3rd_oct_printers_version_technical_matters

Foreword, Lord Baker,
Chairman, Baker Dearing
Educational Trust
News from University
Technical Colleges
Guest comment
Jim Wade, Principal
The JCB Academy
View from the boardroom,
Pete Redfern
CEO Taylor Wimpey
Showcase of outstanding
practice from UTCs
Cambridge University
Summer School
Research informed
teaching
Duke of York Award for
Technical Education
ISSUE 1 AUTUMN 2014
Matters
Technical
Journal for University Technical Colleges

2
TECHNICAL MATTERS ISSUE 1 AUTUMN 2014
Lord Baker
Foreword
The publication of Technical Matters marks a significant step in the progress of the UTC
programme. UTCs are now open, or planned, in every English region and in the coming
years more than 30,000 young people will be able to access this unique technical
education pathway.
As I visit UTCs, I ask teaching staff about
their experience of teaching at a UTC and
whether it differs from their previous post
in a school, college, training company or
business. All emphatically answer yes.
It is this difference that marks out UTCs
and why this publication is so important.
Technical Matters provides a valuable
resource that explores the teaching and
learning in UTCs. It places the spotlight
on everything that is different whether
that is the teaching of academic subjects
embedded within practical learning;
assessing projects set by employers;
or how best to involve leading academics
in teaching and learning.
Technical Matters also places this
practice within a wider academic context.
It examines current thinking around
teaching and technical education and
helps to highlight how UTCs challenge this.
UTCs are a rapidly growing network and
each day remarkable teaching takes
place that is unlike practice elsewhere.
This is why I welcome the publication of
Technical Matters, which offers a unique
opportunity to hear from UTC teachers
about their work in shaping these
pioneering institutions.
Lord Baker, Chairman
Baker Dearing Educational Trust

3
Welcome
We start with news from around the
UTCs to showcase events and student
achievements of which UTCs are rightly
proud. A regular feature will be a guest
comment drawn from within or outside of
the UTC community to provide a thoughtful,
yet challenging article on the value and
future of technical education. As this is
the first issue it was only appropriate that
this opportunity should be given to Jim
Wade, Principal of The JCB Academy,
the first UTC to open in 2010. In his article,
Jim draws on his extensive experience
to address the question of how to provide
high quality technical education for
young people.
Employers play a key role as sponsors
of UTCs. Pete Redfern, CEO of Taylor
Wimpey, one of the largest companies
in the construction sector, explains what
he sees as the distinctive contribution
of UTCs and why he plays such an active
role in supporting Buckinghamshire UTC.
In the articles which follow, UTC Reading,
Silverstone UTC, Elstree UTC and The
JCB Academy share examples of
outstanding practice.
The research base which underpins
teaching and learning in technical
education although growing, remains
small. Tom Macdonald, Principal of West
Midlands Construction UTC reviews an
important report from the Edge Foundation,
‘Bodies of Knowledge’, which he argues
could have major implications for the way
in which UTCs organise their curriculum.
Following the theme of research informed
teaching, Professor Tim Cain, Director of the
Research Centre for Schools, Colleges and
Teacher Education at Edge Hill University,
explains there is now more interest in
connecting research to educational
practice than ever before. He calls upon
all stakeholders in the UTC programme
to become part of this and explains how.
On behalf of the Editorial Team, a warm welcome to the first edition of Technical
Matters, the new bi-annual journal for University Technical Colleges. As Lord Baker
states in the foreward to this first issue, it marks a significant step in the progress
of the UTC programme. The publication of Technical Matters is a measure of the
growing confidence in what is taking place across the UTC network. We have been
very fortunate to have seen this first hand. In gathering together the contributions
for this first edition we have visited many UTCs and spoken to students, teachers,
parents, sponsoring employers and Universities. We are sure you will agree that
what emerges is a picture of something unique taking place in the technical
education of 14-19 year olds.
No journal for University Technical Colleges
would be complete without a focus on
inspirational students and staff. In this
issue, we look at three such students:
Rebekah Kinchin, a Year 10 student at
UTC Reading; Mwaka Musumba, a Year 12
student at the Black Country UTC; and finally
Aiden Rogers, formally of The JCB Academy
and now a higher apprentice at Rolls Royce.
This is followed by accounts from inspirational
teachers; Chris Jones, Visions Learning
Trust UTC and Amanda Goddard, Daventry
UTC on their journeys from successful
industrial backgrounds to UTC teachers.
Already, we are looking ahead to the next
issue of Technical Matters. Whether you
are a teacher, mentor, employer, College or
University involved in the UTC programme
or a supporter of technical education, we
would like to hear from you. This may be to
showcase good practice you believe worth
sharing across the UTC network or to write
to us with your views on some of the issues
raised in this edition. Details of how to
contact the Editorial Team can be found
on this page.
Whatever level of interest or involvement
you may have in the UTC programme we do
hope this first edition provides you with an
insight into what we believe is something
unique taking place in the technical
education of 14-19 year olds.
Paul Spencer
On behalf
of the
Editorial Team
Editorial Team
Tom Macdonald, Principal West Midlands
Construction UTC. Anna Pedroza, Baker
Dearing Educational Trust. Paul Spencer,
Edge Hill University.
Editorial Team Email:
UTCJournal@edgehill.ac.uk
Address: Technical Matters, Faculty of
Education, Edge Hill University, St Helens
Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
Contents
Lord Baker Foreword 2
Welcome 3
Editorial Team
UTC News 4
Guest Comment 8
Jim Wade, Principal
The JCB Academy
View from the boardroom: 10
Investing in the next
generation of homebuilders
Pete Redfern,
CEO Taylor Wimpey
UTC Reading leading the 12
way in employer engagement
Jennifer King
Mathematics in the 16
real world
Tom Greene, The JCB Academy
Driving home the 18
need to read
Kirsty Berry, Silverstone UTC
Gaining new skills by 22
helping others
Paul Spencer, Edge Hill University
Research informed 24
teaching
Tom Macdonald, West Midlands
Construction UTC
Supporting research 26
across the UTC Movement
Professor Tim Cain,
Edge Hill University
Duke of York Award for 28
Technical Education
David Harbourne
Cambridge University 30
Summer School
Student Profiles 32
Staff Profiles 34

4
UTC News
Seven new University Technical Colleges
have been announced by the Government
with backing from over 30 major employers
including Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley,
Unilever, Hitachi, Bosch, Kodak, McCain
and King’s College Hospital.
This will bring the total number of UTCs
open across the country to 57 by 2016.
When fully recruited, there will be over
35,000 young people studying at UTCs
around the country.
Lord Baker, Chairman of BDET, said:
“UTCs are now an established and growing
part of the education system. They have
strong, cross party support and more
will be announced before the election.
“Developing and nurturing an ambitious
and capable future workforce is vital to the
success of our economy. UTCs make sense
and work for employers, universities and,
most importantly, young people.”
The Chancellor George Osborne said:
“University Technical Colleges are a
key part of the Government’s long term
economic plan because they help ensure
young people have the right skills so they
can maximise their potential.”
“The new colleges will provide the next
generation of British workers with the skills
they need to secure the high tech jobs of
the future.”
“This is an excellent example of how we
are delivering a sustainable and resilient
recovery by laying the foundations for a
brighter economic future for the UK.”
The skills provided by UTCs are essential
to support the UK’s future economic
growth. The new UTCs will offer a range of
Major employers back seven new
University Technical Colleges
technical specialisms including advanced
manufacturing, engineering, digital
technologies, and human sciences.
Dr Ariane Reinhart, member of the Board
for Bentley Motors who are supporting
UTC Crewe, said:
“We believe that a UTC in Crewe will help
plug the skills gap by training the next
generation of technicians and engineers.
Bentley is growing and we need talented
young people now and for many years
to come. UTCs offer students the skills,
knowledge and attitudes we know they
need to succeed in the work environment.”
Philip Greenish CBE, Chief Executive of the
Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“The UK needs many more people with skills
in innovation, creativity and enterprise skills
that are fundamental to engineering and
key to the UK’s competitive edge. University
Technical Colleges are superbly positioned
to reach out to young people from all
backgrounds, male and female, and to
bring to life the wonderful opportunities
available from a career in engineering.”
The new University Technical Colleges
announced are:
News from across the University Technical College network
UTC Specialisms
Bromley UTC Health and
Wellbeing
Sciences
Leeds UTC Advanced
Manufacturing
and Engineering
Scarborough Advanced
University Engineering,
Technical College Design & Control
Sheffield Human Human Sciences,
Science and Digital
Digital Technologies
Technologies UTC
South Durham Advanced
UTC Manufacturing
and Engineering
UTC Crewe Engineering,
Manufacturing
and Design
WMG Academy Engineering with
for Young Science
Engineers (Solihull)

5
Buckinghamshire UTC
Construction Students Fit New Kitchen in Amersham
Memorial Gardens
Following a request from Buckinghamshire UTC for projects in the area where
construction students could apply their skills, 20 students have been involved
in the planning and fitting of a new kitchen at Amersham Memorial Gardens,
as part of their ‘hands-on’ project work.
The Year 10 and 12 students are coming to the end of the first year of their
Construction course at the UTC. A large part of their course focuses on project
work with local employers. The students led the construction process from start
to finish, from initial surveys, risk assessments, materials and tool requirements,
to fitting. Amersham Town Council purchased the materials, and the students
planned the layout of the units and assembled them in kit form at the UTC,
before final installation in the Gardens.
Nick Han, Head of Construction at Bucks UTC, said: “We were delighted with
the students’ very mature approach to this project. They were able to put into
practice the skills and knowledge acquired as part of their training with us, and
apply these to a real life project. They also had to work around the demands of
their other commitments, such as assignments, assessments and lessons,
and even worked through their half term break.”
Mark Richardson, Contracts Manager, Amersham Town Council, added:
“We have been very pleased with the work and how the students conducted
themselves in the public eye, and thank them on behalf of the Council.
We look forward to a long working relationship with the UTC.”
Aston
University
Engineering
Academy
Artemide visit, London
This was an invaluable opportunity for our
A2 students to enhance and enrich their
Product Design course and studies at AUEA.
The day started at the LuxLive Exhibition at
Earls Court in London where the students
experienced the latest lighting technology
from the global market leaders and
industry experts. On offer were a range
of Lectures, Keynote Talks, Design Clinics
and Technology Theatre presentations to
support the students’ development work
and learning.
After the exhibition the students travelled
to Artemide’s Central London Office in
Great Russell Street to pitch their ideas to
this global, leading lighting company. All
students had prepared a presentation and
received personalised feedback from the
Artemide Designers on their initial ideas.
They were also treated to a demonstration
and tour of some of the Artemide iconic
designs on show in their showroom.
This was an enjoyable day exploring Lighting
Technology, Innovation and Presentation
skills within an industrial context. Since
the visit the students have been working
hard on developing their prototypes and
plan to present their developed ideas to
the Artemide designers later in the year.

6
UTC News
Wigan UTC Academy Year 12
Students at Endress + Hauser,
Manchester
A group of Year 12 students from
Wigan UTC Academy took part in a
fascinating day at Endress + Hauser’s
new state of the art training centre in
Manchester. Endress + Hauser are
world leaders in the manufacture of
instrumentation for the measurement
of temperature, pressure, fluid
levels and rates of flow for a wide
range of industries including food
and beverages. At the heart of this
multi-million pound business is the
practical application of Ohm’s law in
their sophisticated instrumentation
equipment. The students from Wigan
UTC Academy investigated a range of
state-of-the-art instruments to sense
flow rates, fluid levels and pH values in
open and closed loop systems common
in the food processing industry. David
Stokes, Training Manager with the
company, explained the training day
was the result of a growing relationship
with Wigan UTC Academy:
“One of our biggest market bases is
the food and drinks industry which
is also an area of specialism for
Wigan UTC. We like the fact they are
focused on equipping their students
with engineering qualifications as we
are only too aware of the challenges
facing companies such as our own
of attracting young people into
engineering careers. Learning days
like this are an opportunity to motivate
young people towards engineering
and to make known the work we do
at Endress + Hauser as we know that
not enough young people are coming
into this industry.”
James, one of the students who took
part in the day and studying for ‘A’ levels
in mathematics, physics and chemistry
alongside a high quality engineering
qualification at the UTC had this to say:
“This has been one of a series of
training days we have had with big
companies in the food processing
industry which has been of real value
to our studies. It is only through days
like this that we can see the career
opportunities available in this industry.”
Ryan, also an ‘A’ level student echoed
these comments:
“From what we have seen there are
many employment opportunities in
this industry for young people with
the right attitude and qualifications.”
Chris Hatherall, Principal of Wigan UTC
Academy, welcomed the involvement of
companies such as Endress + Hauser:
“Our aim at Wigan UTC Academy is
to produce employment-ready young
people who are able to take up high
quality, high status careers. The
involvement of major companies such
as Endress + Hauser is essential to this
as they are able to show our students
the range of fascinating employment
opportunities open to them in the
process control industry.”
Steve Moffitt (far left) staff member at Wigan UTC
Academy and David Stokes (far right), Training
Manager at Endress + Hauser with Year 12 students

7
“Everybody at the Black Country UTC
congratulates Hayley and wishes her all the
best representing the UK and hopes she
receives the recognition she truly deserves.”
Hayley Ramadhar added: “It is a huge
honour to have been selected as a
member of Squad UK to represent the
manufacturing industry. I know the next few
months will be tough, as I fit my training
around my university studies, but I’m
determined to fight for a place in the team
that will go to WorldSkills São Paulo 2015.”
Black Country UTC Student
Selected for Squad UK
Talented Black Country UTC student,
Hayley Ramadhar is hoping to fly more
than 5,500 miles to Sao Paulo, Brazil,
after being chosen to compete in
the prestigious 2015 WorldSkills
International Competition.
Hayley, aged 18, who studied a Level 3
Advanced Diploma in Engineering at the
BCUTC, was chosen to be part of the Squad
Pool UK team ahead of the 43rd World
Skills Competition, which is considered
to be the largest Vocational Education
event in the world, featuring over 2,000
competitors from 60 countries.
Judges were first impressed by Hayley’s
engineering abilities during the Skills
Show in Birmingham’s NEC in November.
She took part in the process control
competition, sponsored by Festo and
Siemens, and had to programme and
diagnose faults on an industrial fluid
control rig using a variety of software.
She finished 4th in the UK and received
a Highly Commended medal.
In June 2014, over 160 of the UK’s most
talented apprentices and learners battled it
out over three days of intense competition
in Northern Ireland. After defeating her
competitors, she landed a place on the
Squad UK team and will now undergo
11 months of training to bring her up to
world class standard, before the final
team for Brazil is selected.
Gordon Mills, Director of Business
Engagement at the Black Country UTC,
which is sponsored by Walsall College, said:
“WorldSkills is a very exciting opportunity
and testimony to Hayley’s commitment,
dedication and hard work throughout
her time at the Black Country UTC. The
opportunities that have arisen from this can
only enhance her future career prospects.
Most important
96% Facilities and equipment
93% Hands-on learning
92% Opportunities for work
experience
92% The technical specialism
Least important
57% I wasn’t happy at my previous
school
33% My friends were attending
20% My previous school
encouraged me
Quality of careers advice
Students were asked about their
careers advice in their previous school
and the careers advice they’d received
since joining the UTC.
At their previous school
30% Rated the careers advice they’d
received as excellent or good
At their UTC
62% Rated the careers advice
as excellent or good
UTC students’ perspectives on their
previous school
UTC students were asked to compare
their UTC with their previous schools.
92% Said the specialist
equipment was better
76% Said computing and IT was better
88.7% Said links with businesses
was better
86% Said employer projects was
better
73% Said time spent making things
was better
For a copy of the full survey email Anna Pedroza: apedroza@utcolleges.org
Students in UTCs – what do they think?
The Baker Dearing Educational Trust surveyed nearly 700 UTC students and asked what were
the most important considerations when thinking about attending a UTC. Here is what they said:

8
Guest Comment
University Technical
Colleges – The future
of technical education
The English education system has
struggled for decades to address the
‘technical’ question:
How do you provide high quality
technical education for young people;
an educational experience which is
open to all, of high value and which
fulfils the needs of employers?
Although, when looking at technical
educational initiatives, one could go back
further. My teaching career started in
1985 following a brief stint at Citibank’s
London Office. At the time TVEI (Technical
and Vocational Educational Initiative) was
being rolled out with much fanfare and I
remember being involved in something
called the certificate of pre-vocational
education – which like many initiatives has
faded into the mists of time. As history will
show us, the landscape both before and
since is littered with the corpses of failed
initiatives. However, what is striking is that
we have kept on trying. What this would
indicate is that we have a problem that
must be resolved. So why are University
Technical Colleges the solution rather
than just another initiative that will be
left behind as a footnote for history?
Firstly, University Technical Colleges
are institutions with a very clear vision
and purpose. Taking my institution, The
JCB Academy, as an example – we aim
to develop ‘the engineers and business
leaders for the future’. This underpins
all that we do; it is our ‘raison d’être’.
As is often stated by our sponsor
representatives, the scariest part of taking
on the project is that it is forever, they
could not launch the Academy and then
walk away. These institutions are not at
the whim of government or a particular
Secretary of State for Education, but
organisations driven by people with a very
clear purpose and vision. As they grow
and develop, these institutions will, by
working together and sharing experience,
create their own pedagogical approach to
what makes good and effective technical
learning. Even, as just one organisation
The JCB Academy has 24 people directly
involved in the design and delivery of the
engineering curriculum. Therefore, as long
as UTCs stay true to their vision they will be
part of the educational landscape for many
years to come.
Secondly, University Technical Colleges give
young people a choice at the age of 14 to
pursue their specific dreams and aspirations
in a particular technical area. How many
of us have come across young people who
struggle to deal with abstract concepts,
but who can solve very complex real world
problems? We know that for a few, the
desire to learn something in an academic
sense is motivation enough. However, for
the vast majority, learning with a purpose
makes learning more effective and deepens
the ability to apply this learning in different
contexts and situations. Each UTC has a
group of active employers working with the
institution to make the projects and learning
challenging and related to the world of work.
This deep employer-engagement underpins
both the rationale for UTCs and their core
purpose. Therefore, UTCs have the unique
opportunity to contextualise the learning,
making the learning experience more
effective for young people.
Thirdly, for some of our young people,
UTCs give them a chance to reinvent
themselves at this crucial point in their lives.
As Principal in my previous school, I can
remember speaking with a young person
after a difficult incident and getting the
promises from student and parent that on
return to school they would be different and
they had seen the error of their ways, only
to find that two weeks later we were back
in my office having a similar conversation.
We talked about fresh starts, but were
the expectations from fellow students and
staff just too great for the young person
to overcome? However, a new start in a
new school gives the young person an
opportunity to reinvent themselves. At The
JCB Academy we use the following story:
Jim Wade, Principal The JCB Academy
Prince Charles with Jim Wade at the official opening of The JCB Acdemy in 2011

9
Academy is around mechanical engineering
and, given our employer partners and
regional skill needs, this is central to our
mission. However, the focus of other UTCs
relates to their regional context and need.
As I have met many UTC Principals and
heard their vision for their organisation,
it is heartening to hear common themes,
but also to see how these have been
interpreted to meet the local context.
This national programme, with a local
flavour, will ensure that each UTC carves
out its own unique niche in the local
educational landscape as each UTC
will be fulfilling a very specific need.
All of us involved with UTCs are passionate
about the future of technical education and
the difference it can make to the lives and
aspirations of young people and also the
future prosperity of our nation. These are
bold statements, with a grand sweeping
vision, but one the developing UTCs are
well set to meet. Those of us working in
UTCs know that we face many challenges
on the journey ahead and, undoubtedly,
national and local policy will change in
the years to come. However, we know
that what we are doing has the chance
to take many starfish and make of their
lives something extraordinary.
An old man used to like to go for a walk on
the beach every morning before breakfast.
One day as he was walking down the beach
he saw a young boy in the distance throwing
what he assumed were stones into the sea.
The old man reaches the boy and asks.
“What are you doing?”
The boy replies
“Putting starfish back into the ocean.”
The man looks up and down the beach,
which is littered with starfish washed up
by the recent storm and explains to the
boy, “But this beach contains thousands
of starfish you cannot possibly make a
difference. “The old man walks on
shaking his head at the folly of youth.
The young boy bends down picks up
another starfish and throws it into the
ocean. As the starfish hits the water.
He says:
“I made a difference to that one.”
I have turned this into a little video that we
regularly start staff meetings with, because
our job is to make a difference to all the
starfish washed up on our beach. UTCs are
uniquely placed to provide students with
this fresh start and to move them forward.
Fourthly, UTCs are a national programme
developed to meet local need, not a one
size fits all model. We have traditionally
come up with a solution that works in one
context and then rolled this out nationally.
UTCs, however, are set up to meet the skill
needs of the particular region within which
they are based. The key focus of The JCB
Lord Baker, Chairman of Baker Dearing Educational Trust and
Matthew Parris, Times columnist, at The JCB Academy

10
As one of the largest residential
developers in the UK, at Taylor Wimpey
we employ over 3,800 people and
provide job opportunities for an
average of 11,000 subcontractors on
our sites across the country. We are
a national builder but operate locally
bringing significant economic benefits
to the areas in which we operate.
Housebuilding, and the whole construction
industry in general, was badly affected
during the recession. The market shrank
considerably, and forced a large number
of experienced workers to explore other
industries. Since the start of 2013, things
have certainly got better, however, the lack
of investment in skills has been noticeable.
This, combined with 19% of construction
workers reaching retirement age within the
next decade, means we as an industry have
a huge gap to fill.
At Taylor Wimpey, we understand the need
to invest today to ensure we have the right
skills in the future. We are keen to nurture
young talent and develop the next
generation, through programmes like our
graduate and management schemes,
apprenticeships and, of course, excellent
initiatives like Buckinghamshire University
Technical College (Bucks UTC).
Unique concept
We receive many requests to support and
sponsor educational initiatives across
the country, however, when we were
approached about a partnership with
Bucks UTC we saw huge potential.
UTC was a new concept to us, and at the
time still very new in the education sector.
What particularly attracted us to Bucks
UTC was its unique approach in integrating
technical, practical and academic learning
to create an environment where students
can thrive and develop the abilities
employers are looking for.
As part of our partnership with the UTC,
we’ve been involved in the development
of the college right from the beginning.
One of the key aspects of our partnership is
our ability as an industry leader and major
local employer to help the college make
sure that its students are ‘work ready’
through gaining practical knowledge in
the working environment.
We were involved in developing the
construction course curriculum,
including advising the UTC on the type
of qualifications that would be useful
for us as a major local employer;
underpinned by a planned year-long
programme with the UTC to cover all
aspects of the Taylor Wimpey business to fit
with the qualification that the students are
working towards.
We have also worked with the UTC
teaching team to structure our employer
projects so they focus on challenges
that students could face in the actual
working environment. For example, setting
up a smaller version of a building site
adjacent to one of our larger housing
schemes in Aylesbury, so students can get
experience as a real construction worker.
View from the boardroom:
Investing in the next
generation of homebuilders
Construction students with Pete Redfern, Chief Executive, Taylor Wimpey
Pete Redfern, CEO Taylor Wimpey

11
Our experienced regional teams guide
the students through the whole process,
from the health and safety induction and
trades working on site, to surveying, site
management and office based roles,
demonstrating a whole spectrum of job
opportunities available in the sector.
Another popular initiative involved our
subcontractors, (who represent businesses
in trade areas including brickwork,
scaffolding, dry-lining, groundwork,
plumbing, painting and decorating),
participating in a business breakfast
with the UTC students. It was a fantastic
opportunity for the students to network and
distribute their CVs. It was great to see the
students showing their knowledge of what
they had learnt so far in construction and
make valuable contacts proactively and
without prompting.
We have also been pleased to help in
other areas such as sponsoring a mature
female student who did not qualify for
government funding to complete the
course. This enabled her to study at Level 3
and to progress to University. We have also
supplied all of the construction students
with branded safety wear to enable them
to work safely on site and be visible. In
addition, we supplied a new minibus to
help with logistics in getting construction
students to and from our sites when
completing their extended work experience
projects and for other activities such as
sports and school trips, as well as staging
and lighting for the hall which were used for
an excellent performance by the students
to celebrate the end of year.
One of the highlights for me, personally,
has been mentoring a team of construction
students. For the last few months, I
have been involved in supporting one of
the two in-house ‘companies’ that the
students have set up, sharing my business
know-how gained through the many years
in the industry. This initiative enables
the students to build their knowledge on
how a company structure works and the
different roles within a management team
as well as key principles of successful
business management. Students earn
positive and negative points for their
company according to their attendance,
performance, presentation and general
work-readiness skills.
Putting theory into practice
So, from an employer’s point of view, what
do UTCs bring to the education of young
people? At UTCs, students have received a
broad general education, complemented
by an in-depth technical knowledge in their
chosen specialism, and they understand
the relevance of one to the other.
Their good academic and practical skills
are valued equally. Even simple things like
wearing business attire when at the college
and experiencing working traditional 9-5
business hours – all help students to get
more used to and be ready for the working
world, compared to those in a typical
school environment. Through technical
skills learning, exposure to the industry
and employers from day one, UTC students
have an excellent understanding of their
specialism and the career opportunities
available, as well as what is expected of
them in the workplace as they already
have real experience of it. If they don’t want
to go straight into work after completing
their UTC course, then the technical and
academic qualifications gained can take
them into further or higher education if
they wish.
One of the key aspects of our partnership
with Bucks UTC is helping students put
theory into practice through gaining
practical knowledge in the working
environment. To support that, we have
taken on two construction course students
on work experience placements. Originally
we expected the first batch of students to
be ready for their proper work placements
at the end of the 2014-15 academic year;
however, the two students made such
great progress that, with the college, it was
decided that it’s the right time for them to
get into the business and finish their Level
3 qualification whilst working with us.
The placement will see the students in paid
employment for three days a week and
will be structured so that site experience
is combined with some time based in the
office to allow students to understand
progress reports, build programmes,
contractor vetting, pre-start and weekly
report meetings. The students will also be
supported by an experienced mentor who
will act as a point of reference to enhance
their experience. On successful completion
of their work experience, the students will
be given an opportunity to join our Site
Management Apprenticeship Scheme at
the end of Year 13 in July 2015, subject
to achieving the necessary academic
requirements and demonstrating strong
work ethics.
Other similar opportunities for the most
ambitious college students are currently
being considered and, if successful, this
could prove to be a great model of working
in partnership with the UTC to identify and
recruit the next generation of managers.
A partnership for success
Bucks UTC is a true success story. Despite
the initial challenges in raising awareness
of this new concept of education amongst
parents and recruiting enough students
to start the courses, it’s now growing from
strength to strength, with over 170 students
currently studying at the college.
We are very proud of our partnership with
Bucks UTC as it has given us, as a company,
a fantastic opportunity to help shape the
future of the industry, making sure that we
have the right skills, expertise and drive
to meet the ever growing demand for new
homes in the future.

12
Project based learning is an essential
part of any student’s education and
particularly the UTC student.
With excellent business partnerships,
students are able to gain first-hand real
world experience that will give them access
to industry resources, knowledge and
skillsets. These real-world experiences
prepare students for the workforce
by meeting industry standards and
expectations. And UTC Reading is leading
the way with their innovative approach to
project based learning.
UTC Reading’s first year has been a journey
of discovery. Principal Joanne Harper said:
“This first year has been about figuring
out what project based learning means
to us. And we feel we have finally cracked
it.” Joanne goes on to explain that UTC
Reading is taking a three strand approach.
“The first is pairing our partners up with
UTC Reading leading the
way in employer engagement
BTEC modules to bring the industry right
into lessons with partners supporting
delivery and assessment, the second is to
provide students with short-burst projects,
sponsored by our partners, to give our
students quick and meaningful access to
industry resources and the third are big
school-wide projects with briefs provided
by industry partners.”
It is this third strand that has been the most
ambitious undertaking in UTC Reading’s first
year. The school dedicated themselves to
making a success of long term, school-wide
projects that are partner-driven, real life,
and aligned with the curriculum. Joanne
explains: “It was important for us to just
jump right in and start doing these huge
projects otherwise we might have never
have started. And after seeing the positive
impact it’s had on the students and their
learning – I’m so glad we did!”
Member of winning team ‘Brunel 4’
with their 3D model and CGI fly through
Jennifer King, Educational Consultant

13

14
At UTC Reading, project based learning
is a school-wide experience with full
participation from partners, students,
teachers, support staff and senior
leadership. This complete ownership is
essential for a project to succeed as
each person has their own role to play.
The projects are also not limited to a
few hours a week. Rather they are fully
integrated into the student’s day-to-day
educational experience. Teachers align
what they are teaching in the classroom
with the project objectives and tasks.
Partners offer students off-site experiences
and senior leadership allows for full project
days so students experience an effective
professional work day.
All students are expected to meet the
high professional expectations laid down
by the client during the brief. However,
there are opportunities for students to
really excel as team leaders, show-off their
technical expertise and impress the client
with their charisma. Each student has a
specific role to play in their team and while
each student’s assigned outcome may
be different, each experience should be
enriching and positive.
After trialling their first two projects, one
setting up a Business Plan supported
by CGI, the second with Microsoft and
developing apps, UTC Reading embarked on
an even larger collaboration with Peter Brett
Associates (PBA), a leading infrastructure
consultancy to bring students a real-world
civil engineering project and a taste of
the tendering process. The brief was to
re-design the space between the new
Reading station and the new interchange
with consideration of the community,
surrounding buildings, sustainability,
and economic viability.
The project began in February with
an afternoon dedicated to student’s
understanding the brief and making
contact with the client. Students were
given a presentation outlining the brief,
the deliverables and relevant background
information to be used to inform their
solutions. PBA provided each team with a
packet of technical drawings, a Gantt chart
for time scales and the letter of tender.
Students and tutors were also provided
with a scheme of work and project guide
to help reduce this challenging task into
manageable chunks.
Tutors played a key role in the PBA project
right from the beginning to ensure the
curriculum was aligned with the project
tasks and deliverables. Almost every
subject, even foreign languages, were able
to make connections between what they
were teaching in their classrooms and the
deliverables of the brief. Within lessons
and during enrichment time, subject
teachers were responsible for providing
subject specific knowledge and resources
to support students in their achievement
of the project’s objectives. For example
engineering teacher Guy Pickett-Jones,
facilitated students’ use of Prodigy’s online
programme to become Autodesk Certified
Users in AutoCAD. This gave students
the skills needed to create the technical
drawings and fly-through required to
communicate their designs and meet
the project deliverables.
“The project has fed into the entire
curriculum; Geography, English, IT,
Engineering. It has allowed students
to gain perspective. They can see how
modules like report writing in English or
population demographics in Geography
can be applied outside of lessons.
Especially at the end of the project when
everything comes together.” Nicola Gibson,
teacher of English and Humanities.
In addition to curriculum alignment,
tutors are responsible for guiding each team
through the project, its tasks and providing
formative assessment at each stage based
on the T-shaped learning. This learning
model, developed by the NEF: the Innovation
Institute, endeavours to ensure students
are prepared appropriately to become new
technologists through technical knowledge
and experience, transferable professional
skills and transferable personal qualities.
Each strand is assessed throughout
the project in relation to their technical
role within their team, the deliverables
presented to the client and the overall
performance and contribution to their team.
Full participation from Peter Brett
Associates also contributed greatly to
the project’s success. PBA generously
dedicated their time and resources to
the project, resulting in an experience
for the students that was grounded in
professional expectations and industry
knowledge. Martin Dix, Partner at Peter
Brett Associates, identifies the motivation
behind their generous involvement, “Our
engagement with the UTC allows us to spot
talent and be involved in the nurturing
of aspiring engineers at a key stage of
their development. It provides industry
exposure to students and opens their eyes
to future career options.” PBA also provided
a mentor for each team. These mentors
met four times with their team, providing
the students with expert guidance during
the project, giving support and formative
feedback, ensuring students were aware
Judges from Peter Brett Associates and
students discussing design proposals

15
of industry practices, standards and
expectations. The mentors provided ongoing
assessment that was used as part of the
weighting during the judging process. This
helped identify teams that maintained
their motivation throughout the project,
worked well as a team and practised good
project management. One mentor, Jenny
Hughes, found the experience mutually
beneficial. “I’ve been really impressed with
the originality of some of the student’s ideas
and how they’ve used technical skills to
illustrate how their ideas have developed.
It’s been rewarding for the mentors too,
reinforcing the importance of being able to
explain and summarise complex engineering
and project concepts. A really enjoyable
experience overall.”
In July, the project culminated in an
exhibition-style presentation of each
team’s work. Judges were invited to visit
each team’s project space to identify
the five teams to be shortlisted for the
formal presentations a week later at the
PBA offices. It was an exciting day for the
students to see the hard work of their teams
come together. Sophie, the Project Manager
of shortlisted team Code 1, explains: “We’ve
got the sense of a real project and how what
we learn relates to real life. I’ve learned
so much about working as a team, too.”
Her team-mate, Danielle, agrees: “This
project has really put our subjects into
perspective. I can now see how my lessons
come into play in the professional world.”
The judges were equally impressed with
the solutions students were presenting.
“Their confidence and professionalism was
outstanding. All the teams really put their
best work forward and should be proud of
all they have achieved.” Jennifer King, judge
and project guide author. Elizabeth Orchard,
an engineer at PBA and a key visionary of
the project felt the project had achieved its
goal of introducing students to engineering
and its eclectic range of skills. “When
we began planning this project with UTC
Reading, most students found it difficult
to explain what engineering entailed. But
the students’ fantastic work clearly shows
they have embraced the necessary skills.
A few students have even decided to
pursue engineering as a career.”
On the 9th of July, the five shortlisted teams,
Brunel 4, Chips 4, Code 1, Faraday 3 and
Brunel 1, presented their final work to a
panel of judges at the PBA offices. Anwar,
the project manager from Brunel 1, reflects
on the experience, “I found the experience
challenging but also motivational as it
gave us experience with possible business
associates. I enjoyed the atmosphere of
the workplace and it will help me feel more
relaxed in future business interviews.” When
asked if this experience will influence his
future, Anwar said, “I’d like to go into finance
and IT and the skills I’ve learned from PBA
will certainly help me progress in my field.”
The PBA team announced the winners at
the Celebration Event on the 11th of July.
The judges found their decision difficult
since all the teams were professional and
confident in their final presentations to the
judging panel. But ultimately it was Brunel
4 who impressed the judges most with
their creative fly-through built in Minecraft,
Heathrow check in points and sleeping
pods. Each member of the first place team
was awarded a year-long membership to
the Faraday Institute at Cambridge, a tour
of the Cow Lane Viaduct by Network Rail,
PBA goodie bag, a hardback copy of Adam
Hart’s ‘Engineers’ and a certificate. Thomas
Stanley, the project manager of Brunel 4,
also won the individual award for outstanding
contribution to his team. He was awarded
mentoring for a year by a professional in
the industry of his choice. Faraday 3 was
awarded first runners up with an excellent
solution including a rooftop garden, covered
market and provided in-depth geology and
hydrology research within their report.
Brunel 1 was awarded second runners up.

16
A common barrier to learning and
progression in mathematics can often
be providing a successful answer to a
“W” question posed by a student; such
as “When will I ever use this?” and
“Why are we learning about this?”
There are numerous such examples
and I am sure that many teachers have
experienced the challenge of being put on
the spot by an inquisitive student. Usually,
when such a question has been asked, an
unnerving silence fills the room as your
audience awaits the response that may
provide the inspiration for them to engage
and explore a topic or the confirmation that
this abstract world of mathematics has
no relevance to their fast moving and
ever-changing world.
Contextualised learning is of great
importance in modern education as techno
savvy teenagers can now amass great
levels of information and knowledge from
many sources whilst becoming experts in
discarding anything which is not relevant
to them. The challenge for us in education
is to ensure that we can meet their
needs whilst still providing them with a
formal education that leads to successful
outcomes at the end of a course of study.
At The JCB Academy, we have designed
a number of different ways to engage
learners in mathematics and to provide
answers to the “W” questions. The vision
and ethos of the academy gives us a unique
setting where the practical application of
mathematics can be explored in detail due
to the engineering context that learning
is undertaken in. The diploma courses at
KS4 and KS5, that are at the core of the
programme of study for all students at The
JCB Academy, are based around engineering
challenges which are designed and
delivered in consultation with our challenge
partners. As such, there is a wealth of
practical examples at our disposal that we
can bolt on to our lessons or embellish for
the purposes of learning mathematics.
After a number of different trials and many
hours of planning, we have settled on a
model of delivery that contextualises the
learning using three methods: general
links to engineering; direct links to the
engineering challenges and extended
tasks linked to engineering challenges.
We explored a number of different delivery
models, weighing up the pros and cons of
each before settling on the methods listed
above. The options that we considered
were as follows:
Option 1: Follow a traditional scheme
of work with engineering/science based
lessons. Some links to engineering
challenges where appropriate.
Option 2: Follow a traditional scheme of
work with projects/challenges per half
term that are linked to the engineering
challenges.
Option 3: Project/thematic based delivery
model linked to engineering challenges.
The three methods that we have settled on
using are a combination of options 1 and
2, providing us with a balanced approach to
placing maths in context without having to
completely rewrite our scheme of work and
associated resources.
General links to engineering are provided
on a regular basis as either a starter to a
lesson, or as an extension activity in the
main part of a lesson. They usually consist
of simple short examples of how a single
topic is linked to a practical scenario and
they do not have to be related directly
to our engineering challenges. Some
successful examples that we have used are
short research tasks such as investigating
scientific and engineering formulae,
identifying what the letters or symbols
stand for in a formula and then substituting
in values for each unknown. This short task
has been used as a starter to a series of
lessons on substituting and re-arranging
formulae with the practical context provided
from the outset.
Direct links to the engineering challenges
are also provided in lessons in the form
of a 15 or 20 minute task used to enrich
the learning. They usually involve taking
Mathematics
in the real world
Tom Greene, Team Leader Mathematics, The JCB Academy

17
a solution to a complex problem and that
the answers presented, particularly in an
engineering context, are not always simple
whole numbers. Whilst their exam papers
might use neat and tidy dimensions or units,
this is rarely the case in the real world,
leading to some interesting discussions
about unit conversions and why there are
1,000,000,000 mm3 in 1 m3. As a teacher,
there is nothing more satisfying than having
an extended conversation about the intricate
nature of mathematics and its application
to real world contexts with a group of young
people who are suddenly opening the door
to a whole new world of numbers. As we
move towards the new curriculum in 2015,
problem solving skills and multi-step solutions
will start to take on a much greater
relevance. Although the quality of written
communication (QWC) has been assessed
for some time in mathematics, with a
move towards more functional skills style
questions, it has been suggested that the
new curriculum will be more challenging
and will require students to be able to
clearly plan out a solution to a complex
problem. Having already been exposed to
this type of problem solving by undertaking
practical tasks linked to real world problems
will be of great benefit to all.
with these project-based tasks and enjoy
the opportunity to explore mathematics
in context.
Although it may seem that a lot of the
examples described previously are JCB
or engineering related and the methods
suggested are specific to the context of our
academy, there isn’t any reason why they
could not be applied in a different setting.
We have also used many examples from
the world of business and finance that
the students enjoy. We have developed
tasks that, for example, involve calculating
the moving average for the price of gold
or crude oil. Another engaging activity
involved the students doing some fictitious
investment on the stock exchange and
tracking the percentage profit/loss made.
Our PE department have also provided us
with a large amount of data on the athletics
carried out by our Year 10 students in the
summer term. We can use this data to
carry out a number of interesting statistical
analyses by, for example, comparing each
house and finding out which has the
highest average long jump or the lowest
range of times for the 100m sprint. These
are all simple examples which could be
applied in any context and have worked
well to engage the students.
The outcomes from placing the learning
in context for mathematics are clearly
seen when we track the development
of our Year 10s over an academic year.
By dealing with non-standard numbers
in unfamiliar contexts we have noticed
an improvement in their confidence and
resilience. These are often two of the most
difficult characteristics for young people to
develop in mathematics and it can be very
challenging for teachers to find ways to
promote these traits in a curriculum which
is designed around assessment. By seeing
numbers in the real world, students are
provided with a hook for future learning
and gain an insight into the world of
numbers beyond the classroom. They also
realise very quickly that many branches
of mathematics combine when forming
raw data or drawings from an engineering
challenge and using them in a specific
lesson, for example, we use data on the
failure rates of genuine and non-genuine oil
filters from the JCB challenge to calculate
averages from a grouped frequency
table. Since the students have already
been involved in changing oil filters and
calculating mean time to failure in their
engineering lessons it is easy for them to
see the relevance of the task.
The final method of placing maths in
context involves developing extended tasks
which explore the practical application of
mathematics to a greater detail. They are
delivered at the end of a block of teaching
on a particular set of topics following a
normal scheme of work and are usually run
over 2 or 3 lessons at the end of each half
term. The recent changes to assessment
at GCSE level has allowed us to have more
freedom to plan for project-based tasks
within our normal scheme of work given
that all assessments are now linear and
are undertaken at the end of Year 11.
This has given us the opportunity to
take the time to explore mathematics in
practical contexts. An example of such a
task is a project which our Year 10 students
recently undertook based around their
Rolls Royce challenge. This task combined
their knowledge of volume and surface
area from the mathematics lessons with
the design of a piston pump that they
were familiar with from their engineering
lessons. They calculated swept volume for
a particular pump design, converted this
to cubic metres and litres and eventually
presented their results in the form of a
poster. For our most able students the task
was extended to investigating the stroke
of a piston using trigonometry and lower
ability students were able to consolidate
their knowledge of how to calculate the
volume of a cylinder and convert between
metric units. An element of competition was
also built into the task by awarding house
points for the best posters and using them
to update the displays in our classrooms.
The students have engaged thoroughly

Last September, before our doors
opened at Silverstone UTC, our new and
enthusiastic team piled into a coach and
began a long journey down to London for
a day that few of us will ever forget. We
arrived at Pineapple Studios with a touch of
fear and trepidation. We had come for our
‘company spirit’ day: a chance for us, as a
team, to discuss and formulate the mission
for our school, and lay the foundations of
our team. The mirrored walls and crowded
stairways appeared, at first, an odd setting
for this task, but there was something
about the hope and enthusiasm of those
surroundings that helped us to focus. Hours
later, amongst the faint smell of sweaty
dancing shoes and the distant echoes of
music in the hallways, we had formulated
our plan. Our mission was finalised and
our challenge was set:
“To produce high-performing, work-ready,
young people in a college without walls.”
Firstly, we knew that careers stemming
from our subject specialisms in High-
Performance Engineering and Business
and Events Management are competitive
and challenging, and to be the best,
to stand out in the work-place, it was
essential for our students to be able to
communicate effectively. We have some
wonderful, industry-leading partners
at Silverstone UTC, and we want our
students to impress.
Secondly, we were well aware that our
cohort was mainly boys, and that the
statistics were stacked against them.
According to the National Literacy Trust,
‘Girls outperform boys on all National
Curriculum reading tests…At GCSE level,
the gap between boys and girls achieving
A* to C in English GCSE is 14 percentage
points’ (2012:4). Clearly, to fulfil our
mission, this was one challenge we had
to tackle head-on.
We began by developing a vision for literacy,
and articulating the rationale behind what
we wanted to do in order to redress this
balance, and to ensure that our students
were ‘high-performing’, regardless of what
the statistics told us. For our students to
truly excel in the workplace later on in life,
it was essential to us that they were enabled
to excel. All staff agreed on one thing: we did
not want any ‘quick fixes’ that would soon
fade and die. To make any real difference
to the literacy levels of our students, we
needed to plan for the long term.
We took time to develop a rationale and
vision that we felt reflected the UTC and
its values. Below is what we agreed on:
18
Driving home the need to read:
literacy across the curriculum
at Silverstone UTC
Rationale
Literacy in schools is often perceived
as a ‘tag on’ to lessons, if it is
focused on at all. I could hazard a
guess that many teachers in many
schools would not know what was
going on to help improve literacy
across the curriculum. With such
demanding jobs, it often seems too
much to take on another ‘thing’,
especially if we do not see the
benefit to ‘our subjects’.
Is it ever possible to incorporate
an explicit focus on literacy to the
curriculum without it becoming the
above? Is it possible for a body of
staff to truly work together to raise
the literacy standards for their
students, allowing them to access
the curriculum in all areas, expand
their vocabulary and, ultimately,
impact on the quality of their
teaching and learning experiences
and outcomes? The Silverstone
Literacy Strategy has been borne
out of these questions, and seeks to
encourage the collaboration needed
to explore the answers to them.
Kirsty Berry, Teacher of English and Literacy Coordinator
‘The literacy programme has become a whole-school, whole-staff approach.
In terms of technical subjects, we know that ensuring students excel in
literacy is paramount.’

19
Literacy leaders from left to right are Leigh, Alistair, James and Olly

20
We began with reading. Our initial
discussions focused on the need for
our students to read for pleasure.
The National Literacy Trust found that:
“...reading can have a major impact on
children/young people and adults and
their future… For example, research
with children has shown that reading
for pleasure is positively linked with…
reading attainment and writing ability…text
comprehension and grammar…breadth of
vocabulary…[and] greater self-confidence
as a reader…an increase in general
knowledge…a better understanding of other
cultures…community participation…[and]
a greater insight into human nature and
decision-making’ (2006:8).”
We wanted this for our students, and over
the year, I believe they have started to
want it for themselves. The initial concept
was simple: ten minutes reading time at
the beginning of every lesson in school.
We loaned books out from the library,
encouraged students to bring them from
home, gave recommendations, and, I
believe essentially for some students,
many of the staff incorporated the use
of technology into this reading time.
In my classroom, students have the choice
of what medium to use to facilitate their
reading: some religiously bring in their
books – a few are making their way through
a newly obtained series that they requested
from parents; some bring in magazines that
are to do with their hobbies or interests;
some read the newspaper and some use
phones, tablets and laptops to access
news, articles or books online. The UTC
was also the first in the local area to offer
its students an online library platform which
allows them to loan books onto their devices.
The students themselves have noted the
difference this focus has made to their
interest and enjoyment of reading:
“I never read before, but being able to read
on my phone helps. I can read the news or
other things I’m interested in.”
Nathan, Y10 Engineering student
“I didn’t read at all before and I hadn’t read
a book for two years. I now read in PP time
and before bed. I’ve read eight books since
the reading in class started.”
Noah, Y10 Engineering student
“I read books that I’m interested in. I’ve just
started a series of books, and I’m about to
finish the second one. I didn’t read much
before, but I’m about to finish my third book
of the year.”
Rayner, Y10 Business and Events
Management student
The next stage of the plan, having
established the routine of reading, was to
appoint ‘Literacy Leaders’ from the student
body. We wanted to place ownership of this
programme onto the students themselves,
and to hear, from a student perspective,
what impact the programme was having.
We appointed four keen students into these
roles, and throughout the year they have
been involved in meetings, visiting lessons,
reporting back from a student perspective,
and contributing ideas to help improve what
we are doing. Here is what two of them
have had to say about their roles and the
literacy focus itself:
“The ten minutes reading at the start
of lesson has helped me tremendously.
Originally, I hated reading a book and
now I am getting into books and I actually
enjoy reading. The literacy leaders has
encouraged me more in English and has
helped me become more confident as
a person and, because of this, I enjoy
English more.”
Olly, Y10 Engineering student and
literacy leader
“I enjoy the ten minute reading session in
each lesson because it helps my literacy
skills, both verbal and written. We get to
talk to others and get books recommended
to us by the other students and even
teachers! I think that it helps everyone to
improve their grammar, punctuation and
paragraphing skills. It has made me see
how important literacy is in every lesson
and has improved my skills greatly. My
role as a literacy leader is to ‘lesson dip’
which is where we – in pairs – go into other
classes and ask the students questions
about their books or how literacy is helping
Vision
To collaboratively develop a cross-
curricular literacy programme that:
• Has a measurable impact on the
ability and outcomes of students
to access the curriculum
• Raises the self-esteem and
self-belief of students in the UTC
• Helps to equip students with some of
the basic skills they will need in life

21
them in their lessons. We also discuss what
to do – involving literacy – which we could
use in lessons. Starting in June, we are
having literacy objectives which will be on
the board for one week and the objective
will be assessed by the teacher at the end
of each lesson either verbally or written.”
Leigh, Y10 Business and Events
Management student and literacy leader
The literacy programme has become a
whole-school, whole-staff approach. In
terms of technical subjects, we know
that ensuring students excel in literacy is
paramount. In Events Management, for
example, we have worked closely with the
teaching team and students to give Year 10
specific support in Speaking and Listening.
Students have demanding texts to read
for their course, and regularly have to
make presentations to partner companies.
Project based learning (PBL) will offer us
the chance to develop a unique programme
of literacy support into our second year. We
will work closely with the team of specialist
teachers, developing the skills that are
needed in each of the project blocks to
ensure our students excel and succeed.
Our mission to become a ‘college without
walls’ has meant that we have worked
to break down barriers that may have
previously existed: staff read alongside
their students, we recommend books to
students and they do the same for us.
Reading is no longer an embarrassing
thing for many of our students. Because
we all do it together, there is no chance
to be singled out for being keen.
However, please do not get me wrong – this
has not all been plain sailing. A lot of hard
work has gone into reaching this point in
the year. Some students still have trouble
staying focused to read. There have been
times this year when I have glanced around
the classroom and sighed heavily at the
clear struggle between boy and book that
goes on in areas of the classroom. We
have had to find ways to break down those
walls, and the incorporation of hand-held
technology is, I believe, crucially important
in doing this. I have learned a great deal
about the importance of listening to our
students. They have offered insights that
have allowed this programme to grow.
We wanted to develop a programme that
was conducted alongside students, rather
than one that was ‘done to them’. It was
important to listen to their preferences to use
hand held technology, and to understand
what engages each of the individuals that
we work with. A big lesson to learn is that,
sometimes, as staff, we don’t know best.
Given the chance, and a voice, students
will lead you to help lead them.
There have been successes and there are
clear areas to improve on, but overall, when
I look around the building in those ten
minutes at the beginning of lessons, when
I have a conversation with a student who
has, for the first time in their life, completed
an entire book, or when I get given a book
recommendation by a young person, who
then brings in that book for me to borrow, I
know at that point that what we are doing
at the UTC is making a difference, and I
know that we are helping to mould the
future of those young people to believe in
themselves and stand out from the crowd.
Bibliography
National Literacy Trust (2006) Reading for
Pleasure London: National Literacy Trust
National Literacy Trust (2012) Boys’
Reading Commission 2012 London:
National Literacy Trust

22
TECHNICAL MATTERS ISSUE 1 SUMMER 2014
Elstree UTC is the first specialising in the
creative media, arts, and performance
industries. Set alongside Elstree studios,
home of many popular TV shows
and major movies, Year 12 students
from the UTC have already made a
difference through the production of
a promotional video for a national
charity. In a series of interviews, staff
and students explained the new and
unexpected skills they gained.
“I really do look on life so much differently
now. I don’t take anything for granted like
I did before.”
Megan, one of the Year 12 students
was describing how she felt after being
part of the Production Team behind
the moving video for the Brain Injury is
B.I.G. national charity. The promotional
video was launched at the charity’s fund
raising ball at which two students from
Elstree UTC also presented a cheque
for £500. Megan and four other Year
12 students have won high praise from
the charity for their professionalism and
sensitivity in dealing with a difficult
subject. Clare Deacon, Community Art
Coordinator at Elstree UTC explained
how they came to be involved:
“We were approached by the charity and
asked if this would be a project we would
be interested in. We thought it would be a
very valuable learning experience for our
students as it would involve training on
camera and in the whole video production.
Due to the nature of the subject, we
thought it was a very important thing to
do, to be able to put something back into
the community.”
Anna Ramm, Film Projects Coordinator at
Elstree UTC explained how they thought
carefully about the students who would
be right for this project:
“Clare and I had been working with the
students all year and we knew those who
would benefit due to their studies and
would also have the maturity to handle
the subject matter. We also spoke to the
parents of the students so they were
aware of what would be involved.”
Before any filming began, Clare and Anna
placed great importance on building trust
between the families who would feature in
the video and the student production team:
Gaining new skills by
helping others
Elstree University Technical College
“We were really aware about how they felt
as we were dealing with their close family
members who had suffered traumatic brain
injuries and there may be questions they
didn’t want to answer but their response
was – you can ask us anything. They were
incredibly strong people.”
As the Director and interviewer, Megan was
involved in many of these early meetings:
“I researched the charity and read the
different personal stories on their website.
The families wanted the interviews to show
how the charity had helped them and what
it could do for others – how the charity
had changed their lives and helped them
to develop really close friendships.”
Myles, also a Year 12 A level student
was one of the production team with
responsibility for operating the camera.
He spoke of the benefits of being on a
live set and how quickly he had to learn
the skills of a camera operator:
“I don’t think I would have learned as
quickly if I had been in an ordinary lesson.
When out there on a live set you have to
perfect your craft very quickly. It also gave
me a real insight into the other roles on
a set such as sound and direction.”

B I G
23
Myles went on to describe the confidence
the project had given him to consider a
career as a film maker:
“It has made me realise that with
dedication it is not out of my reach.”
Georgia, again a Year 12 A level student
was another of the camera operators.
Although she had previous experience
of photography she hadn’t used a film
camera before:
“Anna, the film teacher was there to guide
us, but it was largely up to Myles and me
to decide where we placed the cameras,
where we placed the lights, what aperture
was needed, what film speed to use –
everything, and as someone who hadn’t
had this technical background it was a
real challenge.”
Georgia was undaunted by these
challenges:
“After three days of training I was eventually
able to say right, that needs to go there and
this needs to go here, and now it’s
really funny whenever I watch a TV
programme I hear myself saying, no that’s
over exposed, that’s out of shot, that’s out
of focus. It has really made me appreciate
the new skills I’ve gained.”
James a Year 12 student was the sound
man on the production team:
“I really enjoyed the time I spent with the
crew, with interviewees and learning a new
side of sound. I do a lot of live sound and
recording sound but have never recorded
sound on a film shoot. It’s completely
different and requires different skills from
the others I’m used to. This made the
shoot both challenging and fun due to
learning new skills at the same time.”
A theme the students repeatedly return
to is their commitment to doing the best
for the families involved in the film whose
lives had been so dramatically changed
by a brain injury to a loved one.
Georgia explained:
“When you watch Comic Relief or Sports
Relief they always seem the same. We
didn’t want to have a video which was just
emotional. We wanted to show the families
in the charity as they are, always trying to
bring out the positives in their lives.”
James brought this commitment closer
to home:
“One of the stories in the video concerns
an 18 year old who had been involved in
a car accident. This hit me and I feel the
rest of the group the most. We could relate
to this situation the most and as we were
sharing the room with her and her family I
was looking at the pictures of her and her
friends on the wall, and then looked across
to her now. We had to remember that
we had to produce this video to the best
standard possible, to display this brilliant
charity in the best way possible because
we want this video to create an impact,
to interest people into donating time and
money to the charity.”
Such has been the success of the video
that Elstree UTC has been approached by
other charities. Clare Deacon explained:
“This is something we are really passionate
about and we want to offer this service to
other charities. One of our next projects is
for the Night Rider Charity. They have asked
us to do a promotional film for their website
to encourage more people to sign up and
raise more money for the many charities
the ride supports.”
The final word should go to Judy Taylor,
one of the founders of The Brain Injury
Is B.I.G. charity:
“The students dealt with a very difficult
subject with sensitivity and kindness and
their professionalism and attention to
detail throughout the day was impressive.
Nothing could have prepared us for actually
watching the film though, it was truly
inspirational and moving, a work which
showed off their individual talents and left
us in no doubt that these students are a
real credit to the Elstree UTC.”
Further information on the work of the
two charities can be found at:
www.braininjuryisbig.org.uk
www.nightrider.org.uk
The Elstree UTC film crew. Megan, Myles, Clare Deacon, James and Georgia

24
‘Bodies of Knowledge’, is a report
commissioned by the Edge Foundation
in 2010. Authored by Guy Claxton,
Bill Lucas and Rob Webster of the
Centre for Real World Learning,
University of Winchester, the report
has significant implications for
the development of practical and
vocational educational curricula.
Drawing upon a wealth of educational
and learning research they propose a
new model of learning that offers an
approach to developing intelligence
that has significant implications for
UTC programmes.
All of us working in education have long
been aware that practical learning (and
in particular vocational qualifications)
is undervalued in comparison to more
scholastic studies. ‘Bodies of Knowledge’
argues this is because of a fundamental
lack of understanding about how intricate
and intelligent Practical, Vocational
Learning (PVL) is. They posit a new model
of learning that considers intelligence
from the point of view of real world
learning and value that applies equally
to both traditionally academic learning
and PVL. They explore the implications of
this new model of learning for Practical
Vocational Education (PVE) and make some
suggestions for consideration by educators
in response to this new standpoint.
Education curiously undervalues practical
education and society makes strange
judgements regarding the value of practical
accomplishments. Compare the social
value described to lawyers, stockbrokers
or accountants to that of engineers,
occupational therapists or designers. Why,
when people gain so much satisfaction
and make good livings from learning to
do intricate things with hands, feet, and
mouths do schools and colleges persist
in treating practical learning as ‘second
rate’? To do so assumes that the Mind
and Body are not equal partners but are
themselves hierarchically ordered. The
advent of modern neuroscience suggests
that this model is both inaccurate and
‘socially pernicious’. New research suggests
that thinking is a combined effort of both
mind and body. The science of ‘embodied
cognition’ is an emerging area of research
but builds on old ideas: Maria Montessori
realised in 1907 that students learn not
only through reading and listening but also
through experimenting and playing.
The authors challenge this assumption
that mind is more important than body
and draw upon a range of research that
demonstrates that mind and body are
intrinsically linked in the generation of
knowledge, understanding and skill. They
consider the evolutionary importance
of ‘doing’ over ‘seeing and thinking’;
demonstrate that intelligence can be
physically built into our bodies rather
than being housed solely within the brain;
suggest that physical movement aids
thinking; and remind us that much thinking
is not conscious and that the conscious
mind only offers a glimpse into our intellect.
They go on to challenge a variety of myths
associated with PVL: for example that
practical learning is cognitively simple
or that you must understand something
before you can do it (in fact they suggest
that many experts, even within ‘academic’
fields, are unable to explain how they do
certain tasks).
A working model of real-world learning
The authors set out to describe a practical
model of learning that can support
educators in ensuring their students can
make the most of their experiences. They
recognise that learning is influenced, but
not controlled, by what teachers do –
teaching does not make learning happen,
but facilitates good learning. Good teaching
strengthens and broadens a capability
to pursue passions and meet challenges
throughout life. They further consider that
real world learning involves getting better at
doing things, not writing about doing things.
The model they present tries to incorporate
these understandings.
Drawing on a body of research the authors
describe the habits and frames of mind
used by successful learners in all fields and
propose that we draw on these habits and
frames of mind whenever we learn about
things or how to do things. Our presence
of mind is the formation of new learning:
where the learning person (created by the
habits of mind) and the learning situation
(leading to the frames of mind) meet.
They consider that there is no difference in
these habits and frames of minds between
someone who excels in academia or
someone who excels in practical field. Both
apply all of the different habits of mind and
take on the various frames of minds, albeit
altering these habits and frames to suit the
circumstances. From this they present the
‘4-6-1’ working model of practical learning:
4 Habits of Mind; 6 Frames of Mind;
processed in 1 Presence of Mind.
(See Figure 1)
Research informed teaching
Tom Macdonald, Principal, West Midlands Construction UTC
Figure 1: The 4-6-1 model
(Reprinted by kind permission of the Edge Foundation)
Presence
of mind
Habits
Frames
Determination
Resource-
fulness
Wisdom
Reflection
Curiosity
Resilience
Risk
Patience
(Trying out)
Experimenting
Practising
Drafting
(Thinking
through)
Reasoning
Analysing
Explaining
(Finding out)
Investigating
Attending
Copying
(Dreaming
up)
Imagining
Visualising
Dreaming
Tools
Resources
ICT
Motivational
Clarity
Values
Possibility
Self-coaching
Sociability
Optimism
Communities
of practice
Questioning
Communication

25
4 Habits of Mind
Habits of mind equate to what were once
thought of as soft skills, Personal Learning
and Thinking Skills (PLTS), competencies or
similar. The authors suggest that the name
does matter and that consideration of skills
and competencies creates a requirement
for teachers to present these as tools for
students to remove from the box: without
specific prompting they are easily forgotten.
Habits, by contrast, suggest a consistent
application and repeated use and, they
consider, this is reflected in a students’
application of them.
Investigation (or finding out): real world
learners must be good at finding out,
gathering information, determining its
value and concentrating on information.
The key platform for investigation is
attention (both what we pay attention
to and how much attention we pay)
Experimentation (or trying out): real world
learners should be capable of having a
go. By experimenting they make small
adjustments to improve performance –
tuning the outcome. Sketching is a key
concept within this (and not purely in
an artistic sketch but in the concept of
drafting). They consider that learning in
this way requires practice and describe
the way in which practice improves
performance when applied correctly.
Imagination (or dreaming up) is the centre
of creativity. The ‘mind’s eye’ is a powerful
creative instrument and provides a variety
of learning tools including mental rehearsal
(or visualisation – practicing scenarios
consciously in the mind), reverie (or day
dreaming – following solid preparation this
less conscious approach allows solutions
to pop up) and Insight or Intuition – an
unconscious creativity that sends the
conscious mind seeking solutions down
a new path for unfathomable reasons.
Reasoning (or thinking through) – this
is the traditional academic approach.
Whilst comprehension and competence
don’t always go hand in hand, it is
valuable for a competent learner to be
able to discuss their learning and make
themselves understood. Thus, for even
the most practical focused experiences,
reasoning is an important habit of mind.
6 Frames of Mind
If Habits are a description of learning
tools, frames of mind are the motivations
for learning. Many of these are learnable
motivations and the PVE practitioner must
equip their students with these ‘frames
of mind’ to enable powerful learning.
Curiosity – A drive to wonder and question.
A learner must retain an open mind and
consider that their questions are worthy of
answers. Further they must be optimistic
that their efforts will be worthwhile.
Determination – A willingness to take
risks, try new experiences and recover from
failure to try again. The authors pay special
attention to the counterproductive need
to gain fast affirmation of one’s worth and
ability: students who might focus on looking
good and receiving praise can avoid the risk
of failure, and when they do fail they often
fail to learn from feedback.
Resourcefulness – A disposition to make
good use of material resources to support
performance. Recent research demonstrates
that Human Intelligence has become ‘person
plus’ – that is to say that tools and resources
have become an extension of our intellect
(to the point where we think differently
with tools in our hands). This applies as
much to a blind person’s white cane as
to a teenager’s smart phone: neither can
‘think’ properly without their resource.
Sociability – Learning and achievement
rarely take place in isolation: personal
achievement is usually the result of much
collaboration, coaching, discussing and
brainstorming. Well designed group learning
experiences develop a learner’s ability to
make the most of this frame of mind.
Reflection – The reflective system is an
intelligence acts as a brake or checkpoint
on our actions or a guide to what is about
to happen. This frame of mind provides
second thoughts and an inner coach that
can support and extend our learning.
Wisdom – To be an effective learner, the
authors suggest that it is not enough to
just meet challenges and pursue your
interests as skilfully as you can: you must
be clear what your deepest interests really
are. Young people need some steer in this
respect and need to understand that some
‘happiness’ options can have a dangerous
effect on their long term well being.
Learning Contexts
How can we construct PVE experiences that
capitalise on this 4-6-1 model of PVL? We
should stretch and develop these habits
and frames of mind when creating learning
experiences or contexts for the learner.
Within this we must consider that learning
is typically social (and young learners are
so enmeshed in social media that their
minds are as much social as individual).
As teachers (who are typically less social
than their learners) we must understand
both what a learner can do on their own
and what they are capable of with social
support. Often teachers are unable to
reduce their level of expertise to a point
within this ‘zone’ and a more proficient
learner may be better placed to support
learning. It is for this reason that the value
of peer learning and mentoring should not
be underestimated.
Consideration of the requirements of the
4-6-1 model allows us to think about how
we might encourage the habits and frames
of mind through resource, activity and
environment. Further exploration of the
model and a deeper understanding of
PVL indicates the importance of informal
learning (which is typically undervalued).
We need to, then, support learners in
extracting learning from informal experiences.
In considering these contexts for learning,
the authors encourage readers to
understand the methodology behind
learning transfer: how learning from one
context can influence performance or
experience in another. Two routes to such
transfer are suggested: a Low Road along
which a new context spontaneously reminds
us of a previous, similar experience; and a
High Road along which we dredge up and
apply learning from different contexts and
apply them to new ones. We can encourage
both forms of transfer by providing a wide
variety of contexts, identifying where
transfers can be made from the first point
of learning and cultivating a pattern making
disposition amongst students.
Conclusions
The 4-6-1 model provides us with a
language of learning that gives voice
and does justice to the kinds of learning
displayed by both the academic learner
and the practical technical learner alike.
Further, it identifies and highlights the
intrinsic equality between different forms
of learning and helps to dismiss the social
prejudice towards more academic studies.
More than this an understanding of the
different habits and frames of learning
provides us with a way of considering
how to effect change in our pedagogy,
particularly within UTCs, that will impact
both practical learning as well as academic
learning. It helps us to understand how
the climate that is constructed by tutors
and mentors will either facilitate or
inhibit the value of frames of mind and
the connections formed through them:
either encouraging frames to strengthen
and deepen or weaken and become
stunted. The model spells out an ancillary
curriculum that shadows our more obvious
principal curriculum in UTCs and schools,
that develops the habits, frames and
presence of mind in our students to ensure
that they truly become real world learners.
Claxton, G., Lucas, B. & Webster, R. 2010.
Bodies of Knowledge: How the Learning
Sciences Can Transform Practical and
Vocational Education. London: University
of Winchester and Edge Foundation.

26
When Michael Gove was dismissed
as Secretary of State for Education,
his successor was greeted with one
overriding message from educational
professionals – no more initiatives!
Like him or loathe him, Michael Gove was
full of bright new, reforming ideas, which he
was determined to push through, whether
or not they were tried and tested.
In having ‘bright ideas’, he was not alone.
Politicians from all sides of the spectrum
have their pet ideas as to the problems
in education, and possible solutions.
And not only politicians – journalists and
presenters, parents and employers, social
commentators and bloggers – just about
everyone has an opinion on how to solve
problems in education. This leaves
us vulnerable, not only to political
ideology but, more importantly, to incessant
change – change for change’s sake.
One reason for this is that our professional
judgment has been systematically devalued
over a long time, so teachers and lecturers
are no longer given automatic respect.
Compare this situation with the medical
profession. Nobody in government tells
doctors how to do their jobs. As Ben
Goldacre (the ‘Bad Science’ author) says:
… governments, ministers and civil
servants … are often overly keen on
sending out edicts, insisting that their
new idea is the best in town. Nobody in
government would tell a doctor what to
prescribe. We all expect doctors to be
able to make informed decisions about
which treatment is best, using the
best currently available evidence. (2013:7)
Supporting research
across the UTC Movement
Goldacre (2013) believes, and I agree
with him, that people accord doctors
more respect because their profession is
more obviously research-based. Surgical
procedures and medical prescriptions are
not so much a matter of following the latest
hunch and hoping that it’s better than the
previous hunch. But revealingly, Goldacre
admits that medicine was not always
‘evidence-based’:
… just a few decades ago, best medical
practice was driven by things like eminence,
charisma, and personal experience.
We needed the help of statisticians,
epidemiologists, information librarians,
and experts in trial design to move
forwards. Many doctors – especially the
most senior ones – fought hard against
this, regarding “evidence based medicine”
as a challenge to their authority. (2013:8)
Professor Tim Cain, Director of Research Centre for Schools, Colleges
and Teacher Education (SCaTE), Edge Hill University

27
Nevertheless, evidence-based practice
caught on in medicine and is now the
norm. If there were more evidence-based
practice in teaching, Goldacre argues,
there would be less change for change’s
sake. Now clearly, the relationship between
research and education is very different
from that between research and medicine.
Nevertheless, research can help us in
at least three ways. First, good research
studies can provide evidence of what
kinds of intervention are more likely to
be successful. For example, John Hattie’s
(2012) meta-analysis of educational
research tells us that interventions to do
with formative feedback, micro-teaching
and acceleration have been consistently
shown to have more positive outcomes
than multi-age classes, student control
over learning or ‘open’ classrooms (pp.
297-300). This does not mean that (for
instance) multi-age classes can never
have a significant positive effect on student
outcomes, but it does mean that the
effects are likely to be a lot less positive
than (for instance) formative feedback.
Second, research helps develop concepts.
For instance, teachers and lecturers
who have engaged with Neil Mercer’s
work on classroom talk are more likely
to understand why class discussion can
lead to learning, what characterises good
classroom discussion, and the ‘ground
rules’ that need to be in place, for this to
occur. Third, engagement with research
can develop criticality and a questioning
attitude, so that teachers and lecturers
are less likely to accept whatever comes
their way and have a stronger basis for
developing their own practice in a research-
informed way.
The present political climate is moving in
favour of evidence-based practice. This is
evident in the Government’s award of £135
million to the Educational Endowment
Foundation, to carry out educational
interventions and test them with
randomised, controlled trials. Similarly, a
teacher-led movement called “ResearchEd”,
coordinated by the teacher and journalist
Tom Bennett, is connecting teachers with
research through conferences and online
conversations. There is probably more
interest in connecting research to practice
in education than ever before.
Universities have responded
enthusiastically to the new interest in
educational research, setting up research
centres such as Cambridge University’s
Schools-University Partnership for
Educational Research, The Institute for
Effective Education at the University of
York and Edge Hill University’s Research
Centre for Schools, Colleges and Teacher
Education (SCaTE). Like similar centres,
SCaTE is coordinated by a Professor
and includes several academics, working
across a range of partnerships. It focuses
on two main activities: bringing research
into schools and colleges, and supporting
schools and colleges in doing their
own research.
This positive climate towards educational
research provides an excellent opportunity
for practitioners in University Technical
Colleges. The research base which
underpins teaching and learning in UTCs,
although growing, remains small. As the
UTC movement expands and matures
it is essential that research-informed
practice develops. This can be achieved
only through the active participation of
teachers, mentors and other stakeholders.
Working with a research centre such as
SCaTE at Edge Hill University, teachers and
mentors can gain a deeper understanding
of research, relating this understanding
to their own work and devising systematic
research projects, investigating how they
incorporate research into their teaching,
and the impact that this has, on their
students and the wider UTC movement.
Ultimately, the hope is to help education
to become more evidence-based and so,
less reliant on political whims.
For more information about SCaTE, visit the
website: http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/scate/
about-scate/ or to discuss a possible area
for research contact Professor Tim Cain:
tim.cain@edgehill.ac.uk.
References
Goldacre, B. (2013) Building Evidence
into Education. (London, Department
for Education). Available online at:
www.gov.uk/government/news/building-
evidence-into-education
Hattie, J. (2009) Visible learning:
A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses
relating to achievement.
(London, Routledge).

28
UTC students typically achieve excellent
grades in their qualifications before
moving on to apprenticeships or places
in further and higher education.
But that tells only half the story. The UTC
curriculum is about more – much more
– than qualifications alone. Students
tackle real-life challenges, solve problems
and work with leading employers. They
develop personal skills and abilities
which set them apart, boosting their
professional prospects from an early age.
This is one of the features that appealed
to The Duke of York. He talks passionately
about his time in the Royal Navy, when he
had to combine technical knowledge with
practical know-how. We were therefore
delighted when he agreed to lend his
name to The Duke of York Award for
Technical Education.
Each level of the Award is based on a
combination of qualifications, experience
and competences. At the end of Key Stage
4, students may qualify for a Bronze
or Silver Award, depending on their
qualifications and an assessment of their
wider competences. The Gold Award is
based on Level 3 technical qualifications
or A levels and, again, an assessment
of their wider competences. Year 13
candidates who fall short of the Gold Award
may qualify for a Silver Award instead.
When we talk about wider competences,
we mean the things employers look for
in new recruits. Things like teamwork,
problem solving and taking personal
responsibility. We also mean the attitudes
and habits of mind which mark people
out as future professionals.
These competences are assessed
using a framework developed by the
Gatsby Charitable Foundation, together
with the Engineering Council and the
Science Council.
David Harbourne, Senior Education Adviser, Baker Dearing Educational Trust
The framework makes use of the
standards which underpin professional
registration in science and engineering.
For example, science technicians who
can demonstrate that they have achieved
competence in the required areas are
then allowed to use the post nominal
RSci Tech. The engineering equivalent
is EngTech.
UTC students can’t qualify as Registered
Technicians because they don’t get
enough paid work experience. However,
it’s something they could achieve within
a year or two of leaving if they choose
the apprenticeship route. Looking further
ahead, Chartered status is within reach
for students who go on to achieve degree-
level qualifications, whether through
full-time university courses or via a
part-time route – Higher Apprenticeships,
for example.
Registered Technicians have to provide
evidence of the knowledge, skills and
professional practice. It turns out
that the UTC curriculum provides a
perfect starting point for developing
these competences.
The framework used in The Duke of York
Award describes student competences
under four headings:
• Knowledge, understanding, application,
action and professional practice
• Accept and exercise personal
responsibility
• Communication and interpersonal
skills
• Professional standards
This has proved to be the lynchpin of
The Duke of York Award for Technical
Education. We now have a way of
recognising both qualifications and
wider competences as part of a single,
over-arching Award.
Collecting information about qualifications
is straightforward. In September, UTCs
upload details of each student’s results
to a database. This can be sent as a
CSV file or exported directly from UTCs’
own systems – SIMS, for example. The
database tells us whether the student
has achieved the minimum combination
of qualifications for a Bronze, Silver or
Gold Award.
Collecting information about
competences isn’t quite as easy.
However, we have kept the process
as simple as possible.
The Duke of York Award
for Technical Education

29
Stage one is self-assessment. This is
an opportunity for students to reflect
on what they have discovered about
themselves: almost invariably, attending
a UTC has made them more confident,
resilient and resourceful. We ask them
to jot down examples which show how
their competences have developed
through team and individual projects.
However, we don’t ask for a whole new
portfolio: they already have records of
their work which they can refer to if asked.
Stage two is an interview, at the end
of Year 11 or 13. Like a job interview
it’s both friendly and professional.
We want students to convince us, not
catch them out.
The interviews are remarkably valuable
in themselves. It’s natural for students
to be nervous about talking to someone
from outside the UTC, but doing well
really boosts their confidence.
The final piece of the jigsaw is work
experience. All we ask for here is a
declaration from the UTC that students
have completed a minimum number of
days over two years.
The end result is a certificate bearing The
Duke of York’s insignia and a QR code,
which links to the qualifications database
as proof of the student’s achievements.
The Duke of York Award for Technical
Education will only ever be available to
students who follow a rigorous technical
curriculum supported by projects,
challenges and leading employers.
In the eyes of employers, it will be a
badge of excellence. And in the eyes of
students, parents and friends, it will be
a badge of prestige.
IT students Christopher Crawford and Thomas Hurley
show Lord Baker and HRH how to build a computer

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