Opening Minds conference gets educators talking

An audience of leading educators, teachers and principals attended a recent conference to explore further ways of developing the Opening Minds initiative. Opening Minds is at the forefront of curriculum innovation, creating new ways of learning and making it more relevant to the demands of the 21st century.

Held at the RSA House in London, the conference was themed around the assessment of the Opening Minds competences and it brought together a variety of perspectives on this problematic issue.

“The conference followed the underlying philosophy of Opening Minds: that there is no one solution to any problem in education, so it was used as a platform for discussion rather than an attempt to provide definitive answers,” said Louise Thomas, education researcher at the RSA. “It allowed schools to voice their ideas and their current practices around assessment or any other issues and to share them with other schools.”
The conference was led by guest speakers Michael Gernon, RSA Tipton Academy principal; Paul Hammond, deputy head of the Oasis Academy; and Mick Waters, director of curriculum of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The contribution of Waters had particular resonance in the debate. He said: “The aims of the curriculum are that young people should become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.

 “For this type of framework to be effective, it is essential that schools and colleges personalise the way they work with them in order to best meet the needs of their learners and broader communities.”

So what lies ahead on the Opening Minds agenda? Thomas said: “We are developing Opening Minds further through the Future Schools Network, a scheme looking at innovation in the whole school, not just the curriculum. Schools will be looking at the relationship between teachers and learners and between schools and the community.”