Wednesday, 11th November

There is no doubt that having the opportunity to witness how English schools work is a rare and precious privilege, especially when the observer is not an Ofsted inspector, but an ordinary teacher coming from a foreign country. For me, getting to know Bishop Luffa school has not only been a privilege, but also an exceptional and quite revealing experience. Stella Richi’s wonderfully welcoming attitude made things much easier for us and contributed to make us feel like if we were at home. In order to organize our stay at Bishop Luffa, she carefully planned a detailed timetable that helped us to have a general vision of the school and also a specific understanding of how our own subjects are taught here.

After our first  day’s induction experience, we had the  opportunity to accompany three different students, shadowing them during a whole day at school. This helped us to understand the similarities and differences between the English and the Spanish educational approaches, and made us aware of the way teachers design and put into practice their specific lesson plans. The following days we were attached to different faculties and departments, so that we could see how our own subjects are taught. Even though there are some peculiarities which are specific to certain subjects, most of the teachers share a common student-based perspective, fostering interaction, dialogue and participation in the class. For me, this was probably the most striking aspect of my observations, as our teaching style in Spain tends to be mainly focussed on contents provided by the teacher. Now I have realized that lecturing my students is not only a dull and boring way of teaching, but it is also less effective, motivating and engaging than encouraging them to think by themselves and try to build their own  knowledge using their own resources. Though I was quite familiar with the theoretical bases of this constructivist approach to teaching, the truth is that I never had the opportunity of witnessing how it really works in practice. The experience has been a revelation, as it showed me the amazing power and effectiveness of letting our students develop their own potentialities. Instead of focussing their teaching on an unattainable list of contents, teachers at Bishop Luffa are more interested in developing their skills and capacities, which seems to be a much more reasonable and productive way of teaching, and which is actually what we are supposed to do according to the educational guidelines provided by the European Union.

Another fascinating aspect of teaching at Bishop Luffa is the way teachers try to make students aware of their metacognitive processes. Reflection about the different learning styles is frequent, and it helps students to understand that there are many different ways to learn and that each person should know how to apply his/her particular style in each specific situation. When asked to do an activity, some students prefer to write, while others might choose to create a mind map, a table or a drawing. All these possibilities are equally valid, as long as the answer is suitable and adequate, so every child has the opportunity to develop his/her own approach to the same contents. There is also a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including languages, music, sports, charities, drama and nearly every possible kind of option you may possibly think of. Taking part in these after school clubs, students are not only extending their knowledge and skills, but they also keep more involved in the school activities and in their local community.

Bishop Luffa school is also exceptional in the way it promotes social cohesion. Everywhere I could sense a feeling of brotherhood and belonging that is rarely to be found in the Spanish schools I know. Morning briefings, daily assemblies and regular meetings are very effective ways to foster community integration. Everybody seems to share the same goals and the same values, so the atmosphere at school reminds me of a big family. Moreover, every individual is taken care of, as the school is organized both horizontally (in houses) and vertically (in age groups and key stages). Every house and every key stage has its own head, who keeps an eye on every student they are responsible for. This is an astonishingly effective way of addressing individual problems, both academic and personal, and of making sure that nobody is left behind.

However, there are also some aspects I didn’t like so much. For example, I noticed that there is a nearly ubiquitous competitive spirit, which seems to underpin both lesson plans and extracurricular activities. Students are encouraged to obtain ‘stars’ giving correct answers for the questions posed by the teacher. These stars are eventually transformed into merits, which are highly valued rewards. There is also a system to punish offences using ‘red slips’ which can eventually lead to a detention when they accumulate. Though this proves to be a very effective way to manage discipline, and though the students seem to enjoy this endless competition against other schools, other houses and other pupils, I personally find that this specific approach has a strong behaviourist bias, as it insists in individual reward and punishment instead of promoting generous cooperation in a collaborative approach.

There is also another key aspect of English education which I find strikingly shocking, and which refers to the teacher’s role in the class. In stark contrast with what is usual in Spain, there is a clear formal distance between English teachers and their pupils. This detachment is not only visible in the dress code that everybody respects, but also in the teachers’ words, gestures and attitudes. I am well aware of the cultural differences between England and Spain, and I also understand the importance of the authority role that teachers are supposed to represent. But I personally feel more comfortable with a warmer, more affectionate way of teaching.

Nevertheless, taking into account the outstanding teaching standards at Bishop Luffa and the exceptional results of their students in their tests, I can only feel grateful and honoured for the exceptional opportunity of visiting this school. For me, this extraordinary experience has been a source of inspiration and an incentive to reflect on how to improve my own way of teaching. Hopefully, the wide range of activities and techniques I had the opportunity to witness will help me to change my own approach to education, shifting the focus of the lesson in  order to place students in the centre of the process, and making them more aware of their own cognitive processes.