Our Learning Commission

Launched in October 2008, the Harris Student Commission on Learning was set up as a research and development project to bring together hundreds of students and teachers to create a new design for learning across the Harris Federation.

The Commission wanted to bring about:

• Significant and lasting changes to teaching and learning
• A step-change in student engagement, motivation and learning
• To achieve these changes the Commission established an ambitious programme of enquiry into the most effective learning approaches in the UK and abroad. This enquiry has been co-led by students and staff who for the past two years have worked and learned together in powerful partnerships and teams.

The Commission was designed to go beyond traditional ‘student voice’ work, helping students become leaders of their own and others’ learning with a real stake in how education is organised and delivered.

The Commission has developed a deep and practical knowledge base about what really makes a difference for student learning in the 21st Century. And it has created an irrepressible desire for and commitment to change amongst all the students and teachers involved."

Two years after it began, the Commission has published its new design for learning. This is a set of entitlements and opportunities that the Harris Federation will take forward to ensure all learners and teachers in every part of every Academy in the Federation have consistent access to world class learning opportunities.

In order to support Academies to integrate, deepen and extend their own Student Commission activities, the Federation have introduced Best Practice Trawls that began in January 2012.  The 17 entitlements will provide a framework for these visits which will take place every term, with every Academy being visited every two years.  Best Practice Briefing Papers will be published 3 times per year, with a 'Learning to Learn Journal' published annually drawing together the best of practice from all of the Academies.  The first Best Practice briefing paper was published in May 2012 and the second in Autumn 2012.

As the entitlements continue to provide a powerful framework for whole Academy Improvements, we move forward ensuring the legacy of the Student Commission through "Harris Learning".

In December 2016, the Learning Commission was re-launched with the aim of revitalising the Student Commission with a renewed vigor and aimed at ensuring that learning is ‘World Class.’

The Learning Commission presented their findings at the Senior Leadership Conference  in July 2017 and their findings can be found below.

Student Commission, Summer 2018