Changing Schools Together The Stories
“The principle goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done.� Jean Piaget
How does it feel when teachers & young people change learning together?
Space Unlimited is a social enterprise and charity, based in Glasgow and working across the UK. Our work is all about creating space for change. We have pioneered youth-led enquiries as a catalyst for fresh insights and more collaborative leadership, particularly in education, employability and regeneration. Changing Schools Together is a Space Unlimited programme supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in partnership with three local authorities in Scotland plus the Edge Foundation and Whole Education in England. For more information on Space Unlimited and the Changing Schools Together programme see spaceunlimited.org and also pages 34 and 35 of this storybook.
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Stories come naturally to humans. Within communities, stories are told often, and in lots of different ways, to describe something that has happened. Stories matter because they can surprise us and challenge our perceptions and assumptions, including those we’re not aware of. They provide new insights and give us a deeper understanding of other people’s experiences. Too often, stories are dismissed as anecdotal or subjective and the full value is lost because they are not explored in ways that allow learning to be identified and shared. Yet evidence shows that story-telling can and does change the way we think about problems and solutions. We are sharing this collection of personal stories from Changing Schools Together in the hope that it will inspire others to make more space for young people to co-create their learning and their schools.
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It Just Clicked A Young Person’s Story When I arrived at high school I didn’t believe there was much I could do to make it better. I thought school was just about going to class and doing what you are told. I hadn’t really thought about how I might help the learning or the school to be better. At the beginning of the enquiry I wasn’t really sure what I would be doing but I was curious to find out what it was all about. I got really interested in the question and
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really wondered how we could even answer something so big. I began to ask stuff and wait to hear more. Discovering what open dialogue is and how it can really help stuff has been great. I have really valued being able to have a conversation that helps you to feel comfortable in what you are saying and thinking. This has shown me that if you don’t do this then there is no point in going much further.
Just a Wee First Year A Young Person’s Story When I started high school it was difficult to help change things here. It felt like as a pupil my job was to do my work and do what the teacher told you. I joined the programme because I felt like it was time to do something, I was bored with how things were and I saw this as an opportunity to change stuff. After the initial taster session it was not clear how we were going to change things. Slowly it made more sense. It really was like the squiggle line full of ups and downs. If I were to change anything it would have been to have had more than the 3 days together as at times things felt a little rushed. We needed time and space to get things wrong and then be able to
work through them together to make them right. My confidence is so much higher than it was before. I now know I am able to share my thoughts and listen to the thoughts of others. I am also not scared to talk with adults as much as I was before. I see teachers differently now. Although I see their role as the same I now understand why it is the way it is. And this has helped me think more about my part to play in helping change. I am only one person but I can make a big change, even if I am only a wee first year. I also realised how important it is to hear the ideas of others too. The school needs to just give opportunities for pupils and teachers to share their ideas and work together on stuff.
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Working Things Out Together A Young Person’s Story Teachers usually tell us what needs to change and what the change should be. Like, ‘take off that jumper’ or ‘fix your tie’. They tell you for a while and then they get fed up telling you so you go back to doing it until you’re told again. If I wanted to change something in school, I suppose I could have talked to a teacher or the head teacher but I never
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did. I suppose I thought, it’s not worth it - things just go back to how they are. It was good working with others because you need other people to help you to achieve things. I really got to know other pupils. I have realised I can speak out no matter who it is. We can make a change in school. It’s not just the adults that make things better.
Part of the Puzzle A Young Person’s Story When I wasn’t happy about things I found myself really only complaining about stuff to my friends. I didn’t want to go to the year Head and become ‘that girl’ that always complains and gives suggestions that don’t go anywhere. I didn’t really believe I could make any decisions that could help. I thought only the teachers and older pupils could. I didn’t really believe I had a say. The Space Unlimited programme had me confused at the beginning. The questions we were asked were really challenging, It was such a big jump from having nothing to do
to then have a big job. I think I am more aware now, more confident, and better at listening to what is being said. Everyday life for me is different, because I think more and respond better. I am more open-minded now and this will help me to get more ideas for things, and create more opportunities for me in and out of school life. I like the fact that I feel truly part of the school now. I feel I like I am part of the puzzle. I know I can help others. I am here to help change happen.
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It’s Better This Way A Young Person’s Story I found the project really challenging, in a good way, because most of us in the group didn’t know each other at all, we’d never even spoken before. When we were asked to start organising ourselves and come up with ideas and volunteer ourselves for things, that was really good. I think it was so good for everyone’s confidence because we are first years and we never normally get the chance to give our ideas like that - without being told what to do. When we presented our ideas
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to the Head and other teachers, I realised that I’m not as shy as I thought and was quite surprised at being able to talk out like that. We were so much more confident as a team and we’d done it all ourselves, it was a great feeling. When we used to do group work in class, someone confident would just say their idea and we’d do it. Now, we go round everyone so we all get a chance to say our ideas, then we pick the one we all like best. It’s much better this way.
Different to Normal A Young Person’s Story In the group everyone’s open to each other and we express ourselves instead of keeping everything bottled inside. It just felt really respectful. I think that’s why I felt comfortable to say things I wouldn’t usually say, and I’ve made some new friends too.
The whole thing was different to normal. Even the teachers weren’t in teaching mode - just telling you what to do - they were actually talking to you properly and we got to know them a bit more. I learnt that you’ve got to listen to everyone’s views, even if they’re different to yours.
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Making a Difference A Young Person’s Story Normally it’s the older pupils in the school that get all the opportunities, so when they asked I volunteered. I was really nervous and shy at the start though, we didn’t really know each other at all. Once we were in small groups and had to talk it started to get really good. I suggested an idea and everyone liked it and then we just had more and more ideas. I felt proud that we were being trusted to come up with good suggestions for the school.
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It was exciting to have the Head listen to what we had to say. It made me feel like we are actually being used and getting to make a difference. We all got to have our say, and now we’re going to give others that chance too. I hope that in the end no one will be afraid to share their opinion, even if they are the youngest in the school.
Boring Pupil Council A Young Person’s Story My previous experiences of pupil council were boring. We weren’t really motivated. We just sat about wasting time. It was just an excuse to get out of class. After the first day together with the teachers and Space Unlimited, we got a better idea of what this was all about. I
got more hopeful. I saw what we could do together. It was fun, but we were planning and getting stuff done. I really want to involve the rest of the school now. I hope we can get others interested and involved. I will keep pestering the adults to help us get things moving.
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All in the Same Boat A Young Person’s Story It was fun. The way we were working with the teachers – it was like we all felt the same. Seeing others making an effort helped me to do it too, and the activities helped me to visualise the change we were looking for.
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I really hope that the work we started continues. It felt like it was a success in itself, but I’d like to keep coming back and seeing how we’re doing. I hope we progress with things. I’ve realised I do care about school and helping make it better for us all.
Pleasing Teachers A Young Person’s Story When I started to get into the project, it really was different. It was good to be able to say my opinions. I also got to hear lots of things that I wouldn’t get to hear from other pupils across year groups, and a different point of view from teachers. It felt like this was something we had never done before. I was part of a good group and even though I only recognised one or two people I still was able to help it work. And you know how hard that is when you are not with your friends.
I think you usually only say what you want the teacher to hear or what you think they want you to say. Teachers like you when you agree with them, and they favour you for other things if you do. It was different to be able to say what was really on your mind and for the teachers to do the same. It was good not to be the only one that was saying stuff, and not just saying it because you think it would impress the teachers. It was things people did want to change. And things really did change.
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School Values ...a Poster I Walk By A Young Person’s Story I hadn’t really thought about school values before. It was a poster on the wall that I just walked by. I really appreciated getting an opportunity to change the school. It gave me a chance to really think about what values mean and how you develop values that make sense to everyone. I want to be part
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of the pupil voice group now; I believe pupil voice can make a difference and that the senior management team do listen. When they came along to hear our ideas they heard it in our words, and I feel encouraged by how they responded to what we had to say.
Seeing Another Side A Young Person’s Story It is much easier to get involved with things in your primary school because it’s much smaller and you know lots of them. It’s so much bigger here; you just wouldn’t think you could make a difference. And I think people kid on they don’t care. I thought it was the teachers that would have all the answers. If they don’t know, how are we supposed to? We were all in the same boat. That kind of stuff
didn’t happen in primary school. We were all equal here. About half way through the project I realised I was helping to change things in the school for real. Everyone just started to give lots of ideas on how to make things better. Before, I wouldn’t ask teachers for help but I have seen another side of them now. I am much more comfortable in the classes of the teachers I worked with now.
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Help Me Help Myself A Young Person’s Story It was really awkward at the beginning. No-one wanted to speak out yet. We were all so used to just getting told what to do. But as we began to speak about change, we began to believe that somehow what we were doing here could start to help things be better. We started to see that the things we were thinking and saying were becoming real. When we presented our ideas I could really see them thinking and noting how good our suggestions were. My basketball coach was
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on the SLT and he saw our presentation. He still asks me how things are going with the group and offers support. I learned that pupils are willing to put in time and effort to improve the learning in school. I do care about more things than I did before, and I know others do too. This experience sparked off so many things for me that helped my confidence to become more active in doing things. It really helped me get closer to adults that can help me help myself.
A Stronger Team A Young Person’s Story When I walked in the room and saw who was in the group, I thought we were all going to argue all the time. I was really surprised by how well we all worked together as a
group. I think this is because we were not in our usual friendship groups, so it was easier to get to know and trust each other better.
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If There’s Respect A Young Person’s Story When I first heard about this project, I wanted to do it to get out of lessons, and then I found that it was alright actually, and now I want to make a change and get our ideas heard. During this project, everyone has shown respect to each other, built trust and listened to everyone’s opinions. This has definitely helped me stay calm and focussed.
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It’s important for the future of this project that people stick to it- pupils and teachers. I hope people don’t get fed up with it. Normally when we do a project at school someone loses motivation and then the teachers just stop it. We would need to keep it interesting and would do this by making sure it stays ‘colourful’ and engages people. We would need to work together.
Project Inspire A Young Person’s Story Probably the hardest thing for us all during the week was keeping our focus. Sometimes we would speak over each other or rush ahead before thinking things through. Quite a few times we thought we’d run out of ideas, but then one of us would suggest something and someone else would add to it and suddenly the ideas came flooding out again!
Look where we are nowthings are happening and we are making them happen. We have succeeded in convincing the teachers to help us make a change. Before this I didn’t realise that pupils can change their school and I didn’t think we’d be able to have that much impact, but we can.
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Let Pupils Lead A Teacher’s Story I think for us as adults and teachers, it was hard holding back and letting the process happen, especially as we felt a pressure for something concrete to be finished by the end of the week. We had to trust that the young people would find their way through the difficulties.
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I’ve been fascinated to follow the journey these young people have been through and the thoughtful ideas they have had. As adults, it has been hard for us to learn to step back, but it has been so important that we have. All I can say is: let pupils lead. I truly believe that the value of student led change is enormous.
What Price Honesty? A Facilitator’s Story The big idea was around supporting more opportunities for open dialogue about learning and teaching. The group wanted other pupils and staff to experience for themselves the benefits of such dialogue. A lively discussion began to take shape and then a member of staff said “look I feel I want to
be really honest here. People are up to their eyes right now with work. You’re not going to get anywhere with this. Most teachers will think it’s a waste of time anyway.” I wondered if such honesty would discourage the young people and undermine the sense of energy and commitment for change.
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Loosening the Reins A Teacher’s Story Usually in our school one person has an idea and they work away on that on their own. It’s quite difficult to get ideas going forward. We have had lots of great starter ideas. But they seem to lose energy. I really valued the opportunity to be involved with the pupils at a deeper level. It helped to connect me back to the reason I became a teacher. I realise that pupils can know more and
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be more creative than I can. All I need to do is loosen the reins. This experience helped me realise how much I control stuff and have been conditioned to prefer silent activities as an indicator of good learning practice. I’d like to see a change in our collective understanding of the way we work with pupils - see them as part of a team rather than an audience.
A True Community A Teacher’s Story Creating the way forward together made the learning more engaging. Somehow it made us both more curious and more equal, and we saw huge progress in pupil confidence. I’m excited about the way this work could change people’s view of their role in education – both teachers and pupils.
change forward and involve more of their peers as they do that. They’ve made huge strides forward, but it’s clear that they are not entirely comfortable with taking complete control, so it’s going to be important that, as teachers, we find ways to support them to make the changes that will make us a true community.
I know that the pupils are hoping to take their ideas for
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Looking for Answers A Teacher’s Story From the outset of the enquiry, this felt very different to what I was used to. I was learning with the young people. I noticed them looking at me for answers but I had none to give. The change in the pupils’ confidence has been amazing and it continues to grow. I see them keen to engage and to make an impact. I hear them talking to other young people and getting in new members for the group. I see them giving up free time. And they no longer look to me for reassurance that their opinion is OK.
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It has not all been plain sailing. Some teachers were unhappy about students getting time away from subject classwork. It was difficult for those who hadn’t been involved to see this work as a priority. I am sure I would have been the same. I have learned so much. Perhaps most importantly, I now think of young people as a trusted resource.
Big Stuff in a Wee School A Deputy Head Teacher’s Story I see a big change in the young people who were involved. I even see it in their body language. They are able to approach adults and take that first step in breaking down the teacher -pupil barriers. They really seem more relaxed and able. I simply see happier and more confident young people.
As a member of SLT, I’ve had to deal with some wider staff resistance. It’s important that this isn’t projected onto the young people’s enthusiasm. Some staff have struggled to see the importance of this work, and I do worry about the momentum going forward.
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Hearing Everyone A Teacher’s Story I was part of the curriculum review group and was asked by the Deputy Head to get involved with the project, as it seemed to fit with improving teaching and learning. Up until then I thought pupil voice things in the school had been a little tokenistic. So I suppose I did have a little bit of scepticism as I wondered if this would turn out the same. Through the enquiry experience I really noticed a strong feeling of coming
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together in a genuine way. It really helped me realise it’s a bit of a teacher’s dream to hear everyone. We were really hearing from those who were usually disengaged and not just those who were usually picked to get involved with things. Feeling valued whether you are a pupil or a teacher is so important in learning and teaching. I saw and felt that on this project. Maybe with hindsight we should have had some parents involved too.
Energy for Change A Teacher’s Story I held an interest in helping support change within the school, but I wasn’t doing too much. The pupil council work seemed to fizzle out. It felt like lip service and wasn’t really being taken seriously. That said the school knew something needed to change and although there was willingness there was lack of structure to support change. The programme was a bit strange, but a good strange. The young people and adults
started from the same place, both highlighted similar hopes and expectations in the learning. As adults we are normally a step or two ahead. I was surprised at how forward-looking the young people could be. Some of the young people were in their final year and they still put so much into the work. This surprised me because they wouldn’t be around to see these changes happen.
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Ramps Not Jumps A Head Teacher’s Story We’re genuinely interested in lots of voices being heard and we knew we needed to hear more from our pupils. We recognised they could be engaged in a more meaningful way and we needed a partnership to help us do this. The enquiry was really interesting and the young people offered a metaphor that
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really helped my thinking. They described in detail the current transitional process through school as steps. They told me that sometimes the step is too big a jump. Instead it should be a ramp. This really resonated with me. The focus on changing things and offering solutions meant the behaviour agenda went off the radar - this felt rather refreshing.
Really Listening A Deputy Head Teacher’s Story I was getting very busy around making the improvement plan as meaningful as possible. It was clear as the work progressed that young people’s opinions were missing from what we were gathering. I wanted young people to become more involved in the shaping of our school’s future as presently that influencing opportunity felt pretty small. Most of the influence was coming from an adult perspective. The support from Space Unlimited came at the perfect time for me.
It seemed to start so simply. But it grew into something that was both very profound – and, in a practical sense, so helpful in shaping my thinking. It feels so powerful when young people feel listened to I would say to others grab this kind of opportunity with both hands, be prepared for a pupil led approach and really listen – but only if you are genuinely prepared to take on board what you hear and act upon it.
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Time to Unpick A Teacher’s Story I do genuinely want young people to help change opinions within and outwith the school. I had a feeling that earlier work around things that aimed to stimulate change in the school seemed to try to draw in too many opinions (in my opinion) and was squeezed into smaller bits of rushed time. The time allowed for this programme seemed to say up front that this was a proper commitment and was to be
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quality work. From the offset I felt excited and optimistic, but at the same time worried a little about the students getting enough time to unpick and make sense of this big question. What would happen if we got stuck? I felt so privileged to have seen the young people in action. The most important thing though is that young people realise how meaningful this has been for us.
Building the Vision Together A Teacher’s Story It’s so unusual to have ringfenced time with pupils and staff to focus on a fundamental question about the vision for the school.
the quality of the relationships they have with us as educators. With so much change going on in school, it would be easy to lose sight of that.
It made me realise that building a vision with colleagues and pupils doesn’t have to be complicated.
I’d like to adapt our pupil council system so that we can involve pupils in setting and reviewing school targets in dialogue with us.
The insights from the pupils have really stayed with me. As a teacher, I’m focused on the planning, and the nuts and bolts of designing the curriculum. The young people reminded me how important the relationships are in all of that. They are social animals. The quality of their experience in school depends so much on
In amongst everything else we’re trying to achieve in our school, it would have been easy to let this drop – or just to pay lip service to it. It’s a measure of how important I think it is that, nine months on, I’m still determined not to let go of it… I want to do this properly.
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Bubbles of Chaos A Teacher’s Story We need to slow down in our bubbles of chaos and continue with this work. I am determined to play my part to make sure that the rest of the school hears about all the good work and the ideas that the students had come up with in November! I got here this morning and remembered. I had come back to school and done nothing with
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them. I feel responsible for the halt in the project and sad. It was a bit odd to say that to them this morning. The girls were sweet and said it gave them goose bumps! I hope they don’t feel let down by me. I even remember at the time saying we MUST continue this. We even have an action plan – a simple action plan too!
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Using Stories to Measure Change Stories have always turned up in our work at Space Unlimited. Participants in projects often use stories to illustrate the changes they’d like to bring about and, from our earliest days, young people and adults have found stories to be a helpful way of describing the impact of our methods. So for the past 5 years, we have worked closely with our partners at Research for Real to learn how to embed story sharing and sense-making at the heart of our approach. As a result, stories play a vital role in our evaluation activity, helping us to check if and how we are meeting expectations and outcomes. We have also been developing processes that support groups of people to analyse stories together, in ways that are democratic and enjoyable, and that allow new meaning to emerge. If you’d like to try learning from stories, you can download material from our website – where you’ll also find collections of stories to help you on your way.
www.spaceunlimited.org
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More about Changing Schools Together The Changing Schools Together programme started in January 2012. During the next two and a half years, Space Unlimited supported 358 young people and 96 teachers in 19 secondary schools to work together to change learning and teaching. At the heart of the programme is our method of youth-led enquiry – an approach that creates space for new behaviours, new skills and new relationships between young people and adults. The process has a ripple effect. It starts with young people tapping in to their own strengths, skills and ideas for change. When teachers and students then work together to design and make change happen, relationships improve and a strong sense of shared responsibility takes root. When this is nurtured, schools find that students and teachers become more confident in their capacity to bring about change, in their own lives and classrooms and in the wider school community. We believe we are learning something important about how to break the spiral of exclusion and nonparticipation. Those with power are accustomed to leading and often find it difficult to step back. Those with no power may want to lead but lack experience and knowledge. Our work is about helping people to create the space for change.
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We’d like to record our huge thanks to the young people and educators who have been happy to let us share their personal stories from the Changing Schools Together programme: Cathkin High School, Carluke High School, Biggar High School, Trinity High School, Larkhall Academy, Strathaven Academy, and Uddingston Grammar in South Lanarkshire. St. Mungo’s Academy, Whitehill Secondary School, Westmuir High School, Lochend Community High School, St Roch’s Secondary School and four residential children’s units in Glasgow. Drummond Community High School, The Royal High School, and Liberton High School in Edinburgh. Goole High School and Create Studio School in Humberside; The Castle School in Thornbury; Twickenham Academy and Ipswich Academy.
If you’d like a copy of the full report Changing Schools Together – measuring the impact of youth-led enquiry in education, please contact Gill Gracie on 0141 424 1403 or gill@spaceunlimited.org
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And a heartfelt thanks to our funders and partners:
Reg. Charity No: SCO37607
Reg. Company No: SC306061
space unlimited... it can change minds. Space Unlimited 42 Nithsdale Road Glasgow G41 2AN t: +44 (0) 141 424 1403 e: hello@spaceunlimited.org www.spaceunlimited.org