An Innovative Approach to the Traditional British Curriculum and why it’s beneficial to your child
CONTENTS What You’ll Find in this Whitepaper
An Innovative Approach to British Education:
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Helping Foster Character, Emotional Intelligence and Grit
Innovative Curriculum - Learning, Literacy, Life 3 Creating a 21st-Century Learner
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Creating a Successful Learner
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An Innovative Curriculum in Action
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Interactive, Flexible Learning Spaces 9
Collaborative Teaching 11 Learning Environments to Support Student Learning
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Innovation in Teaching
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• Play-Based Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage
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• Play-Based Learning in Action
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• Year 6 Challenge
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Supporting Teacher Learning
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An Innovative Approach to Learning Helps Students Excel 19
Bibliography 20
An Innovative Approach to British Education: Helping Foster Character, Emotional Intelligence and Grit Gone are the days when education was about a teacher imparting their knowledge on to their students sitting in rows of desks, aligned one after the other in a symmetrical fashion. Traditionally, when one imagines a British education, they think of a disciplined, rigorous curriculum both in the way the students acquire knowledge and in the way the teacher imparts the lessons upon them. “In British classrooms ‘mistakes’ were ‘embarrassing’ and teachers strove to minimise public ‘mistakes’ to avoid the child ‘losing face’” (Hattie, 2008, p. 248). But there’s a new, innovative way to teach the British curriculum that focuses on developing the necessary elements for students to become successful, social, intellectual adults. Through an enriched and challenging curriculum, collaborative teaching and interactive, flexible classrooms, students attain the knowledge provided through a British education, while also developing many other aspects of their being. Nurturing a child’s well-being and helping them develop creativity and curiosity, along with resilience, persistence and perseverance is a school’s responsibility. But what does this look like? How does a holistic education manifest itself in the ethos and culture of a school? For children to develop into well-rounded adults, exemplary schools do so much more than simply deliver a formal curriculum during lesson times in school. We’d like to preface this whitepaper by laying out the general benefits of a British education, whether it’s through the 21st-century approach to learning or the traditional curriculum. 1
Benefits of a British education: Transferability: There is a growing number of British curriculum schools worldwide. Students can seamlessly move from country to country. Qualifications: Formal qualifications students receive after completing examinations at age 16 are recognised internationally and provide a smooth pathway to post-16 and higher education. Rigorous curriculum: The curriculum is broad and balanced encompassing all major subjects. It is also rigorous and systematic in its approach for tracking progress and encouraging achievement. At Alice Smith, the oldest British international school in Malaysia, Roger Schultz, the Head of School said, “This is a curriculum designed to help young people flourish academically and personally with an appropriate skill set to meet the challenges of a changing world.� For the duration of this whitepaper, we will explore the additional benefits that accompany an innovative approach to the British curriculum with a specific focus on the improved curriculum, collaborative teaching and interactive, mobile classrooms. We will also examine some examples demonstrating this approach in action.
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Innovative Curriculum - Learning, Literacy, Life Knowledge itself is not enough, it must be partnered with character education in order to help individuals excel in the 21st-century. For example, Alice Smith School’s vision embodies the aforementioned statement and promises to lead the pursuit of excellence in learning through nurturing, inspiring and enriching the lives and characters of young people.
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Creating a 21st-Century Learner A learner in the 21st-century is vastly different from what the world saw before, there is a different skill set demanded from our students. While students need to learn content from expert practitioners, this alone isn’t enough. They must also be able to locate information, evaluate it and use it effectively (Crombie, 2014). In order to help a student become successful in the 21st-century, schools need to make changes in their approach. “Teachers need to help students to develop a series of learning strategies that enables them to construct meaning from text, develop an understanding from numbers and learn principles in science. The teaching of these strategies needs to be planned, deliberate and explicit and part of active programmes to teach specific skills and deeper understanding� (Hattie, 2008, p. 160). There is mounting evidence that core character traits producing emotional intelligence may be better indicators of school and life success than pure academic achievement, including grades and standardised test scores. 4
The 21st-century requires students to demonstrate skills in learning, literacy and life. Learning: Students need to acquire critical thinking skills to help them find solutions to problems. They need creativity to think outside of the box. They also must be able to collaborate and communicate with others effectively. Literacy: Skills in literacy are pertinent to a successful future. However, in innovative learning environments, there is a specific focus on helping students understand facts, figures, statistics and data. We live in a digitalised world; therefore, the new curriculum must also focus on media literacy to help students understand methods and outlets in which information is published. Finally, students gain a vast understanding of technology literacy and understand the machines that make the Information Age possible. Life: These are the intangible skills that make everyday life both possible and enjoyable. Life skills include both personal and professional qualities such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, creativity and relationship building.
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Creating a Successful Learner An innovative curriculum aspires to create successful learners and is comprised of the following elements: Personalised learning: There are no two individuals who learn in the same way, nor do they bring the same knowledge or experiences to the table. The way we learn is just as unique as we are and a curriculum needs to reflect this (Osborne, 2013, p. 3). Socially-constructed learning: A quality learner is one who works with other students and together gain a deeper understanding of the material covered. They collaborate, peer-tutor and teach one another (Osborne, 2013, p. 3). Differentiated learning: As mentioned above, no students learn the same or bring the same batch of knowledge to the classroom. Differentiated learning means creating a curriculum which provides different levels of challenge, pace, content and context (Osborne, 2013, p. 3). Learning that is initiated by students themselves: When students initiate learning experiences and exploration, they retain a greater amount of understanding (Osborne, 2013, p. 3). Learning that is connected to the physical world in authentic contexts: Children also learn through interactions with others and the physical world; therefore, a 21st-century learning environment is one that takes students out in the community to explore and learn the subject matter, rather than staying in the classroom.
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For example, to guarantee students have the most authentic, experiential learning opportunity, the Alice Smith School takes students on challenging and interesting activities and expeditions beyond the classroom. If students are learning about community service, rather than have the teacher stand at the front of the classroom and teach, students go out into the community to find service learning initiatives to help with. At the Primary Campus, students go on trips throughout the year to reinforce what they are learning in the classroom. In Years 4, 5 and 6, they go on residential trips within Malaysia, an experience that promotes independence, collaboration and the development of personal skills. In addition, Year 6 students participate in a Challenge Award designed to encourage personal growth, self-confidence, perseverance and responsibility. At the Secondary Campus, not only do the students have day trips throughout the year to support the curriculum, the school dedicates one week to Trips Week. Students have the choice of a variety of environments, from city to jungle, from local to international, from developed to the developing world. These trips help students foster life skills such as co-operation, service and interpersonal communication as well as help build a connected community through an appreciation and understanding of different cultures and environments. “The sharing by teachers of their conceptions about what constitutes progress through curricula is critical as well as ensuring appropriately challenging surface, deep and conceptual knowledge and understanding� (Hattie, 2008, p. 159).
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An Innovative Curriculum in Action The benefits of an innovative curriculum are clear, but how are schools putting this into action? Which schools are following this approach to learning? Alice Smith School offers an enriched and challenging curriculum which gives students a holistic and broad range of experiences that prepares them for further education and the competitive global workplace. Students develop a critical and analytical mind, sharpen their leadership skills and understand how better to effectuate change in a diverse community. Students are nurtured through coaching and reflection within small tutor groups. Personalisation through a range of pathways enables older students to combine academic and enrichment options to suit their unique strengths, aspirations and needs. The Personal, Social and Health and Education (PSHE) programme for young children develops the mind and body through active learning and enhances their understanding of the global community. The ACHIEVE programme for older children ensures the wider aspects of every student’s development are addressed through the academic curriculum and a dedicated programme of learning experiences, guiding and helping them to flourish as an individual. To enhance these programmes, external experts are invited into the classroom to give students a deeper understanding. This Enriched Curriculum sees expert advisors giving structured lessons as well as one-to-one support to ensure students are as successful as possible. After exploring the innovative approach to a British curriculum, it is evident that the educational atmospheres are pertinent. Having an interactive, flexible classroom allows the teacher to have more interaction with the children, and for the children to easily be able to collaborate with and learn from one another.
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Interactive, Flexible Learning Spaces Modern, fresh, vibrant, clean, comfortable, bright, open. Classrooms that appear similar to what one would find on a university campus. Picturesque buildings constructed in such a way as to let fresh air run through the open areas. Resources all around that inspire creativity within the students. Comfortable seating areas scattered around the campus so that the moment a student is inspired, they have somewhere to sit down and get to work. These are the things people see the moment they’re inside the doors of educational facilities, such as Alice Smith School– it’s what people should see. These types of learning environments inspire students with choice in how they learn. Modern learning spaces should be designed to be adaptable and responsive in their use and foster a collaborative learning environment. They should be constructed in a way as to enable students to work in groups or individually and encourage and accommodate different ways of learning and teaching. And these spaces should be evolving for all types of learning and all ages. This evolution is to ensure students develop skills they need to be successful in an increasingly global marketplace. In a 21st-century learning environment, traditional classrooms are replaced by adjustable, technology-rich-environments, which facilitate all types of learning activities from individual research to classroom discussions to collaborative large-scale projects.
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There are three aspects a modern learning facility provides students and practitioners: Flexibility: Students and practitioners should have the ability to combine two classes into one for team-teaching, split a class into small groups and spread them over a wider area or combine different classes studying complementary learning areas (Osborne, 2013, p. 3). Openness: In a modern learning facility, there are movable walls, flexible workspaces, more glass and the use of a learning common which is a central teaching and learning space that can be shared by several classes. These areas give all students access to what other classes are learning so that teaching and learning can be complemented and enhanced (Osborne, 2013, p. 4). Access to resources: In most cases, learning commons are surrounded by break-out spaces allowing many different activities to take place. Whether it’s reading, group work, project space, wet area, reflection or presentations and whether it’s wireless or wired technology, all individuals will find what they need (Osborne, 2013, p. 4). “Ensuring that physical space, furniture and technology can readily adapt to pedagogies and learning preferences creates a more active and engaging experience for learners and teachers,” said Roger Schultz, Head of School at Alice Smith.
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Collaborative Teaching An innovative approach to learning requires that schools hire teachers with a growth mindset who can think creatively, collaborate and find solutions to complex problems. These teachers must believe in group projects, individual work, teacher-directed presentations and peer-to-peer learning. This blended and interactive approach to learning and teaching requires spaces where everyone can see and interact with content, instructors and other students.
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Learning Environments to Support Student Learning Teachers need to create a space which supports pedagogies with a specific focus on delivery methods, helping students apply knowledge, encouraging creativity and opening up communication lines between student to student and student to teacher relationships (Osborne, 2013, p. 4). “Teachers using particular teaching methods, teachers with high expectations for all students and teachers who have created positive student-teacher relationships are more likely to have the above average effects on student achievement” (Hattie, 2008, p. 126). This type of environment also supports strength-based teaching where classrooms are combined giving students access to different teachers with different areas of expertise (Osborne, 2013, p. 4). It also sees cross-curricular learning. For example, teachers at Alice Smith School will take an interdisciplinary approach by taking an English class where students are learning to write an engaging story and bring them to the art facility where they can bring their story to life in any way they see fit. It can be through animation, painting or sculptures. This cross-curricular approach allows students to grasp course content in a deeper way. With younger children, big ideas and concepts steer learning with goal focused planning and backward design techniques ensuring lessons are always purposeful. With an authentic goal in mind, relevant skills are carefully selected from progressive skills ladders, with teachers and students individualising the learning journey using a wide range of tools. In an environment based on person-centered learning, “There is more engagement, more respect of self and others, there are fewer resistant behaviours, there is greater non-directivity (student-initiated activities) and there are higher achievement outcomes” (Hattie, 2008, p. 118-119). As mentioned continuously throughout this whitepaper, educational facilities need to be open and flexible in order to cultivate more collaborative communities for students and teachers. In open-concept schools, there can be an exploration of what is working and what is not working with a teacher’s approach to learning in a supportive environment. “Inquiries are shared, interventions devised collaboratively and reflections based on both self and peer observations, leads to a more robust, continuously improving the community of practices” (Osborne, 2013, p. 5).
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Innovation in Teaching At the Alice Smith School, both the teaching methodologies and the curriculum are innovative and cutting edge, ensuring students have the best learning opportunities. The school offers an education that is child-centred, personalised and crafted by passionate practitioners. To illustrate this type of innovation and unique approach to both teaching and learning, two detailed examples are outlined below.
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Play-Based Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage “When a child plays they have no fixed agendas, no preconceived objectives that they are trying to cover, and therefore, there are no limitations to what they can achieve,� said Lea-Ann Robinson, Class Teacher and Reception Year Leader at the Alice Smith School. Students engage in a play-based, personalised, student-led, inquiry-driven curriculum in the Foundation Stage - Pre-school and Reception (3 to 5 years old), which follows the English National Curriculum. Through play, children develop skills such as problem solving, creativity, collaboration, social interaction, concentration and self-confidence. Ultimately, helping them develop a lifelong love of learning. With this innovative approach, children learn skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate their understanding through seven prime and specific areas. The three prime areas are: 1 Communication and language 2 Physical development 3 Personal, social and emotional development The four specific areas are: 1 Literacy 2 Mathematics 3 Understanding the world 4 Expressive arts and design
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Play-Based Learning in Action In the Alice Smith Foundation Years’ classroom, teachers are always on the lookout for learning opportunities with their students. At first, they sit back and observe, taking note of the individualised characteristics of each student. Recently, Robinson witnessed one of her students making an aeroplane and flying it around the classroom. She used this as an effective learning opportunity. She went up to him and asked, “Have you got your license?” He answered no. She then asked him how he was going to fly his aeroplane without his license and suggested they write one together. This particular student wasn’t the strongest in writing and usually shied away from this type of activity. But when Robinson suggested they put together something to help him fly, he enthusiastically agreed. He sat down and wrote up a license effortlessly and was proud of himself. If this were a structured lesson, this learning opportunity wouldn’t be possible.
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Year 6 Challenge The Year 6 Challenge Award is a bespoke concept to the Alice Smith School. Based loosely on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, students are offered a wider range of skills to develop. For example, students must create a restaurant to develop their cooking and hospitality skills, follow current affairs and research environmental issues. “It is an excellent opportunity for participants to build independence and resilience. Many of the challenges require a level of self-management; therefore, the Award allows participants to build upon key life skills as they near Secondary School age,” said Elizabeth Standen, Year 6 Challenge Coordinator at Alice Smith School. Introduced in 2002 by senior leaders in consultation with Year 6, the Challenge embodies the heart and ethos of the school. It offers students the opportunity to tackle new challenges and achieve individual goals by encouraging personal growth, self-confidence, responsibility and perseverance. Rather than link directly to academic performance, it focuses on character building and ultimately is intended to help with students’ transition to Secondary School.
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Each Challenge is designed carefully to embed elements of the six learner attributes: 1 Communicators 2 Community Minded 3 Happy and Healthy 4 Respectful 5 Independent Learners 6 Problem Solvers To achieve the Award, students must: First, create a Google Site where they upload their tasks that accompany each Challenge. Second, complete seven challenges: 1 Develop environmental awareness: Participants choose an environmental issue, research it and create an informative page on their Google Site which includes text and images. They must include details about possible solutions to their chosen environmental issue. 2 Develop skills in cooking: Plan and cook two dishes to serve at a community buffet. Adults will be invited to taste test their creations and give them feedback. 3 Provide a service to the community: Students must spend a minimum of six hours over several weeks helping the community. Participants will also be required to create a poster about their service to the community. 4 Learn a new skill: Students must spend a minimum of six hours on a new skill of their choice. They will be required to give a presentation about their new skills. 5 Participate in an overnight camp: There is a mandatory overnight camp arranged by the school. The camp will include a number of skills based activities for them to complete in order to pass the challenge. 6 Develop skills in first aid: Participate in a first aid course at school, organised by the school. They then have to create an informative page on their Google Site explaining the signs, symptoms and treatment of three different injuries or illnesses. 7 Develop an understanding of current affairs: Students summarise seven news articles and give their personal opinion on each. They must complete one news journal a week over seven weeks. Students are then awarded either a pass, merit or distinction with each participant receiving a certificate and a trophy.
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Supporting Teacher Learning An innovative and effective school learning environment is one that not only supports student learning, but also teacher learning. But what does this look like in action? What programmes do teachers have available to them in order to be the best they can be? At Alice Smith School, coaching is interwoven into the fabric of their interactions and reflection opportunities as an essential element of their bespoke Professional Growth and Accountability (PGA) Model. “We are moving beyond superficial performance management structures and tokenistic professional development,” said Roger Schultz, Head of School at Alice Smith. Coaching is where teachers have the opportunity to learn from one another and share their area of expertise; the school inspires teachers to continuously better themselves. “By investing heavily in coaching training for our teachers - and increasingly so for parents and students - and building a coaching philosophy across our school, we are now shifting our cultural outlook, enhancing collegiality and resilience,” Schultz said. Coaching allows teachers the opportunity to reflect and identify areas of strengths and where there is room for development, a practice that is fundamental to professional growth. Alice Smith teachers learn in peer partnerships, sharing professional readings, discussions based upon action research, participate in peer observations and collaboratively plan, teach and reflect upon lessons. This initiative has led to further innovation within the school doors which has improved the overall well-being, professional growth and sense of belonging within the Alice Smith community. “Experienced experts possess pedagogical content knowledge that is more flexible and innovatively employed in instruction. They are more able to improvise and to alter instruction in response to contextual features of the classroom situation. They understand at a deeper level the reasons for individual student success and failure on any given academic task. Their understanding of students is such that they are more able to provide developmentally appropriate learning tasks that engage, challenge and even intrigue students, without boring or overwhelming them. They are more able to generate accurate hypotheses about the causes of student success and failure. And they bring a distinct passion to their work” (Hattie, 2008, p. 261). 18
An Innovative Approach to Learning Helps Students Excel Approaching the complex, traditional British curriculum with new, innovative tactics proves to be nothing but beneficial for students and teachers. With an innovative approach to exploring and developing learning, literacy and life skills, students attain more than just knowledge, they receive character education which will help them excel in the 21st-century. Gone are the days of a traditional classroom, with rows of desks and the teacher as the “sage on the stage” at the front of the room. There is less direct instruction, with teachers adopting and developing constructivist teaching pedagogies as the “guide on the side” to learning. Learning environments are mobile and interactive, inspiring the students and practitioners with choice. In the 21st-century approach to learning, teaching is no longer solely about imparting knowledge upon the students, it’s about inspiring inquiry and critical thinking through continuous learning and collaboration with other teachers and with students. The new approach to learning is about creating environments that are full of support and opportunity. Through the areas explored in this whitepaper, it is clear that students can attain the expert knowledge provided by a rigorous British education, while also developing many other aspects of their being. There is an enormous power that comes with being a teacher. Whether it’s the methods they’re using, the critical nature of their proficiencies in decision making and judgment calls or the pivotal need to develop caring relationships with and among students, every choice directly affects the individuals in their care (Hattie, 2008, p. 247). “The Alice Smith School is constantly evolving and always conscious of its mission for delivering excellence in British education through a holistic and innovative approach to education,” said Roger Schultz. “The development of each child’s character and personality, their emotional intelligence and ‘grit’ is essential to their academic achievement and given the significant attention that it deserves.”
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Bibliography Crombie, S. (2014, November 26). 21st Century Learning. Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Osborne, M. (2013). Modern Learning Environments. CORE Education.
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Newly completed Humanities, Library, Sixth Form and Indoor Sports Complex at the Secondary Campus
Award winning Jubilee Centre at the Primary Campus
THE ALICE SMITH SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION (001923-A) Primary Campus No. 2 Jalan Bellamy 50460 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Tel +603 2148 3674 Fax +603 2148 3418 Email admissions.jb@alice-smith.edu.my
Secondary Campus No. 3 Jalan Equine, Taman Equine 43300 Seri Kembangan Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel +603 9543 3688 Fax +603 9543 3788 Email admissions.ep@alice-smith.edu.my A member of
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