What is 21st Century Skill Set and how do we organise for it

Frank Green CEO of The Leigh Technology Academy(s) a visionary was Principal now CEO

Have rebuilt building to support changed delivery strategy

A trust that now runs two schools - in Dartford - year in six modular chunks - 6 reports per year
Vertical Tutor Groups - not age groups - children learn best from other children year or two older - this operates top to bottom tutor group year 1 to year 6 20 of them in one form class.
Vertical Curriculum - year 1 and 2 work together , year 3 and 4 work together
Double size spaces 60 children three teachers - much more like a primary environment
Runs a Mac environment - wireless and open to learners to bring in their own devices
You prepare lessons in a team and you make most of ICT Resource
Lessons children don't like are from teachers who haven't adapted new ways of teaching - and we monitor this.
Every teacher now needs to be a learner too..
Only move away for art, PE/Sport and workshop activity.
We use technology extensively across the curriculum it is not an option in this environment
Vocational Programmes - run large number of programmes
Schools within Schools to work at human scale
Industrial Links with all areas of learning
would like to be a consumer led school and get rid of timetable.
Students will ask for lessons when they need them - learners access learning 24-7
Teacher becomes your educational GP - on hand to help you when you need it
Deals with pupils who have failed 11+ in this area ( still in operation in this bit of England)
FE and HE Providers start having presence in schools - some learners are already ready to start programmes in these areas before they leave school


Gap national curriculum in England all about content but what employers want is all hard and soft skills. Example we have more science labs in UK Education than almost any other country but we hardly use these for practical things - we only have three labs but when they use this space they are doing lab work. - New focus has improved results.

Cisco needed 1.5 million network engineers so they developed Cisco Academy . They could not wait for education systems around the world to change.

Curriculum upgraded every 6 months
Assessed on-line when you are ready along with a practical portfolio to evidence other skills

You might need a learning network in the future but do you even need schools in the future.
Ones that survive might look at this - some examples -

High Tech High, Alameda Community Learning Center, New Tech High Foundation, The Big Picture Company, Australian Science and Mathematical School (ASMA)
Could be argued that best school in America takes in drop-outs and has no timetable

I'd add Islay High School as model to look at ;-)