Challenging Learning for districts, municipalities, networks, and regions
We see the most significant gains in student engagement and staff satisfaction when working with multiple organisations.
The combined sense of participation and purpose; the development of a shared language and pedagogy; the improvement in equity and transfer; the economies of scale; and the building of capacity and distributed leadership all come from our work across whole districts, municipalities, networks, and regions.
Currently, we are running a Challenging Learning Process with every school, pre-school, and college in 40+ districts around the world. Furthermore, we have run professional learning events for more than 300 districts and networks in the past three years.
The gains achieved include:
- Increased staff inspiration, engagement and satisfaction;
- Improved student motivation, resilience and curiosity;
- The development of a shared language for learning within and between different organisations;
- Better use of feedback, questioning and dialogue to enhance student learning;
- A healthier attitude towards challenge, progress and achievement.
The options we offer districts, municipalities, networks, and regions include:
ON-SITE
We’ll come to you. We’ll challenge, encourage and inspire your whole network. Our consultants will routinely lead full-day and half-day events for all staff in a district (our largest to date was a whole-day event with 3500 staff from two districts in Manitoba). We also run smaller-scale workshops, as well as offer keynotes, staff coaching and/or progress reports. You choose the topics and we’ll design the best professional learning for your staff.
The Challenging Learning Topics
BASELINE
An excellent next step after a professional learning day with one of our consultants is to invite us to create a baseline report for you. This involves one of our team taking a learning walk around each school, pre-school or college in your network. Our consultant talks with staff and students; observes learning; and looks for responses towards the Challenging Learning topics you’ve prioritised (e.g., attitudes towards challenge; how well students use the feedback they receive; how well-aligned are growth mindset messages, and so on). We then create a written report to give you a sense of how much progress you’ve made, together with our recommendations for next steps.
LONG-TERM
The most significant and sustainable improvements come with our Challenging Learning Process. This 2-3-year process works particularly well with groups of schools, pre-schools and/or colleges working together. The process always begins where you are and guides you to where you want to be. We help you set your vision (district-wide as well as individualised for each organisation in your network); coach your staff; build leadership capacity; and enhance professional dialogue. We run demonstration lessons; lead professional learning for all staff; and provide you with in-depth progress reports to inform and reassure all stakeholders.
More About Our Challenging Learning Process
KEYNOTES
You are welcome to book James Nottingham or Martin Renton to keynote your professional learning day. Both are known the world over as two of the most engaging and thought-provoking speakers in education. Their presentations are characterised by a rare skill for blending arresting anecdotes, hard-edged research, gentle good humour and practical advice into a truly compelling narrative.
More About Our Keynote Speakers
STUDY TOURS
We are happy to organise a study tour for representatives from your network to witness the impact of Challenging Learning in districts and regions in other parts of the world. On average, we host 12-20 study tours per year. Sometimes we organise everything, including travel, food, and accommodation; other times we just sort out a workshop and some school visits for you. If you let us know what you want, we’ll take care of the rest.
More About Our Study Tours
The options we offer districts, municipalities, networks, and regions include:
ON-SITE
We’ll come to you. We’ll challenge, encourage and inspire your whole network. Our consultants will routinely lead full-day and half-day events for all staff in a district (our largest to date was a whole-day event with 3500 staff from two districts in Manitoba). We also run smaller-scale workshops, as well as offer keynotes, staff coaching and/or progress reports. You choose the topics and we’ll design the best professional learning for your staff.
The Challenging Learning Topics
BASELINE
An excellent next step after a professional learning day with one of our consultants is to invite us to create a baseline report for you. This involves one of our team taking a learning walk around each school, pre-school or college in your network. Our consultant talks with staff and students; observes learning; and looks for responses towards the Challenging Learning topics you’ve prioritised (e.g., attitudes towards challenge; how well students use the feedback they receive; how well-aligned are growth mindset messages, and so on). We then create a written report to give you a sense of how much progress you’ve made, together with our recommendations for next steps.
LONG-TERM
The most significant and sustainable improvements come with our Challenging Learning Process. This 2-3-year process works particularly well with groups of schools, pre-schools and/or colleges working together. The process always begins where you are and guides you to where you want to be. We help you set your vision (district-wide as well as individualised for each organisation in your network); coach your staff; build leadership capacity; and enhance professional dialogue. We run demonstration lessons; lead professional learning for all staff; and provide you with in-depth progress reports to inform and reassure all stakeholders.
More About Our Challenging Learning Process
KEYNOTES
You are welcome to book James Nottingham or Martin Renton to keynote your professional learning day. Both are known the world over as two of the most engaging and thought-provoking speakers in education. Their presentations are characterised by a rare skill for blending arresting anecdotes, hard-edged research, gentle good humour and practical advice into a truly compelling narrative.
More About Our Keynote Speakers
STUDY TOURS
We are happy to organise a study tour for representatives from your network to witness the impact of Challenging Learning in districts and regions in other parts of the world. On average, we host 12-20 study tours per year. Sometimes we organise everything, including travel, food, and accommodation; other times we just sort out a workshop and some school visits for you. If you let us know what you want, we’ll take care of the rest.
More About Our Study Tours