The Primary Advantage Federation in Hackney has long been a close partner with the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), having hosted and trained students on the Primary PGCE for many years, and having built a workforce of early career teachers, experienced teachers, leaders and even Head Teachers who are alumni of the IOE’s PGCE course.
The range of interests, expertise and research available at the IOE adds further richness to the partnership.
Sustainability as a priority
Having identified sustainability as a priority a few years ago, the Primary Advantage Federation of schools in Hackney linked up with IOE colleague Tessa Willy (Deputy Programme Lead for the Primary PGCE course) on the work she has done with the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, opening up a range of collaboration opportunities.
In Spring 2024, Primary Advantage delivered a conference on sustainability and climate change education for primary school leaders. Over 20 head teachers and curriculum leaders from Hackney and Greater London attended. Tessa was an inspirational speaker on the role of teacher education to deliver a curriculum which has sustainability and climate change embedded in it. Not only did Tessa inspire the delegates at the conference, this was, memorably, on the day the IOE received their call from Ofsted, and her input was especially appreciated.
School leaders attending the conference reported that they felt inspired by the high-quality presentations and discussions with colleagues, and all left feeling committed to taking action.
It was wonderful to have so many committed teaching professionals in the room who had given up their precious time. The other presenters gave such interesting insights into the possibilities of greening up the primary curriculum with a perfect mix of practical project ideas and the theory that sits behind it all.
The key message I am taking away is how important it is to help children engage with nature – for their well-being and to help them engage with sustainability issues.
Through close links with colleagues at the IOE, Primary Advantage was introduced to further expert partners who shared their knowledge and resources with school leaders, including The Harmony Project and The Royal Horticultural Society. Some of these contacts turned into long term partners with the Federation and continue to support the work the schools are doing on sustainability and outdoor learning, which is impacting on the pupils in Hackney.
Following the sustainability conference Primary Advantage schools worked for a year with Climate Ambassador programme, embedding sustainability actions and climate change education into their schools by writing bespoke Climate Action Plans. The school’s work on sustainability is highlighted in this short video filmed by UCL students.
Sandra Gaudan
Learning, Development and Partnerships Manager at The Primary Advantage Federation
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