Olly Newton digs into the findings of research on Project Based Learning
Alongside academic studies, Edge has long sought to promote the development of young people’s workplace skills. It is why we are keen advocates of project-based learning (PBL) and employer engagement and were early supporters of the Studio School Movement. In May 2024, as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, we had the exciting opportunity to combine these threads of our work with a visit to The Liverpool Studio School.
Introducing the Liverpool Studio School
An institution committed to PBL and industry partnerships, Liverpool Studio School’s location in a Grade II listed Victorian warehouse embodies its mission to prepare learners for roles in modern industries. Modelled after High Tech High in San Diego, the Studio School shares the building with the Liverpool Life Sciences University Technical College (UTC) – another academy in the Northern Schools Trust – which allows the schools to collaborate.
While the Studio School focuses on digital media subjects like programming, game design, and technology, the UTC specialises in life sciences. However, students from both institutions can take classes across disciplines, providing a more integrated educational experience.
Despite their distinct disciplines, what unites both schools is their longstanding commitment to PBL. The Studio School belongs to the International PBL Network, while PBL is embedded in the UTC Charter. Furthermore, both schools have championed this approach since their inception in 2013, making them among the most well-established PBL education providers in the UK.
Fostering essential skills through collaborative industry projects
A key highlight of the Studio School’s approach are its ‘Employer Drop-Down Days’. These dedicated events involve suspending the regular timetable, allowing students across an entire year group to collaborate on employer-led industry challenges.
During Drop-Down Days, students from both schools come together to tackle multifaceted projects that require diverse skills and roles, while targeting specific learning objectives. A standout example is the recent Year 10 ‘Contagion Day’ with AstraZeneca, where students worked on various aspects of pandemic response.
The project included marketing teams developing campaigns to raise public awareness of a new contagion; science students conducting vaccine research and development; and design teams conceptualising treatment centre layouts. While each class focused on a particular aspect of the project specific to their own learning objectives, by working cross-discipline, they also gained practical insights into how to coordinate complex problem-solving in way that mimics different departments cooperating across a real company.
The Drop Down Days follow a structured format that is designed to build essential skills. This includes the full-day challenge, as described. However, learners also receive employer masterclasses beforehand to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills. They must also present their work to the school’s employer partners, receiving valuable feedback.
Employer engagement behind the scenes
Of course, this fascinating and highly-coordinated PBL model did not appear overnight. Rather, it is the result of over a decade of work with employer engagement at its heart. The schools offer multiple levels of industry involvement to cater to employers’ varying capacities to contribute. By providing numerous entry points for participation, employers can help shape their future talent pipelines while students gain invaluable professional exposure.
Typically, The Studio School initiates contact with new employer partners, targeting companies that align with specific learner pathways. They invite interested partners to visit the school, speak to students and share their industry experience, which is the most basic engagement level. This exposes learners to relevant fields, helping broaden their horizons and understanding of potential career paths.
Industry partners that are keen to get further involved can actively contribute to the curriculum. A prime example is the Studio School’s AWS Cloud Foundations course, which equips learners with sought after cloud computing skills that are relevant to many modern tech roles. Significantly, the course is typically offered at the university level but has been incorporated into the school’s Sixth Form curriculum as a direct result of employer engagement.
The highest employer engagement level involves employers offering work experience, apprenticeships, or direct employment pathways. This approach helps the school fulfil their promise to new students that anyone who successfully completes their studies will go on to a job, an apprenticeship, an apprenticeship degree, or a place at university.
Aligning projects with Sustainable Development Goals
The Studio School’s immersive PBL approach and integrated employer partnerships are ideal for equipping students with essential technical skills. But the school also recognises the importance of education in developing a global mindset beyond job-specific competencies.
The Studio School tackles this via projects aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At KS4, students can choose projects that address real-world challenges including poverty, climate change, and inequality. By raising awareness of these global issues, these projects foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and a sense of global citizenship. SDG projects can complement workplace skills with a social awareness mindset, cultivating young people who are prepared to address the complex problems of the 21st century.
Edge was highly impressed by The Studio School’s blend of project-based learning and employer partnership. While context is everything – different models suit different student interests and learning needs – industry-focused programmes like these certainly deserve wider recognition, especially in regions catering to young people who face socioeconomic disadvantage. By supporting a work-ready talent pipeline, theses types of programmes can improve employability prospects for young people and contribute to a more prosperous society overall.