Philosophy and Approach

There is a commonly held belief that young people leaving school in the second decade of the 21st century and beyond will be presented with challenges and career opportunities that are as yet unenvisaged, using knowledge and technologies which are still to be developed.

To meet these demands, future citizens will need a full mastery of the skills of literacy and numeracy, and a strong understanding of the subjects which form our current National Curriculum, but alone, these will be insufficient. Schools in the future will need to ensure that young people have developed the personal, social, learning and employability skills which will provide for a successful and fulfilling adulthood.

EdisonLearning recognise that schools have done an outstanding job over recent years in maximising attainment and meeting the demands of a target-driven system. But the current system - how schools are organised and operated, the accountability systems, the curriculum, the use of technologies and even the structure of the teaching profession - are not fit for purpose. New ways of operating schools are urgently needed to meet these new demands - and this is where EdisonLearning come in!

Our education philosophy tells us that, regardless of how important academic attainment is (and we think it is very important indeed), an education focused only on achieving GCSEs and A levels represents an inadequate preparation for adulthood, and fails to meet the needs of our businesses and economy. A great education combines academic excellence with the development of essential personal and social skills, and provides every child with a range of experiences to develop the passions and interests essential to a fulfilling adult life.

Our mission is to work alongside educational professionals in state-funded schools to turn this philosophy into practice, and through this achieve the often quoted 'educational transformation' - not just for one or two schools, but for every school seeking to prepare their students for an uncertain and increasingly global future. To do this we invest in research, ensuring that what we now know about how young people learn and develop, and the features of the most effective schools and organisations are reflected in scalable and replicable models - or as we refer to in EdisonLearning, School Designs.

Latest Feedback

"Great advice and support from Advisors."

"Flexible and adaptable approach to accommodate each individual school."

"A listening ear to bounce ideas with."

"Quality resources to support school development."

"Providing a linked and themed curriculum model from which to start planning from."

"Providing opportunities to work with colleagues and share ideas."

Headlands Primary - Annual Feedback 2011

"There is a rising trend in attainment reflecting the good quality of teaching and effective curriculum.”

Spring Lane Primary Ofsted, 2010

Our relationship with EdisonLearning has led to a 30% increase in the % of students gaining 5A*-C grades including English and Maths.

Judith Long, Principal, Kingsthorpe, 2010

‘Links between subjects are well established and add interest for pupils. The curriculum has several strengths.

A successful and imaginative development is to use visits strategically to begin each topic. This “kicks starts” each pupil’s interest with a chance to learn through direct, practical experience. This is a key element in helping pupils who speak English as an additional language.’

Raleigh Infants, Norfolk - Ofsted June 2010

"The curriculum is very well organised and provides pupils with a good range of relevant learning opportunities...

There is a high emphasis on developing pupils’ personal as well as their academic skills… Personal ‘core skills’ are covered well within the wider curriculum. Consequently, pupils learn the benefits of working together for example, and taking responsibility."

St Teresa’s Catholic Primary, Essex - Ofsted June 2008