WHAT IS A BIG EDUCATION CONVERSATION?
INTERACTIVE, INTERGENERATIONAL, PUPIL LED MEETINGS TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES AND DRIVE CHANGE.
A Big Education Conversation is an intergenerational, multi stakeholder meeting, led by young people, which explores the purpose of education and issues relevant to the host community. A Big Education Conversation is a positive space where we think about big issues and find common ground and common purpose to improve our offer for every child.
ED FINCH
ED FINCH IS AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER, HEAD TEACHER, STORYTELLER AND FACILITATOR
Over the last thirty years, Ed has worked with learners of all ages from reception to adult in many countries across the globe.
Ed is one of the co-founders of #BrewEd and was named as one of the TES’s ten most influential educators in 2018. #BrewEd brings people together across sectors, collapsing hierarchies to create spaces for authentic communication and connection. An ethos that we bring to the Big Education Conversation.
Working with Whole Education and Storytelling Schools, Ed promotes a broad, creative, community linked education for every child.
Ed is proud to be working with HeadsUp4HTs to offer the Big Education Conversation to more schools and trusts than ever before.
WHY SHOULD WE RUN A BIG EDUCATION CONVERSATION?
WE HAVE RUN BIG EDUCATION CONVERSATION EVENTS IN SCHOOLS OF ALL SIZES AND CONTEXTS.
We recognise the effectiveness of engaging the community to build a common purpose. Schools invite influential figures from their contexts, including community activists, faith leaders, parents and carers, local government representatives, grandparents, and their own staff, as well as representatives from nearby schools. These meetings are led by young people who have been well-trained by experienced facilitators, empowering them to speak confidently and lead the discussions. Guests are often impressed by the young people’s confidence and are inspired to pledge support for education at local, national, and global levels.
Although we often struggle to attract parents to our events, this particular gathering was well-attended, highlighting the potential of our pupils to bridge the gap between home and school. We should leverage this strength to foster even deeper connections moving forward.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
International schools have diverse, complex communities with engaged stakeholders. A Big Education Conversation (BEC) offers an opportunity to bring together pupils, staff, parents, and the wider community to share perspectives on the purpose of education and address common challenges. We can facilitate a BEC at your school, guiding your pupils through the process while providing all necessary materials, including branded stationery and t-shirts for facilitators, to ensure a successful event. To discuss logistics and pricing for hosting a BEC at your international school, please get in touch with Ed.
[The pupils] have boosted their confidence in public speaking, had the opportunity to think about education in general and the bigger picture for education, guided by a skilled leader who is an expert at helping children to clarify their ideas and formulate thought provoking questions. Our pupils were very clear that their teachers knew more about them than a test ever would. We all found this heartening!
TRUSTS AND FEDERATIONS
Running a Big Education Conversation to bring together pupils, staff and communities from across a MAT or other group of schools can promote togetherness and a sense of engagement fostering stronger relationships and building a sense of common purpose. This is a powerful way to bond schools already within your trust or federation and a great strategy to use to welcome new schools aboard.
It gave me a chance to take a group of children to another school. I saw the two groups engage with each other and then with members of the local community about their ideas about assessments and primary school. It was hugely interesting to see the questions through the different lenses – children, their parents, the community leaders.
Facilitated BEC MATS – resources and support from you £1995 plus VAT 1-5 schools involved (bespoke pricing if a Trust wants to involve more schools.) Discounts available where schools are members of the HeadsUp4HTs Network.
STANDALONE SCHOOLS WITHIN THE UK
Our Big Education Conversation work was born in individual schools and we are passionate about the benefits this work can bring. We see increased confidence for young people, communities interacting positively with school leaders, a greater sense of purpose and individuals taking action together to support their schools. Speak to us if you would like to run a Big Education Conversation at your school or would like us to come and help run one.
In our recent Ofsted inspection, it was really useful to help us demonstrate the impact we encourage our children to have on the wider community and their personal development. The Big Education Conversation was mentioned in the report and contributed to the Good grade for personal development.
Facilitated BEC Schools – resources and support from you £995 plus VAT per school. For HeadsUp4HTs Members, we offer a discounted rate.
RUN YOUR OWN BIG EDUCATION CONVERSATION
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE SCHOOLS RUNNING THEIR OWN BIG EDUCATION CONVERSATION EVENTS.
You will find resources to help you structure and facilitate your meeting here. Get in touch if you would like branded stationery, pledge cards, t shirts and powerpoint slide templates to ensure your event has the look and feel that shows it is part of the global movement.
Provision of resources pack – £195.00 plus VAT per school.