BET’s very own Director of Education Phil Avery, who is also a Churchill Fellow, together with Anna Morrison CBE – founder and Director of Amazing Apprenticeships – have made significant contributions to supporting engagement in education and enabling all students to thrive.
Their recent collaborative efforts, as members of the Churchill Advisory Council, have focused on creating inclusion learning environments and addressing the challenges faced by students who struggle to engage with traditional educational approaches.
Phil commented: “There has always been a significant emphasis in education on driving attainment (getting higher grades). Importance is also placed on broader achievement, for example the Duke of Edinburgh awards and participation in the school show.
“But all this misses out an important element of education: how engaged children are. What we are trying to do in this programme is take a more holistic approach focused on the ‘how’ and look at what engages children and makes them feel like a successful learner.
“If we can understand what engages children in their learning and education, then that should improve attendance and wellbeing. But this programme is wider than simply addressing non-attendees, or those who are unwell; it is also about helping all children, including those who are in school and setting them all up for a positive future.”
Anna said: “I come from a slightly different angle to Phil, as he works directly in education, and I work in the apprenticeship space. So, I am really interested in what is happening to young people in schools but also how that goes on to influence what they do.
“There are a number of areas we feel passionate about – whether that’s absenteeism, teacher retention, careers education – but we didn’t want to focus this programme on just one topic. We wanted something that was broad enough to capture as much as possible, without limiting ourselves.”
Read more from Phil and Anna at https://www.churchillfellowship.org/news-views/blogs/supporting-engagement-in-education-enabling-all-students-to-thrive/
