One project I am particularly proud of, which involved a lot of fantastic time in the North East of England is the Edge Future Learning (EFL) pilot. It involved designing and delivering novel educational approaches with schools and colleges across the area. EFL aimed to build an evidence base that could broaden and transform education, making it more relevant for the 21st century.
In 2024, as we mark Edge’s 20th anniversary, Edge Future Learning not only represents a milestone in our past work but a roadmap for the future, both for Edge itself, and – as political winds shift in favour of educational reform – education policy across England more broadly. It has formed a firm basis for our Deeper Learning UK Network which brings together innovators from right across the four nations.
Edge Future Learning at a glance
Over the past 20 years, Edge has explored innovative work from countless schools and colleges in the UK and overseas, including High Tech High in San Diego and the Academies of Nashville in Tennessee. Edge Future Learning distilled these approaches into three core principles – project-based learning (PBL), real-world learning, and community-connected learning.
Running for around five years, EFL was an intensive project testing these principles. Partnering with Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, we supported schools and colleges across North East England in tailoring these approaches to their context.
The goal was not to create a one-size-fits-all model but to build an evidence base that could inform future policymaking and provide lessons for other institutions interested in introducing reform at a grass-roots level. As we enter our 20th year, Edge remains focused on these three signature practices. However, we are now sharing them more widely through Deeper Learning UK, a network that convenes a range of Multi-Academy Trusts, College Groups, and other school networks and stakeholders around the country.
Key lessons learned
Following an insightful earlier evaluation by the University of Derby that helped to shape and improve the programme, in 2023, Edge asked IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, to conduct independent research on the second phase of EFL. Now complete, their report identifies how different elements of our approach worked and includes lessons to share with other educational institutions.
While this is a taste of experiences from just two of the pilot organisations, intentionality of vision and design were clearly key to success, as well as an openness to reflection and change. Perhaps the most vital aspect, though, was community engagement. Bringing students, staff, employers, parents, and wider community members along for the journey requires time investment, yes. But the rewards it reaps further down the line are significant, as we can see from the participating institution’s ongoing trailblazing efforts. Having seen EFL grow from an idea to now informing national programmes like the CEC teacher encounters and our Deeper Learning UK Network, I am excited to see what the future holds!
Interested in learning more? Download the full report now.
Olly Newton is the Executive Director of the Edge Foundation
