The innovative approaches to learning regional project work with schools and teachers to develop innovative new student-centred approaches to learning in the classroom through 15 pilot partnerships connecting primary schools in the Near East and North Africa with the UK.  It also aims to enrich pupils’ and teachers’ learning through intercultural dialogue via these international partnerships.

Our work in Morocco

Thanks to the British Council and in cooperation with North Yorkshire LA University, Simon Cowton, visited Essaouira from 23 to 29 March to facilitate different workshops for local teachers. This programme formed a Final phase of this joint project between North Yorkshire LA and Essaouira Délégation and seeks to acheive the following objectives.

Objectives

1. To position the Local Authority collaboration within the broader context of their improvement planning to support and develop continuous improvements in the efficiency and impact of service delivery
2. To stimulate an exchange of ideas and approaches which promote good practice and act as a pathfinder for other stakeholders.
3. To identify a range of approaches to education development which can be applied or adapted according to local circumstances;

Intended outcomes

• Teachers and inspectors are aware of the principles and practicalities of coaching and an agreement to trial 3 coaching cycles in each school is in place
• Teachers feel able to engage in self-directed professional development using an adapted coaching model
• Teachers understand how to use pupil-led evaluation to provide evidence of the impact of innovations in learning and teaching approaches and to inform future developments   
• Initial contact with new schools to be linked with schools in North Yorkshire
• Evaluation of the impact of the project from the pupils’ perspective