At BSB we’re all learners

Connecting, collaborating, creating...

The school’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) is now into its third year and so far we have demonstrated that our invitational model for professional learning is firmly rooted in trust. This creates powerful professional capacity, with intrinsically motivated high-expectations for one’s own learning, that of others and the organisation as a whole. Our journey as a PLC has been well documented and includes:

• the involvement of all staff in agreeing together on our Guiding Statements; • developing a school culture that supports the growth of all members of the school community (students, staff and parents); • building relationships beyond the walls of BSB, in order to support and advise staff as they develop their thinking and practice about professional learning; • developing ways of working underpinned by the following principles: collaboration; careful listening and meaningful questioning; critical feedback and professional learning sustained over time.

We have recognised that “Within BSB we have the knowledge, skills and understanding to create the best solutions; practice that should transform the work of others and which we must therefore share; the optimism, positivity and trust to participate, co-operate and collaborate, the curiosity to ask questions and be open to hearing new answers.” said one of our Professional Learning Partners.

We know that professional learning comes in many different forms – from whole school, staff led, collaborative learning days; obligatory tool-kit and compliance training; teams working together on joint projects; attending external conferences, through to individuals pursuing self-study.

Regardless of what the learning focus may be, our broader values and ideas remain the same.

Students make keynote address about learning to Symposium delegates

What is key is the involvement of students in the learning of staff.

Students are involved and present sessions at our Professional Learning Days, and here are just a few examples of studentled initiatives as part of our Professional Learning days: ‘Economics of Mutuality’ is a model used to redefine corporate profits to include far more than financial indicators by enabling all stakeholders to cooperate and contribute to shared success. Lea explained how this model can be applied to foster value at all levels of the BSB learning community and empower our learners to redefine success”.

“Empower” Lea’s session looked at the potential of Mutuality in Education. “How do we motivate? How do we build the courage and ambition to turn possibilities into opportunities into lifechanging experiences?

“OneNote” Alan led a session to highlight the benefits to teachers of using One Note. “You will be taught how you can collaborate and share work with your students, as well as how to mark work in the programme. The overall aim is that you leave the session feeling confident enough to set up and start using this programme”.