Opening Minds
Project briefing
RSA Opening Minds is a curriculum framework for schools. It helps young people to learn practical life skills in a challenging world. The curriculum is the result of eight years of research and is based on teaching specific 'competences'. It is now being used in over 200 schools across the country and we are developing it continuously.
What is the problem?
Children today face a wide range of environmental, technical, social and economic challenges which go far beyond the scope of the National Curriculum. They also have to cope with a rapidly increasing volume of information in a fast-changing world.
We believe that a curriculum which focuses only on subject content cannot provide students with the skills and abilities that they will need if they are to make a success of their future lives.
The RSA Opening Minds curriculum was developed to give young people an education that meets their real needs. Its broad objectives are to:
- enable all young people to fulfil their potential
- ensure students love learning and have the capability to continue to learn through life
- prepare young people for potential economic and social uncertainty.
How it works
The Opening Minds approach believes that using a framework of 'competences' is the most effective way to develop crucial skills for life. The emphasis is therefore on building skills and capabilities in addition to building knowledge. These include:
- skills for learning
- the ability to manage relationships and situations well
- good citizenship
Opening Minds schools teach these competences through practical projects and classroom-based teaching.
What we've achieved
The Opening Minds approach is now used by over 200 schools across the country.
Schools involved in a three-year pilot study experienced significant improvements in both student and teacher motivation and showed solid gains in student performance. The benefits included:
- less low-level disruption in the classroom
- students were more mature and more motivated, ready to learn
- students and teachers enjoyed the Opening Minds lessons.
These benefits are now being enjoyed by the schools that have since adopted the Opening Minds curriculum.
The first school designed on Opening Minds principles is the RSA Academy in Tipton which opens in September 2008.
Further information
If you'd like to find out more about Opening Minds, we provide a range of publications to support schools, as well as bespoke training and consultancy.
Opening Minds Conference 2008: The New Curriculum - find out more, and download speeches and presentations.
