Futures

Seville orange tree The National College for School Leadership and EMLC are collaborating on the FUTURES project. The project involves seminars, conferences, research, international visits and links with businesses and other organisations. It is aimed at school leaders interested in looking at future trends as a means of developing their schools. Participants have been engaged in writing and using think pieces describing and analysing future trends. They are expected to develop, evaluate and implement futures tools and strategies in their own schools and beyond.

The FUTURES project is intended to transform thinking. It’s about looking beyond the day-to-day operation of the organisation, opening minds and developing an enterprising and innovative culture. The FUTURES project is concerned with breaking the mould and doing things differently. By viewing the ‘dots on horizon’ from different perspectives, leaders will learn from other disciplines, understand complexity and create flexible, adaptable organisations fit for learning in the 21^st century. The project will develop a thriving network of leaders addressing issues beyond the immediate. This new and inspiring initiative will provide opportunities for school leaders to work with national businesses and agencies at the forefront of futures thinking. They, in turn will inspire and motivate other school leaders within and beyond their schools and this will lead to a transformation in teaching and learning. To register an interest and to find out more about what's happening, please e mail us.

FUTURES - next steps

surf and spray Please contact Peter Smith at EMLC with your views on how the project should develop.

USEFUL QUOTES

New York As the educational environment becomes more complex and the demands on schools increase, the solution cannot be found in longer and more detailed school development plans. New demands and new times call for radical new thinking.

Davies, B. and Ellison, L. Strategic Direction and Development of the School

We need to avoid a trap. We need to ask what is the most appropriate kind of education for young people. Then how schools can best act as providers and brokers in creating learning opportunities. The challenge for school leaders is to create the space for new possibilities.

Tom Bentley

Aims of the FUTURES project

sunset The project aims:

To improve schools’ awareness of futures thinking and capacity for innovation
To influence national and international thinking on trends and scenarios
To respond to global, political, social, technological and economic trends
To build a community of practice to stimulate futures thinking schools
To use these processes to promote innovation and creativity

In order to:

To develop a creative and appropriate curriculum for the 21^st Century
To relate futures thinking to the ECM agenda, personalisation, extended schools, multi-agency collaboration and reforms at 14-19
To build leadership capacity in schools
To add extra momentum to the drive to raise standards in core subjects

To build effective links with business and other organisations

EMLC and NCSL held a conference at NCSL for school leaders on futures thinking on February 5th 2008. The conference was led by Professor Stephen Heppell and had contributions from a number of those involved in the Futures project and in producing the think pieces listed below.

Professor Stephen Heppell and Peter Smith, Head of Research, EMLC

Professor Heppell outlined some trends and issues from across the world and set out some of the challenges for school leaders. This was followed by future observatories looking at political, economic, environmental, spiritual and technological aspects of change.

Uncharted territory (116kb, 8 pages) A think piece reflecting a conversation between Andrew Bloodworth, Economic Minerals Programme Manager, British Geological Survey, and Chris Williams, Principal, King Edward VII Technology College and Training School, Melton Mowbray.
How far can you go? (116kb, 8 pages) A think piece reflecting a conversation between Sara Parkin OBE, Founder Director, Forum for the Future, and Jackie Fisher, Headteacher, Market Harborough Church of England Primary School.

For crying out loud

(144kb, 8 pages) A think piece reflecting a conversation between Peter Roberts, Managing Director, Collis Engineering, and Paul Aspinall, Headteacher, Leamington Primary and Nursery School, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Tradable commodities

(112kb, 8 pages) A think piece reflecting a conversation between David Arkless, Senior Vice President, Manpower Inc, and Goran Hultin, Caden Consulting with Susan Tuck, Headteacher, St. John's Primary School, Lincoln.

Small voices

(112kb, 8 pages)
A think piece reflecting a conversation between David Morgan, Director of Operations Services 3663, and David Slee, Headteacher, Eskdale Junior School, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire.

Real-life education

(108kb, 8 pages) A think piece reflecting a conversation between Rosalyn Rahme, Chief Executive, Gold Recruitment, and Andrew Pearson, Headteacher, Bramcote Hills Primary School, Nottingham.

Dwelling on the future (141kb, 8 pages)

A think piece reflecting a conversation between Lindsey William, Chief Executive and Mark Blighton, Financial Director, Amber Valley Housing and Gordon McBurnie, Headteacher, Heath Fields Primary School, Derbyshire.

Joker in the pack (136kb, 8 pages)

A think piece reflecting a conversation between, Theo Wright, Head of Technology Research, British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) and Jason Brook, Headteacher William Parker School, Daventry Northamptonshire.