Launchpad

Enterprising students

Dalston is a village of 1600 residents, a few miles outside Carlisle in Cumbria. Caldew secondary school, in the village, has 950 pupils drawn from a catchment area that stretches from the Eden valley and Solway coast to the city of Carlisle, including highly deprived wards. The school specialises in entrepreneurship and business. (Edward Stobart of Eddie Stobart haulage is a former pupil) – and embraces innovation. So much so, Caldew is redesigning itself for the 21st century.

It is, for instance, developing the social and communication skills of pupils by encouraging some of them to take on teaching roles and to have their skills assessed by fellow pupils. It is constantly searching for new ways to engage the school population – and it’s not afraid to ask its pupils for innovatory ideas. So, pupils learned about the Israel/Palestine conflict through role playing a speed dating event between young people from both sides of the conflict.

The school also works with the grain of the young people it teaches and is trying to be far more flexible, believing in the virtual classroom. It is launching twilight sessions, school from noon to 5 pm for pupils who can’t get up in the morning. It’s also exploring how to incorporate texting into the delivery of the curriculum and offering tutored courses on line.

In a few years time, Caldew says it will a learning hub, unrecognisable from the strongly hierarchical and inflexible Victorian model of school that is so resistant to change - and incapable of giving children and young people the confidence and opportunities to truly think for themselves.

latest additions

European Venture Philanthropy Association conference in Madrid

Simon Tucker and Andrew Brough attended the annual EVPA conference to highlight Launchpad's activities as an early stage social venture fund and share experiences of investing for social impact with other organisations around Europe.

12 December 2007 | Launchpad

Call for Ideas

Imagining a working world that supports people with long term conditions

12 December 2007 | Launchpad

School of Everything Launches Alpha Site

School of Everything, recently voted amongst Europe's twenty hottest emerging start-ups at Seedcamp, has launched its first version of its online market place for learning.

12 December 2007 | Launchpad

Launch of Studio Schools

Lord Andrew Adonis, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners hosted the reception for the launch of the next phase of Studio Schools on Tuesday 4th of December at the RSA. In attendance were officials and representatives from central and local government, schools, national and local businesses, and a range of charitable foundations - all interested in building upon the progress made thus far.

25 January 2008 | Learning launchpad

Managing long term conditions

The World Economic Forum has called on businesses to lead the fight against chronic disease, to embed a culture of health and to manage the change in a population where long term conditions are increasingly prevalent.

30 January 2008 | HIA

Launch of Studio Schools

25 January 2008 | Learning launchpad

Studio Schools

A new version of 14-19 school hosting businesses where students are employed, earning real wages alongside a project-based curriculum.

Practical Learning

Despite the importance society places on education, many individuals in our society lack the skills required of the 21st century. There is an ever expanding scope to acquire such skills through innovative approaches - benefiting society and themselves. Practical learning or ‘learning by doing’ can be a vital approach in achieving this – connecting motivated learners with innovative approaches through which their skills can be enhanced.