Harris Student Commission launches their new design for learning

Amy Solder - 19.05.2011

The Harris Student Commission has released it's final report, 'A new design for learning' which explores the learnings from the programme and the opportunities for the future.

The Harris Student commission is an ambitious programme of enquiry into the most effective learning approaches in the UK and abroad that is co-led by teachers and students. Launched in 2008, it was set up as a research and development project to bring together hundreds of students and teachers to create a new design for learning across the federation. Its aim was to bring about

significant and lasting change to teaching & learning
a step change in student engagement, motivation and learning

...and the Harris Student commission did not disappoint. On Monday 16 May they launched their new design for learning, a set of entitlements and opportunities the Harris Federation will take forward to ensure all learners and teachers have access to world class learning opportunities.

The commission has involved students running expert witness sessions with some of the leading thinkers in education, 24hr learnovers and skype-enabled conversations with international students, visits to innovative schools in Britain and the USA and testing new approaches to learning in their own school.

In front of a packed audience at the Whole Education Conference in London, the student commissioners delivered a powerful presentation about the commission's journey to date. They spoke about the transformational effect of being involved in the commission and their role as 'leaders of learning' within their own academies as well as impressing the audience with their confident delivery and understanding of learning.

NESTA has supported the commission since the very beginning and is keen for more schools to take on the challenge of conducting their own student commission on learning. If you're interested you can access a toolkit developed for that purpose at www.studentcommission.org.uk

Find out more about our work with the Harris Student Commission