̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - James Biddulph

We are all 'others': teaching children to celebrate differences

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

At times of dramatic change and conflict, words can become weapons. Europe is transforming: migration, economic crises and Brexit are shaking the continent’s sense of identity, and debate has turned quickly to division and misunderstanding, to angry Twitter exchanges and pumped-up political stand-offs.

Now, a new Europe-wide project led by Cambridge’s Faculty of Education and closely linked to the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School (UCPS) is encouraging better dialogue – by initially removing language altogether.

̽��ֱ��three-year DIALLS project (Dialogue and Argumentation for Cultural Literacy Learning in Schools) will use wordless picturebooks and short films as a stimulus for discussion by children in primary and secondary schools. Exploring their individual and collective responses to the texts within school – and with peers in partner countries from Portugal and Cyprus to Israel and Lithuania – will, researchers believe, help children understand their own cultural identities, while also recognising and respecting those of others in a fast-changing and diverse Europe.

“Our approach is to use the skills of dialogue to promote understanding,” says Dr Fiona Maine, a visual literacy specialist and principal investigator for the €4.4 million project, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme and involving nine universities. “To have an effective dialogue, you need to understand other people’s perspectives and where they are coming from, and perhaps critique your own views.”

Texts without words, needing no translation across borders, are an ideal stimulant for cross-cultural debate, Maine says. “These texts are ambiguous, and so give rich opportunities for discussion.”

A preliminary collection of dozens of materials gathered from across Europe since the project’s launch in May 2018 reflects the fact that many picturebooks have resonance for readers of all ages. ̽��ֱ��Mediterranean, by the Swiss illustrator Armin Greder, is for older readers and tackles themes of displacement and violence, its beautiful charcoal images confronting the tragic reality of refugees lost at sea. Baboon on the Moon, directed by Christopher Duriez, is a quirky animated film in which a baboon is taken from the jungle to top up the moon’s light each day. At first glance, it’s more playful, yet it addresses similarly powerful notions of home and belonging that could be discussed by all ages.

̽��ֱ��next task is to whittle the initial selection down to a core set of 45 texts, likely to include some 30 books, with films and potentially artworks making up the total. It is here that children will themselves get involved in the research, with pupils at UCPS – the UK hub for the project – reviewing and choosing alongside their teachers.

“Student voice is important in the selection,” says Maine. “We’ll ask children which they like, but also which they feel give them real opportunities for discussion.”

̽��ֱ��chosen texts, divided for different age groups where appropriate, will then be used by partner schools in each of the nine participant countries to stimulate discussion over 15 lesson sequences. ̽��ֱ��aim is twofold: children in 300 classes across Europe will explore their responses to the ideas prompted by the books and films, but in doing so will also develop their skills in dialogue and argumentation (the structuring of discussion by hearing and building on others’ points of view). These, in turn, underpin the fundamental goal of the project: to develop children’s “cultural literacy” – not in the sense of knowledge of a defined European culture of art and literature, but in an openness to engage with many different interpretations of it.

“For effective dialogue, in essence, you have to be tolerant, empathetic and inclusive of other positions,” says Maine. “Cultural literacy is not about accessing culture, but about a disposition to engage. Through understanding your own heritage, cultural identity and values and how they are positioned, you are better able to see that actually everybody has a slightly different experience. So it is not about saying ‘us and others’: we are all ‘others’.”

Children’s exploration of this ‘otherness’ will begin in the classroom as they discuss texts with fellow pupils, moving on as the project develops to discussions with children elsewhere in their own country (in England, 30 schools will be involved at first, with more in the third year once resources on using the texts are online).

Children across Europe will be able to share their ideas using a specially created digital platform. One landmark will be a semi-virtual conference in May 2020 bringing together school students to share ideas on the themes explored in the wordless texts, leading to the creation of a “manifesto for cultural literacy for young people in Europe” to sit alongside a set of freely available resources for teachers.

Along the way, children will also develop their own ‘cultural artefacts’ – artwork, stories or short films to be made publicly available in a virtual gallery. In the UK, participating teachers will have access to the Faculty of Education for professional development.

For UCPS, with its close ties to the Faculty and strong research mission, the DIALLS project sits perfectly with its own curriculum priorities. “ ̽��ֱ��real key perhaps to the project is to connect teachers and academics and children, and doing that through different texts,” says UCPS Headteacher Dr James Biddulph. “It fits in with our school’s focus on developing compassionate citizens who are actively involved in their world.”

But with its pan-European scope and ambition to promote understanding, is there a risk the DIALLS initiative could seem unduly idealistic in an era of transition, enormous complexity and debates that can seem so intractable that many in the adult world are tempted to turn away and tune out? How can we expect children to make sense of Europe and its different – and changing – cultures, when even we adults frequently seem unable to do so?

For Maine, the goal is not to find cosy solutions to the world’s problems, but to give children more tools to manage difference positively. “This isn’t about finding answers – we aren’t trying to get people to agree, nor even to seek to agree. This is about listening and understanding. It’s about a way of being.”

Read more about our research on the topic of children in the ̽��ֱ��'s research magazine; download a pdf; view on Issuu.

As the world around us increasingly divides into ‘us and others’, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School is taking part in a new research project to help children discover for themselves that far more unites us than divides us.

This isn’t about finding answers – we aren’t trying to get people to agree, nor even to seek to agree. This is about listening and understanding. It’s about a way of being

Fiona Maine

Linda Culverwell (ARTBASH)

Details from artwork commissioned by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School featuring paintings by the pupils

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Releasing the imagination: the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

fpjl2 — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 10:31:48 +0000

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School is committed to improving education for all primary children, everywhere.

READ THE STORY HERE

Also available: Dr James Biddulph discusses the Primary School's approach and life as a headteacher as part of the 'We are the ̽��ֱ��' podcast series:

Read more about our research on the topic of children in the ̽��ֱ��'s research magazine; download a pdf; view on Issuu.

More than just an outstanding Ofsted rating sets the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School apart: it places research at its heart, informing education practice and furthering research at Cambridge’s Faculty of Education and elsewhere.

We want to be a new voice in the chorus

James Biddulph

ARTBASH/ ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

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̽��ֱ�� primary school "outstanding" in 1st OFSTED report

ps748 — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:41:15 +0000

Two inspectors visited the school to carry out their assessments.

They found;

From the opening in 2015, the headteacher has led the school with a tenacious, yet compassionate determination to ensure that all pupils succeed, whatever their starting points.
Leaders at all levels, including governors, are relentless in their pursuit of high-quality learning experiences for pupils across every aspect of the exceptionally well-considered curriculum.
̽��ֱ��school’s research-informed curriculum is ambitious, innovative and inclusive. It aims to ‘develop compassionate citizens in a positive social climate of high expectations.’ In doing so, it challenges pupils very effectively to achieve well.
Pupils are regularly challenged to achieve their best, through carefully planned activities and teachers’ skilful questioning.
Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Staff provide high-quality support for vulnerable pupils in a nurturing environment and so typically these pupils make excellent progress. ̽��ֱ��welfare and care of all pupils is of paramount importance.
̽��ֱ��behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
Working relationships between staff and parents are excellent. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Most are regular participants in the ‘family Friday’ sessions which allow them to join in with their children’s learning and to discuss it with school’s staff.
Pupils with complex needs receive high-quality care across all aspects of the school day.

Headteacher, Dr. James Biddulph, welcomed the report saying:

"It is a privilege to lead such a dedicated and passionate team of educators, including teachers and teaching assistants, ably supported by a superb administrative team. They have each risen to the massive challenge set us by the ̽��ֱ�� and UK government to create a school that could contribute to innovating curricula and thinking about what constitutes a truly brilliant education for our children. We look forward to more collaboration with our colleagues in other schools to continue our own learning and contribute to the learning of others."

School pupils enjoying a picnic in the grounds

̽��ֱ��school opened at Eddington, at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s North-West Cambridge site, in September 2015 with just 120 pupils. It was the first operational building serving the local community. There will be pupils 630 in September 2021, when it’s expected to reach full capacity. ̽��ֱ��school has been designed to provide diverse learning spaces. All the classrooms open up to the school grounds to promote outdoor learning opportunities. Currently there are 31 staff. Staff training is highly valued and teachers have access to advice and support of the ̽��ֱ��’s Faculty of Education. In January, the school was named as a regional hub for the Chartered College of Training (CCT).

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, Professor Graham Virgo, says:

"When we opened in 2015, we were expected to be a local community primary school as well as establish ourselves as the first ̽��ֱ�� Training School in the UK for primary. ̽��ֱ��challenge has been enormous and demonstrates the ̽��ֱ��'s commitment to impact positively on society locally, as well as nationally. I am delighted that the hard work of many people, particularly the headteacher, the teaching staff, teaching assistants and pupils themselves, has been recognised through this outstanding OFSTED report."

̽��ֱ��school is already working with colleagues as far afield as India and is planning a number of new projects to consider how research informed practice can be disseminated through primary schools. As the headteacher commented, in remarks to the inspectors, “We are not the finished article…we never will be.”

More information can be found here.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School is celebrating after receiving its first OFSTED report. Inspectors found the school outstanding in all the performance categories. ̽��ֱ��school, which has been open for three years at Eddington, on the edge of Cambridge, is the first ̽��ֱ�� Training Primary School in the UK.

̽��ֱ��challenge has been enormous and demonstrates the ̽��ֱ��'s commitment to impact positively on society locally, as well as nationally.

Prof Graham Virgo, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor

Flag parade at Eddington

Yes

Regional teaching hub launched

pbh25 — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:59:48 +0000

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School (UCPS) has become a regional hub for the Chartered College of Teaching (CCT).

Through the work with the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and other local and National partners, the regional hub is designed to be an energising and intellectually stimulating space to foster relationships and nurture professional dialogue among teachers.

It will help teachers to explore notions of research-informed and research-generating practices which will benefit teachers and their pupils across the region.

It offers an opportunity to support educators to feel inspired to further inspire the children they work with.

Dr James Biddulph, headteacher of the UCPS, said: “We are committed to exemplary teaching and learning for children. In our approach to learning, we aim to be creative, bold, free thinking and rigorous. ̽��ֱ��school endeavours to put into practice what matters to children and is also an innovative professional learning community for teachers. By becoming a hub for the Chartered College of Teaching we hope to share best practice across East Anglia and the Fens and benefit from the experience of teachers from across the region.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School opened in 2015 and was the first primary ̽��ֱ�� Training School in the UK.

Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge said: “We know that excellent teaching transforms the lives of all students, from those in early years to adult learners. We also know at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge that collaboration allows best practice and world-leading research to be shared and increases the benefit to the public that knowledge can impart.

“I am delighted that the primary school will be the hub to develop, support and give voice to teachers in the region, enabling them to be the best they can, for the benefit of teaching in general and for their pupils in particular.”

̽��ֱ��CCT is a new initiative, set up in early 2017 to promote what works in teaching and help teachers from across the country to interact.

Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of CCT, said: “ ̽��ֱ��education landscape is challenging. Everything from curricular and assessment reform and budget constraints and workload concerns, to feelings of disempowerment and disillusion, can hamper what happens in the classroom. We set up the Chartered College of Teaching to change that. This is a once-in-a-generation chance for the teaching profession and we are incredibly encouraged that an exemplary organisation like the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School, with its links to research within the university and beyond, takes on the role as a hub for the region.”

A launch event for the hub tonight (January 30) will set the scene for the role of the hub in supporting teachers engaging with research-informed teaching throughout Cambridgeshire and the Fens.

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge launches a regional teaching hub to inspire teachers and children.

By becoming a hub for the Chartered College of Teaching we hope to share best practice across East Anglia and the Fens and benefit from the experience of teachers from across the region.

Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Primary School Headteacher, Dr James Biddulph

Morley von Sternberg

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

Topping out the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School building

th288 — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:24:22 +0000

̽��ֱ��main contractor, Willmott Dixon welcomed guests from the School, the ̽��ֱ�� and the development team to the site of the new school building. ̽��ֱ��topping-out event marked the installation of the roof light located on the highest point of the building.

Those in attendance included: the School’s Headteacher, James Biddulph; Chair of the School Governors, Professor John Rallison; the ̽��ֱ��’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs, Professor Jeremy Sanders; Registrary, Dr Jonathan Nicholls; and the Deputy Project Director, Heather Topel, and Construction Director, Gavin Heaphy for the North West Cambridge Development alongside Managing Director of Willmott Dixon, Chris Tredget.

Work on the iconic circular design of the school started in November 2014 and will be completed in two phases. ̽��ֱ��first phase of the building is due to be handed over in August 2015 for the start of the academic year in September 2015. ̽��ֱ��second phase of the building is expected to be handed over in December 2015.

James Biddulph, Headteacher of the school said: “Seeing the building take its incredible form this year has been very inspirational - the circular shape, open spaces and teaching rooms will make for a fantastic learning environment for the school community and we are grateful to the team for the remarkable progress that has been made to date. Our teachers can’t wait to start the new term in the new facility with our new pupils.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School will provide education for children aged four – 11. ̽��ֱ��school will be a mixed-ability co-educational school. It will not have a specific religious character, nor a particular faith ethos. In addition to providing an inclusive and high-quality primary education for local children, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School will also offer unique training and research opportunities through its close relationship with the Faculties and Departments of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��design of the building by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye, has been informed by discussions with the Faculty of Education and leading educational experts to create a unique learning environment that will fulfil its commitments to being an inclusive school and to being a ̽��ֱ�� Training School.

View the construction of the school building in time-lapsed footage here

Heather Topel, Deputy Project Director of the North West Cambridge Development said: “Delivering the primary school is a demonstrable commitment that the ̽��ֱ�� has made to providing community facilities from the outset. It is a great milestone not just for the school but also the wider development and local communities, and we look forward to welcoming children and their families as the first users of the buildings in the very near future.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School will open in September 2015 for its first intake of children, with up to 120 pupils across the Reception class and Years 1 and 2. Further details about the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School, visit www.universityprimaryschool.org.uk

Access to the school will be along the new road off Huntingdon Road, called Eddington Avenue, and restricted initially to parents and users of the school due to on-going construction works for the first phase of the North West Cambridge Development. ̽��ֱ��school will be the first building in operation as part of the 150-hectare North West Cambridge Development.

̽��ֱ��North West Cambridge Development is the largest single capital project that the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has undertaken in its 800-year history. Outline planning permission was granted in February 2013 for the scheme, subject to approval of site-wide legal conditions and Reserved Matters Applications, on the 150-hectare site of ̽��ֱ�� farmland situated in between Huntingdon Road, Madingley Road and the M11.

̽��ֱ��masterplan includes 3,000 homes (50% ‘key worker’ housing, available for qualifying ̽��ֱ�� and Colleges employees), 2,000 post-graduate student spaces, 100,000 sqm of research space, a local centre and community facilities including a primary school, nursery, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and retail units, as well as all of the site-infrastructure and landscaping for the scheme. ̽��ֱ��development has been designed as an extension to the city, with an urban rather than suburban grain and will be of the highest design quality as well as being an exemplar of sustainable living.

Pictured Front row: (L-R) Gavin Heaphy, Jeremy Sanders, James Biddulph, Jonathan Nicholls, Chris Tredget.

Progress on the new building for the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School was celebrated with a topping-out ceremony this week as the construction of the first building on the North West Cambridge Development reached its highest point.

Our teachers can’t wait to start the new term in the new facility with our new pupils.

James Biddulph, Head Teacher

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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