The Sisu Challenge

29th Jun 2015

If your school just prepares pupils to pass exams, please skip down to the next article.

If your school is determined to prepare pupils for the rest of their lives, with an eye on their future careers as much as achieving high grades then read a little more here....

The Sisu Challenge is an opportunity for schools to engage pupils in an authentic project that focusses on real world working skills and attitudes whilst developing their ability to develop and communicate ideas.

ANY age can enter (we have Y1 to Y9 already signed up)
More than one team per school can enter
Exposition fair at Inspire2Learn is on 29th June for pupils to showcase their work
Support and guidance available throughout from I2L
Creates an authentic, motivating learning experience to foster 'effective practitioner' skills (e.g., planning, reflection, taking feedback, finding evidence, communicating ideas etc..)
Builds on what what teacher experience and research identify as effective ways of developing pupil skills and attitudes
Links in with innovative learning practice (e.g., Skype critical friends, online support materials)
THIS PROJECT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE TO TAKE PART IN

The project can be undertaken by a whole class, an after school group (some schools have suggested that existing STEM or coding clubs would use the challenge as a focus for their work) or even a week long project post SATs. It doesn't really matter. The key is to allow pupils to work in a way that is driven by them and gives them time to develop their ideas in an environment similar to the way that a project team operate in business or industry.

The project has been created in response to several factors:

'Business' is constantly quoted in the media as asking schools to give a greater focus to work based skills. A recent CBI report identified a list that can be found here
The I2L Challenge Days have been a massive success with schools all over the world taking part, unfortunately they are one off challenges and don't allow enough time for an authentic project based way of working and developing ideas to emerge (next date 17th June, email for details)
Newcastle University's innovative research into use of 'Skype Seniors' suggests that a  wider sphere of input into a classroom can be highly effective for pupils
Newcastle University's MOOC team have been running a fabulous course on entrepreneurship and developing ideas - they are supporting Inspire2Learn with their materials for this project
We are clearly falling a long way behind other countries in developing a work based approach to school
The more we can involve education and industry/business together, the more we give pupils an opportunity to recognise a wider range of opportunities available to them

This project combines the best aspects of the Challenge Days with the support of innovative local research from the North East and creates a challenge that will bring schools together with a focus on their life long learning skills. The day will be attended by the schools who take part and local businesses and industry. If you would like to attend, please contact Andrew.  astogdale@lea.rac.sch.uk

More information can be found here