RSA Opening Minds

Opening Minds has been undergoing an exciting phase of redesign over the summer and we are now ready to unveil our plans for how we hope to engage a greater number of schools in real curriculum innovation. A 2012 literature review carried out by the RSA provided evidence of the worldwide demand for a rigorous, competency-based education. Additionally, recent DfE announcements and hints about the future of the national curriculum from 2014 (and the space to develop a ‘whole curriculum’ outside the national curriculum) are predicted to be a key moment of opportunity for RSA Opening Minds to influence practice. With these in mind, we have been looking at ways that we can reach ever more schools on a variety of levels. Our new approach will consist of three key areas of support available to schools; a toolkit resource, a range of Opening Minds training centred within a single training school, and a national programme of continued professional development for teachers and senior leaders around innovative curriculum design, incorporating a range of models including Opening Minds. 1. An RSA Opening Minds Training Centre, based at RSA Academy Tipton, and led in partnership with other OM Training Schools. This Training Centre would act as a consultancy and CPD hub for schools who wish to implement OM across their school, and as an emerging ‘community of practice’ for schools wishing to innovate collaboratively to take OM practice further. Please contact Lesley James at RSA Academy Tipton with any queries and your interest to engage james.l@rsaacademy.org. 2. ‘Grand Curriculum Designs’ a pioneering new CPD programme for schools and teachers who wish to engage in broader curriculum design processes. This is delivered as a partnership between the RSA and the Institute of Education, with funding from the NAHT, OCR and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. OM will be a key feature in this programme, although participating teachers will be exposed to a number of different approaches, and would not necessarily implement OM in their schools... Register your interest - We are now seeking ambitious educators who would like to sign up for our upcoming national Grand Curriculum Designs programme starting in September 2013. To register your interest, please email education@rsa.org.uk 3. and the OM online toolkit, will be used to support both programmes, but also available to schools and teachers who wish to understand OM fully, and may wish to ‘go it alone’ in developing OM in their schools. This will be developed through a partnership between OM training schools and a consultant and will be available at the end of June 2013. Contact us if you are interested in learning more about the toolkit. In light of these changes we have decided to close the accreditation scheme to new schools but are continuing to support those who are still on their accreditation journey whom we hope will also continue to engage with use through our new programmes. If you would like further information on any of these new developments please contact rsaopeningminds@rsa.org.uk.

Becoming an
Accredited school

We are currently at capacity and are unable to support any more schools through the accreditation process at present. A new, more diversified approach to developing and delivering RSA Opening Minds is currently being developed and will be launched in the autumn term 2012.

If you are interested in hearing more or feeding into the design of the new RSA Opening Minds offer please register your interest at: rsaopeningminds@rsa.org.uk.

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The accreditation process will be ‘light-touch’ and developmental in nature. Support will be available to schools throughout the accreditation process.

Schools new to Opening Minds will receive an initial ‘walk through’ visit, a subsequent two-day training visit at an RSA Opening Minds Training School for up to 3 teachers, and a further two visits to assess and advise on progress

For schools already engaged in Opening Minds accreditation would involve two visits from a training school which would culminate in accreditation. As explained above a school’s application would be assessed both by reference its policies and by observing classroom practice to ensure that Opening Minds was being used in an appropriate and effective pedagogical manner.

Training schools will be supportive in enabling schools to meet the accreditation criteria and will openly share their assessment of progress towards accreditation using a traffic light system:

Green = school meets this criterion
Amber = school well on the way to meeting this criterion but some development still needed (the nature of development needed would be explained and confirmed in writing)
Red = school does yet meet this criterion and a significant amount of development still needed on this issue (the nature of development needed would be explained and confirmed in writing)