New feature at Education Show

Released 02/03/2010

Cool Schools area to highlight progress in schools today

The Education Show has announced a brand new feature area for 2010, called ‘Cool Schools'. Developed in association with Professor Stephen Heppell, Cool Schools is an exciting area of the show where educators can be inspired and enlightened about what is happening in schools today.

On each day of The Education Show, groups of learners from two Birmingham schools will be on the Cool Schools stand to showcase their ‘cool' projects and interact with visitors to the show. Also, twelve year old James Buckley will be showcasing his ‘Look for Loneliness' resource, developed as a result of the popular BBC TV programme, Dragons Den. The resource urges children to ‘look for loneliness' in their playground, encouraging children to reach out to those who are singled out and afraid.

Nine ‘Young Design Champions' from Holte Visual and Performing Arts College will be on the stand talking about the way they are involved with the exciting re-development of their school and the re-generation of their local area.

Helen Rudeforth, assistant headteacher and arts college director at Holte Visual and Performing Arts College, comments: "Holte School is delighted to have been recognised by Professor Stephen Heppell as a school in which exciting, innovative and creative learning is paramount and leads to "outstanding" education (Ofsted, 2009). We are looking forward to demonstrating how our young people bring imagination and originality to our school at this prestigious event."

Also on the Cool Schools stand, students from Robin Hood Primary will be holding a presentation on personalised learning in the 21st century. The students will be providing ideas on how they co-construct their curriculum and on stand they will be discussing how negotiation of learning with adults can inspire better learning. The pupils will also be showing examples of how the curriculum can be placed in the hands of the learners, for example, through movie making.

Neil Hopkin, headteacher at Robin Hood Primary says: "21st century learning will be driven by the learners. We are thrilled to be part of a sharing of ideas about how this can best be achieved."

Prof. Stephen Heppell says: "Parents visiting schools today often wish they could be school children again themselves: the technology, communication, the buildings, the new methods of teaching and the new ways to learn. Each day from the area around the NEC a different school and different children will be showing visitors to the Education Show some of the things that excite them and absorb them in their 21st century cool learning. Come and talk to them."

Richard Joslin, exhibition director at Emap, comments: "Cool Schools has been created to highlight some of the most exciting and innovative projects that are taking place in the schools of today. We are excited to welcome these local schools to the show, and look forward to seeing the fantastic projects that are going on in today's classrooms."

The Education Show takes place from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 March 2010, for more information visit www.education-show.com.

See more news stories like this