Camden
Camden Update
Work with Camden continued with the active development of a model with which schools could practically improve global learning. Mark and Sophie worked together and aimed to find a way of introducing teachers to the global dimension in accessible ways, offering a vision of what global learning might ‘look like' in a school. The model, the ‘Global Learning School' (previously termed ‘Towards a Global School') enables schools to build on what they are already doing by deciding themselves (with advice where needed) on the steps they want to take. NB: The model is still in draft form awaiting development in collaboration with the borough.
To progress as a ‘Global Learning School', the school has four main areas through which it can develop:
- Leadership and Ethos
- Teaching and Learning
- Levels of Participation
- Community and Extra-curricular.
The model emphasises the need for resources and training at various points across all of these four ‘approaches'. It provides concrete examples of what might be achieved at each of three notional levels: ‘developing', ‘established' and ‘enhanced'. The model will demonstrate flexibility in terms of how the four approaches can be combined or how each on its own may provide the focus. Schools that adopt this model will create their own action plan for development. HEC has also developed a draft Global Learning Schools training package which will available initially in Camden schools, once the model and the training around it is agreed with Camden.
A meeting took place on 12 November between Wendy Watts, Sophie Mackay and Mark Thorpe. In this meeting the following aims were met:
- to revisit the timeline and agree to ongoing actions
- present the Global Learning Schools model to Camden
- to agree ways for Camden to revise and develop the ‘work in progress' model with HEC
- to find mutually agreed ways for Camden to work with schools, either through existing school clusters, or through new ones
The following action points were put into a workplan, updated by Mark with adjustments by Wendy, including responsible person and timeframe for each (up until early 2010):
- Camden LA team to review the GLS model and training presented by HEC
- Check for possible ‘warm' schools
- MT to input into Camden sustainability Forum meeting with intro to schools on GLS.
- HEC to prepare INSET ‘package' to present in a January email dissemination to schools
- Camden to get the message out to schools about the opportunity for participating in GLS.
- HEC to give short presentation at Camden Rights Respecting Schools meeting.
Mark inputted into Sustainable Schools Forum. It was a well attended meeting and the presentation tied in with a presentation given by a school around the Global Dimension in practice.
December 2009
Towards a global school
At the first meeting of the Local4Global working group on 13 February an action plan was developed for the rest of the academic year. The meeting began with a discussion around the Global Dimension within the Local Authority, within schools, promotion and capacity and what does the global dimension mean in practice.
Camden Citizenship and PSHE advisers work on projects with a small groups of schools. There is a cluster of Rights Respecting Schools as well as a cluster of Sustainable Schools with some schools focusing on the International Schools Award and ECO award. These all have slightly different agendas. There is a Camden Sustainable Schools Forum and schools participate in the London Sustainable Schools Forum. Gill Morris and Wendy Watts agreed to consider group of schools with a Global Schools focus with a 'Towards a global school' (TGS) focus agreed for Camden.
Timeline
May 22: School Improvement Service planning meeting
June 11: Citizenship coordinators meeting -14 schools - secondary, PRUs and special schools
June 22: NLSIN conference - promotion across borough, but special emphasis on Rights Respecting Schools, Sustainable Schools etc
Wendy and Gill to consider working with existing groups of schools or establishing a new group of Towards a Global School after June 22 event.
July 3: CPD for School Improvement Service colleagues - working with colleagues to explore aspects of global dimension they may be interested in - building on enthusiasm from January presentation.
Autumn term:
Towards a global school: what would it look like?
To consider running Global Citizen Advocates course
May 22 Local4Global planning meeting:
Two areas of focus:
1. Camden contribution to North London boroughs engagement with Local4Global: Towards a global school with group of schools
2. Planning Global Dimension Training for SIS colleagues:
3 July 2009
1. Towards a Global School:
New group of schools to be approached for autumn term later this term.
Need to consider how Towards a Global School will tie in with wider Global Dimension work within the borough.
2. Global Dimension SIS event 3 July:
Key areas to cover:
i. Reminder of what Global Dimension is: including examples and activities - real and practical as possible ie how a school would approach GD, leading up to Towards a Global School as Camden contribution.
ii. Look at what is already happening with Camden: use materials gathered in flip chart activities in January introductory as basis for activity to gather specific examples of current practice.
iii. Evaluate extent to which SIS is promoting GD in Camden
iv. Use the session to begin the development of a Global Learning policy. Matrix activity based on Enfield Policy chart to explore what should go into the policy.
June 11: Citizenship Co-ordinators meeting
HEC made a Global Dimension presentation to the Citizenship Co-ordinators.
July 3: School Improvement Service seminar
Ten colleagues attended the seminar.
August 2009
Background
The Humanities Education Centre is based in Tower Hamlets and works closely with a number of teams in the Children's, Schools and Families Directorate.The Humanities Education Centre liaised with senior managers on a Local4Global presentation at the School Improvement Service day with representatives from across the department. After the meeting a working group of education advisers covering leadership, citizenship, ICT, PSHE and sustainable schools was formed to explore the promotion of the global dimension in schools. Other colleagues who expressed an interest in joining the group will meet regularly with members of the working group.
The outcomes from two activities: Relevance of the Global Dimension to your role within Camden and a SWOC exercise to explore perceived Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges will inform the meeting, to be held in February.
Agreed actions are:
- Individual borough activities and joint activities - sharing with other local authorities within and outside of the NLSIN network
Camden is a member of the North London Schools International Network
February 2009
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