Sir Bernard Lovell School

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Case study

Interviews with staff and pupils at Sir Bernard Lovell (SBL) School sharing their experience of rebuilding and remodelling to transform learning.

Highlights from the audio recording can be found below.

Key facts

Type of school: academy
Number on roll: 1,296
Age range: 11–18
Headteacher: David Turrell

Background

Sir Bernard Lovell is a school where ICT is at the core of the headteacher’s perspective for learning. This is evident in the design of the curriculum and of the school organisation, particularly in the purpose-built technology and arts/drama departments.

Vision

The school’s key drive for personalisation: the learning experiences, the redesign of the curriculum (Key Stage 3 interdisciplinary/thematic approach and 14–19 Pathfinder experience), culminating in the overall impact on the built environment and learning spaces.

Stakeholders

The plans at the academy provide an example of the value and process of engaging stakeholders from the beginning. In this case, the teachers and students explain the strengths and benefits and the interaction that ensued.

Consultation

This shows an example of how the building was shaped in three areas as a result of continuous interactive dialogue before, during and after remodelling and building as experienced by the architect, David Turrell and a curriculum leader (design and technology).

Transformational change

This looks at how the school is assessing the impact of the remodelling and new building work on the transformation of teaching and learning. David Turrell, a teacher and students talk about rising examinations results, motivation and new ways of working in teams due to room design and the impact of ICT. This shows the value of the two-way testing of ideas before work commences by seeking users’ views. The example shows David Turrell, a design and technology teacher and a student talking about ICT developments.

Lessons learned

The views and experiences of David Turrell and three teachers are presented, considering the value of having flexible designs that facilitate changes to the use of space as driven by the curriculum over time.

Impact

Examples are given here by David Turrell and two teachers about the vision as a daily reality – what it is like working in the new environment, the impact on their working lives, some lessons learned, strengths and what might have been done differently in hindsight.

Next steps

David Turrell reflects on his experience of the process and pace of change so far and how he is now better positioned to speed up the pace as the next phase begins. Two teachers consider what is next for them as they too reflect on the remodelling so far, its reality and what the next phase has in store for them.

Further information