The leader of a two-year project between Newcastle University, Northumberland County Council and Bedlingtonshire Community High School has received national recognition at an awards ceremony in London last week.
Anna Reid, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Research Associate, took the prize for Business Leader of Tomorrow at the KTP awards 2009, after being nominated by Richard Parker-Smith, regional advisor for KTP projects.
The project's aim is to focus on developing the capacity of students to act as independent learners and devise a method of assessing how well they develop these skills. Anna has been working with a core team of teachers to develop their understanding of how to encourage students to become more enquiring in their approach to their studies. The school has also recruited and trained a team of student researchers from Years 7, 8 and 9 and they support staff when they are trying out new initiatives in class.
Anna said, "The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships project is opening so many doors both for the school and for me, personally. I am enjoying every minute of it, especially working within a supportive network of forward thinking colleagues. The Business Leader of Tomorrow award is recognition indeed for the hard work and dedication of everyone involved at Bedlingtonshire Community High School."
The next stages of the project involve ensuring that enquiry becomes embedded in all lessons and that an assessment framework is developed for students to measure their own progress against skills and knowledge.
Principal Kieran McGrane said, "The impact of the project has been outstanding in the way it has supported a change in the culture of the school, with teachers being more adventurous in their teaching. Students have responded positively to the greater freedom and responsibility offered enhancing their enjoyment in lessons. The pace with which the project has started to make an impact has been down to the outstanding leadership of Anna Reid as recognised in her national award."
The school will be hosting a series of visitor days on 17 June, 24 June, 1 July and 8 July for educational professionals to find out more about how this approach to teaching and learning might be applied in their organisations. For further detaills please send an email via this site, or contact Sara Atkinson at theschool.