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College Innovations in Teaching and Learning
In pursuit of its single corporate objective, improving students’ achievements, the College seeks ways further to develop, enhance and improve teaching and learning strategies. Under the guidance of Simon Jarvis, Vice Principal, and Vince Scannella, Director of Personalised Learning, a variety of innovation and research projects have been undertaken involving staff and students.
In recent years, the College has pioneered and embedded the use and understanding of emotional intelligence (EI) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to assist in the development of learning strategies. Employers have advised on how these approaches assist with the preparation of young people for the world of work and on the significance which they attach to such qualities as mood-management, self-awareness, awareness of others, self-motivation and motivation of others. All these areas are now discussed and developed not only within the pastoral curriculum at the College but also throughout the examined curriculum.
Our most recent work involves a deeper understanding of effortful study in which we seek to stretch and challenge students at all levels of their work. This has inspired the development of the Extended Project, led by Jon Marks in the College in 2006. This is the first example of the enhancement of the A level curriculum in this way. The College has worked closely with the AQA awarding body which has moderated the final work. The project has been reported by The Guardian Newspaper (18 July 2006), the Times Educational Supplement (6 October 2006), The Independent (1 March 2007) and on Radio 4's "The Learning Curve."
The College’s innovative approach to teaching and learning has inspired the development of a College Action Research Project led by David Godfrey, Times Educational Supplement (1 December 2006). Following the successful completion of a Master’s degree, David has led teams of College staff to carry out their own research projects to improve students’ achievements. The action research projects are described in more details in the links on this page.
The College is firmly committed to the belief that the engagement of teachers in active research on teaching for learning inspires students to engage with and understand their own learning – and it contributes to the atmosphere of mutual respect and discovery which characterises The Sixth Form College Farnborough.