It’s been a long break from Centre for School Design activity – but with a lot of British Council for School Environments work in December including a study tour to New York and New Jersey, a new board of trustees and chairperson (Rachel Jones), a new office move to Islington, a second screening of the [...]
Posts under ‘BCSE / C4SD activities’
Waiting for Superman: Free Schools vs Local Schools – the debate starts here
On Monday 22 November, we are lucky enough to be hosting the first UK screening of the Oscar shortlisted film ‘Waiting for Superman‘ that has rocked the US education system and is set to send the debate about Free Schools in the UK into orbit. We know that the film will generate a huge amount [...]
Studio Schools – if its good enough for Da Vinci…
Yesterday’s national launch of Studio Schools represents a major step forward for thinking about future schooling. This has been a patient, studied five year evolution that is set to be one of the much needed revolutions the system needs. Incubated and piloted under New Labour and now validated by the Coalition this could represent a [...]
Lord Knight: the future of school design
The BCSE Building Better Schools conference was in full swing one week ago. We are still getting some great feedback from participants and speakers alike – including this comment from leading journalist Fiona Millar:
Let’s be proud of our schools – set them free
We all have a memory of that place we call school. A moment of insight or fun; a teacher that inspired; the classroom; the sports field; an art room; a playground; a science experiment; the awful toilets. Our childhood in our schools has for many a particular and enduring place in our memories. And schools [...]
Free Schools Thinking launched
At a packed event of 150 teachers, educationalists, MPs, designers, contractors and policy makers at the Houses of Parliament yesterday – hosted by Graham Stuart, Chair of the Education Select Committee – we launched our latest publication Free Schools Thinking. It comes on a historic day – when the British government announced its Comprehensive Spending [...]
Free Schools Thinking – what is our new report saying?
We are really thrilled to be launching our new BCSE / Centre for School Design publication Free Schools Thinking on the 20 October 2010 – the day of the announcement of the UK Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. The timing is not a coincidence. We feel strongly that despite budgets in education and across the public [...]
School environments DO matter
Its been pretty disheartening to see the debate taking place in the media recently that are carrying stories that buildings and school environments don’t make a difference. Despite this view flying in the face of all common sense, the practical experience of teachers and young people, an enormous chunk of evidence from office, retail and [...]
Hard politics and new directions for schools
This is a swirling and confusing time for those involved in schools and education. As a new landscape is taking shape there are a few things to note and a some to be wary of. It’s a heady mix for teachers and those at the sharp end as we wait for the headline spending figures [...]
Navigating and shaping the new landscape
We are back after a summer break and straight into a new term with a number of key milestones ahead – the interim Capital Review report expected in early October, the wide ranging Comprehensive Spending Review on the 20th October, this week’s announcement of the first set of 16 free schools plus a gentle but [...]
