ABSTRACT

Within this common framework, schools enjoyed a large measure of freedom; to exercise initiative, to pilot new approaches, to test ideas, to experiment, to take risks and in some cases to go where they had never gone before. They discovered that involving students in open dialogue, in discussion of technical issues, and in classroom observation, was not threatening but liberating, not only for the students but for their teachers as well. If the benefits of the project were to be described in a word (or two) these would include ‘very beneficial’, ‘highly successful’, ‘excellent initiative’, ‘enormous benefits’ and a ‘rich process’. While there were very typically caveats about time, resources, support and opportunities for networking, involvement in the project had had an impact on virtually all schools. Ninety-eight of the 101 said they would be keen to continue beyond the end of the project.