Skye College: Lofty ambitions achieved through practical tools.
Thrive in life
At Skye College we are vision-driven, and our vision is unashamedly radical. We aim to equip every student to thrive – not just in school, but in life. Not just now – but in the future. From the research, people who thrive have four things in common. Firstly, they are deeply connected to others and are able to continually build and sustain those deep connections. Secondly, they are equipped to reach their full potential in order to, thirdly, contribute to their world in ways they find personally meaningful. Finally, people who thrive have healthy and productive habits that lay down the rails for a successful and resilient life.
Research driven
At Skye College, supported by Skye Education, we have invested years in research and development. We are equipped with a solid understanding of what works in schools, and what it takes to equip students to thrive in life. We exclusively use approaches with a proven track record for maximizing success.
For example:
· We understand the skills students will need to thrive in the 21st century, and we know how to teach in the most effective way to ensure our students (all of them), not only gain these skills but maximize their own potential and develop unique talents.
· We understand how learning works. We know that people can make rapid progress when we align our teaching to the way the brain is wired. We design our classrooms and Professional Development programmes accordingly – so that students and teachers can get better faster.
· We know that socio-emotional and academic development go hand in hand – each building the other. We understand how to create great school cultures of psychological safety, positive social-norms, consistent adults, supportive connections, and discipline processes that restore, rather than strain, relationships.
· We understand what sets successful teacher teams apart… One component is the team’s beliefs about their efficacy – their perception of their shared ability to be successful. This sense of shared efficacy is, in fact, one of the greatest predictors of student achievement discovered to date. Luckily, we know just how to build such teams.
The missing links that leads to implementation
The knowledge on what works is available (if complex) and yet schools have, in many cases, not benefitted fully from what we know about what works. We believe that the “missing link” is a practical process to translates the “big ideas” of what works into granular components and behaviours than can be easily trained, practiced, implemented and monitored by busy staff of bustling schools.
At Skye College, we support our teachers to do just this by going granular.
We go granular by translating research-based best practice into granular techniques and practical tools. Here is just one example of the process we follow with the various, complex and interconnected components that make for thriving schools.
Going granular – an example
We know that teacher and student expectations are a major driver of student achievement. In short, students tend to live up to these expectations – whether high or low. We understand this dynamic, and we know how to elevate expectations by equipping teachers with granular techniques and micro-behaviours that can be easily taught, practiced, monitored and perfected – demystifying this vital component of great teaching. These tools include:
· Asking interesting, rigorous, and open-ended questions (technique 4 – “art of the question”).
· Asking all students to answer questions, whether or not they’ve raised their hand (technique 14 “cold-calling”).
· Creating a safe classroom, where mistakes are welcomed, peers are supportive and students can take the intellectual risks necessary for growth (technique 42 – “culture of error”)
· Planning an “exemplar” answer to a question. Knowing what a good answer looks like will help a teacher to “stretch” student thinking and not settle for the first best, semi-correct answer. (technique 7 – “exemplar planning”).
· Rewarding right answers with harder work… In other words, teachers should make it a habit to ask more of students and stretch their thinking even further (technique 22 “stretch it”).
· Creating joyful classrooms where student motivation and engagement are maximized (technique 61 – “the joy factor”).
These are only a few of many techniques that build great expectations. And great expectations are just one small part of the amazing classrooms that are within reach of every school who implements what works.
At Skye College we’ve taken our vision – an education to thrive – apart. We know how it works. We understand the intricate parts and how they fit together. We’re ready to give our teachers the tools they need to put it back together and bring it to life, for all.
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