policy and indeed others - our evidence base is poor. That's why we have established the Great Schools Commission and we are delighted that Conservative MP, Graham Stuart will serve on this body alongside an ex-Secretary of State, Baroness Morris of Yardley.
In a debate like this -- we need to make difficult decisions based on what is really working in the most disadvantaged communities and share it fast. To link education and social justice we need to place a much greater emphasis on the environment in which teachers, young people and parents connect together. When young people come into a new building -- they talk about the 'wow' factor -- but for us it's more important to have the 'ownership' factor for the school to be successful and to sustain that success.
As someone once said, 'We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.'
School environments matter.
School buildings matter.
Thank you.
To download the speech click here