With the large number of mobilities, we wanted to make an impact on education in Hackney and to support the needs identified in the Mayor's plan to make the borough and the schools more inclusive, especially for Black and global majority communities. We aimed to include in each of the four mobilities the four focus themes outlined above in our reasons for applying. We wanted schools to encourage members of staff, who are under-represented in leadership teams, to participate in these courses as part of a supported professional development. By ensuring that most courses had a mixture of staff from primary and secondary and special school sectors, we aimed for them to work together, to build understanding and respect for each other's roles and expertise and thus to improve the transition arrangements for pupils. Through the choice of hosts in Finland and the Canary Islands, we were able to tap into their creative curriculums in the fields of music and language teaching and their more child-centred approach to learning. We wanted to build networks of staff who have been through this joint training experience to be able to be a force for change. We also wanted to disseminate the learning as widely as possible across the borough.
We applied for this project because we wanted to build on the good work that has been carried out in Hackney over many years to build the aspirations and attainment of pupils. It was time to branch out and look at excellent practice in other European countries in order to achieve excellence. The focus of the 4 projects applied for were 1. Developing an inclusive leadership body which reflects the local community 2. To look at ways that the curriculum can be more creative in its content and delivery 3. To support joint working of staff from different sectors so as to improve transition arrangements 4. To develop the curriculum and ways of working that will be more inclusive for a diverse pupil community We wanted to give school and education staff the chance to have time working together, learning from excellent colleagues and systems across Europe. We chose hosts known to us with a reputation for excellence. With them we planned courses that included theoretical input, seminars and workshops and the sharing of good practice; visits to schools to see the practice that developed from the theoretical model, cultural events and activities to improve intercultural understanding. We applied for and received funding for 75 places.