We know people have adapted, adopted and applied the Leadership for Learning principles in many contexts, for example as the basis for school principal professional development, as a framework for guiding development work, and as part of Masters programmes. We are hoping to draw together and publish as many examples of using the LfL framework and principles as possible, to spread ideas and continue learning.
 

If you are using the LfL framework and principles (A focus on learning; conditions for learning; dialogue; shared leadership; shared sense of accountability) in any way at all, do please drop us an email at lfl@educ.cam.ac.uk with brief details and we will get back to you.

Many thanks.
 

The LfL team

We are grateful to those of you who have already sent us accounts of their use of the LfL framework and principles.

There is a week of talks and workshops at the Faculty of Education in this year's Cambridge Festival of Ideas. This includes evening talks from teacher, author and TES behaviour guru Tom Bennett, and the Faculty's own Professors John MacBeath and Anna Vignoles, all three of whom will also sit on a panel alongside John Gray and Mary James, also from the Faculty, and headteacher Alison Peacock, from the Learning without Limits team. This 'question time' style event will look at who is really in charge of changes in educational policy and practice.

Teacher Proof - what use is educational research anyway? with Tom Bennett: Monday 28th October, 6.30 - 8pm

Learning in the wild: education in less structured environments with John MacBeath: Tuesday 29th October, 6.30 - 8pm

Who's in charge? The influences and evidence informing changes in educational policy and practice: a panel discussion: Wednesday 30th October 7 - 8.45pm

The Importance of number: the future of quantitative methods in education research with Anna Vignoles: Thursday 31st October, 5 - 6.30pm

Read more about Anna Vignoles work with big data sets at 'Getting schooled in the ‘noise’: learning about learning using big data'

World of Wordcraft: a discovery zone of language, literacy and creativity: Friday 1st November, 10am - 3pm

Further information for all events can be found on the Festival website.

The first HertsCam Network Event of 2013-14 will feature an animated presentation which seeks to explain the concept of teacher-led development work. This has been done with VideoScribe – a relatively new software package which helps to get across complex ideas in the space of a few minutes. Visit the Teacher Leadership blog for more information.

Networking across the globe

'I was struck by how we are in different parts of the world, but have the same interests in shared leadership'
Mdm Wan Ainizah binti Ariffin, Principal of MRSM Alor Gajah, Malaysia

Our pilot project with Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) is supporting seven of their schools in four countries (Malaysia, New Zealand, Denmark and The Netherlands) in their endeavour to improve professional practice and enhance student learning.

The process to date has offered networking opportunities for the the schools both in real time through the University’s Adobe Connect pilot programme and through CamTools (our online virtual learning environment).

The group will continue to 'meet' regularly in this new LfL space to share their ongoing research and learning.  A report on the pilot will be published in 2014.

I really enjoyed hearing teachers share their experiences and stories from their own teaching practice.
It was very enlightening to see how LwL is done in the ‘real world’… it is more than a theory,
it’s a way of thinking that works.
(Feedback from delegates)

                       
                                   

The Learning Without Limits project is dedicated to developing approaches to teaching and learning that do not rely on determinist beliefs about ability. The project is inspired by decades of research that have drawn attention to the many complex ways in which ideas of fixed ability, and the practices based on them, can limit learning. 

In September, we worked with our colleague Mandy Swann and her LwL colleagues at the Faculty of Education to host a two-day study tour for headteacher Stein Larsen and his staff (51 in total) from Ortun Secondary School, Bergen, in Norway.                                                 

Following a day spent exploring the principles and values of the Learning without Limits research at the Faculty, the group spent a day at Wroxham Primary School, hosted by headteacher Alison Peacock, co-author of Creating Learning without Limits. Visit the Learning without Limits website for more information.

A team from HertsCam and the International Teacher Leadership initiative had a successful outing at the 2013 European Conference on Educational Research (ECER). Their symposium drew on papers from colleagues in Portugal, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Istanbul. Further information can be found on the HertsCam website.

 

Interest in and knowledge of leadership and learning, separately and together, is an international and continuing phenomenon. Teacher Leadership and Professional Development, edited by Alex Alexandrou and Sue Swaffield, adds to a somewhat under-researched aspect of the field. It focuses both on a particular form of leadership – teacher leadership, and on a particular form of learning – professional development. It considers the connection between teacher leadership and professional development and the first chapter relates this connection to a ‘Leadership for Learning’ conceptual framework, developed through an international, three-year project. This book was originally published as a special issue of Professional Development in Education and includes chapters from David Frost, and John Bangs and John MacBeath.

Street Child World Cup is a global campaign for street children to receive the protection and opportunities that all children deserve. LfL were delighted to supported this unique conference in Cambridge, in September, with the donation of our conference bags for the 100 delegates who had travelled from across the world to meet together. Schools are an integral part of the Street Child World Cup movement and there are lots of opportunities to get involved.

Lfl recently signed the petition for Nigeria set up by A World at School. This is a new digital mobilisation initiative working towards achieving global education. Their focus is the children who miss out on education and learning, with a goal to help each of them realise their full potential through quality schooling. Please get involved and sign the petition too.

LfL's John Bangs challenges Michael Gove to 'wake up smell the coffee and realise that he is actually running an education system' in this week's TES. Read more on the TES website.