AN 18-strong party of teachers from schools in Dudley has visited the Island to find out how the freedoms of the education system are benefiting young people.
Primary and secondary heads, deputy heads and assistant heads from the West Midlands town spent Monday 16th - Wednesday 17th touring Island schools to learn about how the curriculum is used.
The UK is currently preparing for the introduction in 2011 of a new primary curriculum, which provides a more cross-curricular way of working, developing themes and links between subjects.
The Isle of Man Department of Education’s Curriculum for Learning and Achievement, with its 'six Rs' approach, allows schools to meet local needs, create bespoke lessons and personalise learning.
The Island has opted for a system of School Self-Review and Evaluation (SSRE) rather than external inspection.
Under SSRE, schools effectively ‘mark’ themselves and their judgments are then considered and adjusted by an external validator, who works with them. The visiting teachers spoke to local counterparts about how they prepare for this self-evaluation.
The teachers are members of the North Dudley Learning Partnership (NDLP), a community of 18 schools in the town that work together to raise educational standards and develop their own expertise.
Its members have previously visited America and Sweden on similar fact-finding trips.
During their visit, the teachers were shown around the Tynwald building by Education Minister Anne Craine MHK (pictured).
The Minister said, "It reflects well on our Island schools and the education that we deliver that this group of teachers from Dudley visited to look at the way in which we work.
"The Isle of Man is a source of inspiration for educationalists, who see us trailblazing in many areas and setting a standard that others aspire to. For those involved in education elsewhere, the difference in our curriculum and the way it is delivered is often a surprise.
"A robust system of independently assessed self-review instead of the Ofsted process, our investment in IT and programmes such as Roots of Empathy are all examples of areas where we step away from what is on offer in the UK and can proudly tailor our service to our Island’s needs.
