Author: Avenor College

On the day of the National Evaluation (EN) results, I want to congratulate all the students who gave their best for this exam! Facing the most competitive school exam at the age of 14 is a significant accomplishment!

I have a question for parents: Did you know that Romania is the only country where, at 14, students face the most competitive school exam of their lives? It’s an exam where scoring 9.70 gets you in, but 9.69 means you fail.

It seems serious, competitive, and positive, but the effect is quite the opposite.

Recently, I’ve heard many voices of confused parents and exhausted children after the National Evaluation.

A mother of an 8th-grade boy wrote: “He came out of the math evaluation sad and furious. He made a mistake on something he knew. How could he lose such important decimal points? What if he doesn’t get into his desired high school?“

The impact on the child and family’s morale feels like a major failure. For a 14-15-year-old, not getting into the desired high school feels like “you don’t belong, you have no value,” even if it’s just by a few decimal points.

Theoretically, the National Evaluation is a performance competition, a tough exam that demands serious and sustained work from students. Admirable, right? However, the effect on the interest in school is quite the opposite.

The exam itself is a harsh lesson that no matter how much you do, it’s never enough.

After the exam, children don’t want to hear about learning for at least two years.

We know that the National Evaluation was created with a noble purpose, but it hasn’t served that way for a long time. I admire the students, parents, and teachers who still idealize this exam. For some, it even works.

As a parent and co-founder of Avenor College, I have worked with our team of teachers for the past 10 years to find an alternative form of evaluation. It’s for those who want a more relevant assessment at the end of 8th grade.

Besides report card grades, the International Checkpoint Evaluation is taken in Mathematics and Science. For Romanian, the final exam is a public speech, and for English, students take the FCE (First Certificate of English).

These assessments are designed to evaluate what’s important at 14 years old and to foster lifelong learning.

Therefore, there are schools where learning is supported by coherent systems, where the curriculum, teaching methods, and evaluation are interconnected. Where the relationship based on trust between school, parents, and students is not just a story, and where there are well-trained teachers and visionary leaders.

Seek out these schools.

It takes a united community (a village) to raise a child, and even more so, to raise an adolescent.

Each year, students in grades 6, 7, and 8 have the chance to participate in the Science Fair, an annual event that enables them to apply the scientific skills they’ve acquired throughout the school year to explore topics of interest beyond their regular studies. They design and conduct their own investigations, then draw conclusions and evaluate their findings, all adhering to clear scientific principles.

The Science Fair showcases these projects, allowing students to present their research findings to peers, teachers, and a jury that selects the best projects.

Jennifer Taylor, Head of Science, shares more about the students’ project work and the learning experience provided by the Science Fair.

 

Jenny, how would you describe this event that students love, and what is the learning objective behind it?

The Science Fair is eagerly awaited by all students, regardless of their passion for science. What excites them is the opportunity to choose their own hypothesis as the starting point for their experiment. This means that the project topic is chosen based on their interests, hobbies, or passions. After selecting the question they want to answer, they determine the steps needed to conduct their investigation and find the answer.

Beyond the enjoyment of the experiments, our learning objective is to help students develop their scientific investigation skills. This includes identifying variables and using them to plan a thorough investigation, presenting data in various ways, using data to formulate conclusions, and evaluating their own projects.

How did the students prepare their projects?

The more than 150 students participating in the Science Fair spent nearly 4 weeks preparing their projects, which they presented to their peers, teachers, and the jury. They worked during their Science classes with their teachers—Joy Săftoiu, Andrei Dăscălescu, Nadina Negru,  Manuela Nae, Ahmet Salgur, Dharmesh Chohan, Gillian Carrol and Andrei Vasiliu —as well as outside of class, sometimes during breaks, in the hallways, and even during lunch.

Their dedication and desire to create projects that are both scientifically robust and visually appealing represent, for me, a significant achievement. It clearly shows that the students are genuinely interested in what they are studying and are enjoying the process.

What was the atmosphere like on the day of the fair, which projects won, and who was on the jury?

The Science Fair day was filled with excitement and anticipation. Each team set up their own presentation stand, and the students eagerly presented their projects to everyone who visited.

The Arena transformed into a vibrant scientific exhibition, and just walking among the stands and reading the research topics was impressive due to the wide variety of subjects the students chose.

Topics included “What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh for longer?”, “How does pressure affect the way a ball bounces?”, “What is the best design for buildings in earthquake-prone areas?”, and “What bridge shape is the strongest?”, among many others.

All projects were reviewed and evaluated by the jury members: Ștefan Balint, an Avenor graduate passionate about science and currently a student at Cork University in Ireland, Teodora, a 12th-grade student and former Science Fair winner, and Robert Rincu, a PhD candidate and researcher in organic chemistry.

The winning projects are:

6th Grade – “Which type of natural sugar is best for yeast growth?” – project by Nadina and Vlad in 6 Alfa.

7th Grade – “How do impurities affect the growth of copper sulfate crystals?” – project by Sonia and Katia in 7 Alfa. 

8th Grade – “How does the length of a guitar string affect the frequency of the sound produced?” – project by Sofia and Mara in 8 Delta. 

Additionally, there were two special categories – Student Choice and Best of the Best.

The winning projects in these categories are:

Student Choice – “Does gender affect the perception of smell?” – project by Tudor, Maria and Stefan in 8 Delta. 

Best of the Best – “Does temperature change the viscosity of honey?” – project by Mara, Cristi and Izabela in 7 Delta. 

I congratulate all the students for their passion and dedication over the past few weeks and for the outstanding results they achieved. Each project demonstrated rigorous research and great creativity.

I am already looking forward to next year’s Science Fair!

In the field of education, continuous learning and the pursuit of innovative practices and effective teaching methodologies are ongoing processes. Schools are not just places of learning; they are dynamic networks that collaborate and experiment to find the best solutions for future-oriented education.

 

The OECD Schools+ Network, an OECD project launched last fall, is a global initiative providing a platform of pedagogical tools for schools worldwide. This initiative addresses the need for connection and the sharing of best practices. The network aims to develop a taxonomy for modern pedagogy that links scientific research (typically the domain of academics) with the best practices in leading schools. In this new paradigm, teachers become researchers of their own teaching methods, conducting impact studies as they apply modern pedagogies.

Avenor College, along with 140 other schools from 40 countries, has been selected to join this network. Avenor College invites other interested schools to contribute to this global initiative by joining the OECD Schools+ Network in the next phase of the project, which focuses on implementing the tools developed in the first two phases.

Dr. Daniela Vasile, Director of Learning at Avenor College and co-leader of the group researching Cognitive Engagement within the OECD Schools+ Network, provides more information about the network’s methods, the opportunities it creates, and its goals. She also invites other schools to join this global initiative.

 

I recently had the pleasure of attending the third edition of the Global Community Meeting of the Schools+ Network. Alongside Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, Janette Quinn, COBIS Director of Education and Professional Learning, Camelia Ciurescu, a representative of the Romanian Ministry of Education, and 80 other global educational leaders, I had the opportunity to connect and collaborate in our efforts to bridge the gap between scientific research and educational practice.

MOTIVATION FOR JOINING THE OECD SCHOOLS+ NETWORK

We were honored to be selected by COBIS to participate in this project following our Outstanding rating from BSO in March 2023. At that time, we were also encouraged to share our best practices with other schools in Romania and internationally.

Inspired by this recommendation and driven by a deep-seated desire to impact more teachers and students positively, we were thrilled to contribute to improving global education quality through this initiative.

Moreover, our application advanced, and we were chosen to lead the Cognitive Engagement working group, one of the five groups within the network. The other groups focus on Classroom Interaction, Socio-Emotional Support, Quality of Teaching Content, Formative Assessment, and Feedback.

Only 10 schools worldwide have this privilege. Alongside my colleague, Dr. Mihaela Stancu, Curriculum Leader for Romanian Language at Avenor, and Roberto Castaldo, a teacher at Istituto Statale per l’Istruzione Superiore Europa, we co-lead a group of over 40 schools. Together, we contributed to the creation of the Toolbox of Effective Classroom Practices, the immediate goal of the OECD Schools+ Network.

This fall, as the project enters its third phase of development (following the completion of the Toolkit and the launch of a digital platform), all interested schools are invited to participate.

If you wish to join this initiative or learn more about the project and the tools developed, you can register HERE. We will follow up with all interested schools with more information by organising a dedicated event.

WHAT RECOMMENDED US FOR THIS NOMINATION

Avenor is increasingly recognized among British schools as an institution that encourages innovation and maintains high standards. The Avenor Student Profile, created in 2021, integrates transferable learning objectives. At Avenor, teaching is based on conceptual learning, skill development, and building moral character, all connected to societal realities. Our curriculum is discipline-based, providing students with a solid foundation, but the goal of learning is knowledge transfer, which can only be achieved in interdisciplinary contexts through programmes like Project-Based Learning, STEAM, and Learning Outside the Classroom.

To implement such a complex learning programme, we need qualified teachers with high standards. This reality led us, as a school, to create a competency-based teacher evaluation framework and a continuous professional development programme that our teachers participate in annually.

We believe these were the main strengths of our application to the OECD Schools+ Network and our areas of expertise, around which we wish to exchange ideas and best practices with schools worldwide.

By being part of this project, we have the chance to engage in real dialogue with global educational experts, share our experiences, learn from theirs, and adapt various identified solutions to our learning context. We are delighted to offer our expertise to build a better, future-oriented education.

ABOUT THE OECD

The OECD is an international organisation that builds better policies for a more prosperous and equitable world. With over 60 years of experience, the OECD works alongside governments, leaders, and citizens to address social, economic, and environmental challenges. From stimulating economic growth and creating jobs to improving education and combating tax evasion, the OECD provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, data, and best practices.

 

At Avenor College, one of the key components in co-creating the best future for our students is the implementation of a comprehensive continuous professional development programme for teachers. The quality of teaching is a crucial factor influencing educational success and also impacts the social and emotional development of students. At Avenor, we believe that only well-prepared teachers who are committed to continuous learning can nurture students who are ready for any future.

Some of Avenor’s most experienced teachers have furthered their expertise to become trainers for other educators, driven by the desire to contribute significantly beyond the classroom and among their peers.

In this way, Avenor enhances the quality of education in Romania by sharing teaching and assessment techniques, innovative pedagogical methods, and even teaching procedures developed and tested by our teachers, resulting in excellent outcomes.

Whether they are giving presentations in webinars, serving as trainers, or being invited as speakers at various conferences, Avenor teachers always enthusiastically embrace opportunities to exchange best practices with their colleagues, striving to elevate the level of preparedness for themselves and others.

Avenor and Aspire Teachers

A successful example is the collaboration between Avenor and Aspire Teachers on the #DataMathLab project. Aspire Teachers is an NGO dedicated to the vision of providing every child in Romania with an excellent teacher.

Initiated in 2021, #DataMathLab aims to tackle one of the most significant challenges in Romanian education—mathematical illiteracy, which is the inability of students to apply their school-taught knowledge to solve real-life problems.

“At Avenor, we discovered a significant reservoir of expertise, which addresses the primary issue we face in Romania: the lack of genuine expertise. When I refer to experts in mathematics education, I mean individuals who are connected to international research and practices, who are continually learning, and who are typically the first to acknowledge the limits of their own competence. The best educators understand that there are no universal methods for teaching mathematics; it all depends on context, and they are generally the ones who bring out the best in others.

Therefore, the partnership developed naturally, as Aspire Teachers has been fostering the same continuous growth among teachers, aiming to prepare a generation of children who can think critically and are adapted to the future, not the outdated methods of the past. I was very fortunate to find Dr. Daniela Vasile, who is one of our key contributors to the program. She brings a rare blend of experience in international educational systems, team flexibility, and enthusiasm.

I am pleased that a team of trainers from Avenor will be joining the #DataMathLab programme. By creating mixed teams of teachers from your school and public schools—teachers who are equally open and eager for change but who have a better understanding of the public system’s limits and needs—I believe we can gradually and effectively introduce internationally validated best practices into the public system. This way, we can reach the minds of all children, as they rightfully deserve.

Through the #DataMathLab project, our goal is to impact at least one-third of Romanian teachers over the next decade, growing teams of trainers who continually test, apply, improve, and mentor others. Our target for next year is 200 graduates, then 300, and year by year, we aim to enhance our curriculum, build communities of practice led by our alumni, expand our offerings, and elevate the standards of continuous teacher training. We want to change the perception of “training” so that it no longer triggers the dismissive reaction we’ve often encountered.

Simultaneously, we will constantly measure the programme’s impact because we aim to develop an excellent programme that anticipates the inevitable changes: performance standards for competencies, a national assessment that measures real thinking skills rather than just solving abstract problems by rote, and a more flexible curriculum that allows teachers time to revisit and deepen concepts, which they can then transfer to students.

The most crucial aspect is to attract excellent teachers of mathematics who understand that fostering conceptual understanding is very different from drilling procedures disconnected from real life. These teachers are our most valuable resource, and I hope that in the coming years, the profession will become more appealing and motivating for those passionate about this subject. To achieve this, we aim to collaborate with public institution representatives who support this initiative and recognize that by working together, we all stand to gain.” says Măriuca Morariu, Executive Director of Aspire Teachers and the initiator of the #DataMathLab program.

Dr. Daniela Vasile is a co-leader (creator and trainer) of this programme. She has brought to the Aspire team her extensive national and international experience, which has given her the opportunity to work with teachers from around the world and with various curricula.

“After spending 20 years abroad, upon my return home, I asked myself: what can I bring back and how can I contribute? I found a school like those abroad, Avenor College, where teachers and students learn and grow together. I constantly wondered: can we replicate this joy of learning beyond Avenor?

This question, along with my passion for mathematics, led me to Aspire, a place where we aim to reveal the true essence of mathematics. Where did we lose its beauty? Where did we lose the students? We’ve forgotten that mathematics, in its creative process, is inductive; we’ve lost the exploratory and creative process involved in developing mathematical theories. We’ve lost connections to real life, as well as the imaginative aspect of mathematics—the play of ideas.

Our project reinstates these elements through a concept-based planning and teaching model, with the end goal in mind—from the start of the learning unit, I consider what I want the student to know by the end and how I will determine their understanding. Only once these aspects are clear do I begin planning. We must remember that all competencies develop around concepts.

The most rewarding moments in the programme, those that motivate us, are the ‘aha!’ moments from the teachers we work with and the sparkle in their eyes when they present evidence of learning from their classrooms. Every teacher, every morning, enters school with the desire to do their best, to teach students as effectively as they can.

Through our programme, we help them know exactly how to achieve this, and they tell us it works! A particularly proud moment was when a colleague with 35 years of experience, an excellent teacher, told us that this was the best course she had ever attended and the one that helped her the most.” says Daniela Vasile, Director of Learning at Avenor and Teacher of Mathematics.

The collaboration with Aspire Teachers on this project is ongoing, and Avenor is proudly supporting the first #DataMathLab mathematics festival as a partner. The festival will take place from July 6-7 at Andrei Șaguna National College in Brașov, with the theme: How can we motivate students to “see” mathematics beyond formulas and homework?

The event is expected to attract 150 middle and high school teachers, aiming to develop a community of passionate professionals dedicated to transforming the way mathematics is taught and learned in Romania. Registrations for the festival are still open.

 

Avenor Entrepreneurship Challenge is a special project designed within LOTC for 9th-grade students with the aim of putting learning into practice. Combining knowledge and skills acquired in class, students are invited to face the entrepreneurial challenge of launching a culinary product during a public presentation, held in front of a jury, classmates, and the audience who come to encourage them.

Victor Bratu – Teacher of Geography and ICT and project organiser, provides us with more details about this competition, which is slowly becoming a tradition for high school students.

What is the Avenor Entrepreneurship Challenge and what is the story behind this project?

The Avenor Entrepreneurship Challenge is a project that emerged in 2022 out of the need to create an engaging event for 9th-grade students as part of the LOTC programme.

Katie Hargreaves – Teacher of Media Studies and I brainstormed several options and outlined various plans until we arrived at this concept of an event that involves an entrepreneurial competition among students.

Last year, in 2023, we organised the first edition which brought together 9 teams consisting of 45 students. They had the following theme – ‘Create a healthy and natural product for breakfast,’ for which they had to develop a product from scratch. From market research to product development, packaging, marketing campaign, and presentation in front of a jury, the process was very challenging for the participating students, and the results exceeded expectations.

What was this year’s challenge for the participating students?

Staying true to the competition’s concept, this year the students were tasked with creating a healthy snack, either sweet or savoury, that fulfilled several conditions:

• It had to have appropriate packaging – a skill learned in Design & Technology and Arts classes.
• The proposed product needed to have a business plan behind it – created based on the knowledge acquired in Business Studies.
• The product presentation had to include a marketing campaign – developed by applying the concepts learned in Media Studies.

TEAM STRUCTURE

Since not all students study the same subjects in 9th grade, teams were formed with 5 members, each with the skills and knowledge necessary to fill one of the following positions:

• The CEO or team leader – responsible for developing the business plan.
• The Chef – responsible for creating the product.
• The Graphic Designer – responsible for designing the packaging, including creating the logo.
• The Research Analyst – supports the team by researching the market and identifying audience preferences.
• The Marketing Director – proposes the marketing plan.

Each team was given a budget of 200 lei, which represented the total budget to create the samples (product and packaging). Additionally, each team received clear guidelines on what constitutes a healthy product and the criteria it needed to meet.

How many teams entered the competition and how did the competition unfold?

This year, we had 8 teams that presented their products to a jury consisting of:

• Diana Segarceanu – Executive Director – who evaluated the business plans.
• Raluca Tarcea – Admissions and Communication Manager – who provided feedback on the packaging and marketing campaign components.
• Valentin Brabete – Teacher of Economy and Media Studies – who evaluated the business plans.
• Geanina Staicu – Food Blogger Jamila Cuisine  – who evaluated the products created by the teams.
• Dan Neacșu – Chef at Avenor Living – who assessed the healthiness of each team’s proposed product.

The special guests for this edition were Cristina Willows – Executive Director of Avenor, and Andrei Roșu – Managing Partner of Filgud Romania.

The competition was fierce, and the emotions of the participating students were only surpassed by their determination to convince the jury that their product deserves to win the Avenor Entrepreneurship Challenge trophy.

WINNERS OF THE 2024 EDITION

After the questions from the jury and the final feedback, emotions reached their peak when the winning teams were announced:

🥇First place was won by the product ENERBIITZ3 prepared by the team consisting of Bogdan (9 ∆), Ilinca (9 α), Irina (9 ∆), Ilinca (9 α), Ion (9 ∆).

🥈Second place was won by the product Oatz prepared by the team consisting of Ioana (9 ∆), Anastasia (9 ∆), Alessia (9 α), Fanni (9 α), Răzvan (9 ∆).

🥉Third place was won by the product Natty Pops prepared by the team consisting of Ivonne (9 α), Alexandru (9 α), Sonia (9 α), Alexandru (9 ∆), Arianna (9 α).

I am very proud of all the teams participating in the competition. Their products were excellent, and the presentations in front of the entire audience exceeded expectations. The level of the competition is a clear sign that students are interested in entrepreneurship, which confirms to me that each year this event will be eagerly anticipated by our 9th-grade students.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming 12th edition of the Friends of the Piano national piano competition in June. Taking place on Saturday, June 8, the event will be held in the ceremonial hall of the George Enescu National College of Music in Bucharest. Registration is available online, by May 24th, through the completion of the registration form. Details about the competition can be found in the Friends of the Piano Regulations.

For more details about what this competition means, its history, and what it means for participants,delve into the interview below with Dana Papadima – Educational Director at Avenor, who hosts this eagerly anticipated event every year.

Although we are in the 12th edition, the first Friends of the Piano competition, catering to children dedicated to mastering this esteemed instrument, occurred 14 years ago. Unfortunately, the pandemic deprived us of two editions, yet during this time, students never ceased to hone their piano skills.

The impetus behind organising such a competition stemmed from a group of passionate teachers, whom I must confess, I openly supported. Having spent a decade playing the piano under the guidance of some “old-school” teachers, I can attest that amidst the countless solfeggios and hours of music theory, the most significant reward was my deepened appreciation for classical music and my understanding of the intricate dynamics within concerts, sonatas, sonatinas, and the like. For this, I owe immense gratitude to my mother, whose encouragement led me to the piano and opened up a rich and profound world, stirring my senses to ecstasy.

The Friends of the Piano competition, open to students from private, public, and international schools, aims to connect students who may not study piano professionally at music schools with the world of keys, sheet music, and ultimately, with the broader world of music. The realm of black and white keys isn’t solely associated with the past, classical, or outdated; it harmonises just as well with the sounds of pop, jazz, or other contemporary interests such as school, video games, and social media. These aren’t incompatible entities; rather, they add depth and meaning to our lives.

Such a competition is tailored to the ethos of its organisers, Avenor College. Children are encouraged, cheered, and praised. Year after year, they learn to step into the shoes of performers, to harness their (often overwhelming) emotions, to respect both their own musical expression and that of their competitors. Every aspect is significant and dynamic: from stage attire to audience respect, from becoming acquainted with concert pianos, distinct from electronic keyboards or home upright pianos. We learn to manage our emotions, to communicate expressively through music, to heed the serious advice of the jury, to graciously embrace any awards, and to elegantly accept any setbacks.

We have approached this competition quite differently compared to most others in the field, where all children receive prizes and certificates, leading truly hardworking and talented competitors to blend into a sea of sameness. Despite genuinely and warmly encouraging all participating students, the jury ultimately makes professional and unbiased decisions on which performers truly deserve to stand on the podium among the dozens of participants. It’s a lesson in music, in courage, in an area where ethics and moral values take precedence.

For me, our Friends of the Piano competition has a 14-year history. At 14 years old, a teenager receives an identity card, signalling their entry into the realm of maturity and growth. This year’s Friends of the Piano, organised by Avenor College, is like a teenager with a genuine identity card.

The biggest challenge for summer programmes is how they can truly be relevant for children aged 10 to 14, who can’t wait for summer holiday?

Andrei Dăscălescu, Teacher of Science and Educational Coordinator of the Summer School programme dedicated to middle school, has accepted this challenge and, alongside the team of teachers involved in the programme, invites middle school students to join a unique learning experience. 

Given the flexibility and diversity of the programme, every participant has the chance to discover their own approach to unraveling the intriguing mystery awaiting them upon completion of the programme.

More details about the programme, we find out from an interview with Andrei Dăscălescu and from the Summer School webpage.

How was the summer programme designed to be a relevant option for children aged 10 to 14?

Alongside my colleagues involved in the project, we devised the summer school programme to provide participants with flexibility and options based on their individual interests.

In the past, students were limited to selecting either STEAM or Expressive Arts. However, this year introduces a new approach with the introduction of a personalized program available to all participants. Children will be able to select their favorite activities from a list proposed by the teachers involved in the Summer School – Music Mystery, Exploring Detective Stories, Forensic Science, Cryptography, Public Speaking and Debate, Insight Investigators, Enigma Explorers, Creative writing, Reverse Engineering (available only in week 1).

Thus, they have the opportunity to choose 5 out of the 8 available domains, which they will then explore throughout the Summer School programme.

Variety is our central element, as we offer activities for science enthusiasts, music lovers, storytellers, or math passionates, to name just a few. Are you interested in science but would also like to try storytelling activities? You can easily choose to do so.

What is the theme of this year’s programme and how does it reflect in the daily activities?

This year’s activities are themed around “Detective Mystery” with the aim of engaging participants in solving an intriguing puzzle. Each daily activity is tailored to this theme, providing unique experiences to help children embody the role of detectives. For instance, science activities will take on the form of a Forensic Science club, where experiments involving fingerprinting, evidence collection, and hair analysis will be conducted.

The overarching goal of the programme is for participants to become proficient in their chosen fields and collaborate effectively as a team to unravel the mystery, all while enjoying the process.

Exact details of the mystery will be kept secret to maintain suspense throughout the programme.

What are the programme’s key moments?

Following each activity, children will receive an important clue to utilize at day’s end. Together with their peers, they’ll methodically attempt to unravel the mystery. By week’s end, they’ll unveil the entire narrative, discovering whether they successfully cracked the case.

Each day presents a fresh challenge, testing participants’ knowledge gained throughout the day and their teamwork skills. The prize? An advantage that could determine who solves the case.

We aim for participating students to genuinely relish this experience, viewing it as an exciting way to kick off their summer holiday. We understand the eagerly anticipated holiday, hence our programme is devised as a stimulating challenge, a fun-filled game, and a collaborative activity, rather than traditional lessons. In Summer School, more than ever, learning is experiential, game-driven, discovery-oriented, and enigmatic.

 

Avenor Summer School is an annual non-formal education programme, open to our students but also to children outside the Avenor community. Here, learning through discovery and play, trips, and outdoor activities is designed to bring much joy, enthusiasm, and unforgettable memories to the youngest participants, aged 2 to 6 years old. 

For more details about the advantages of participating in the summer programme dedicated to nursery students, we learn from Dora Crețu – Nursery Summer School Coordinator.

 

PROGRAMME PRINCIPLES

How was the summer programme designed?

The Summer School programme dedicated to nursery children, aged 2 to 6, takes place from July 1st to July 26th at the Avenor Cașin location. The space will be transformed throughout the summer to best respond to the two main themes of the Summer School – “The Artist in Nature” and “The Nature Detectives”.

The educational content we have prepared alongside the dedicated team of nursery teachers focuses primarily on outdoor activities, themed parties, movement games, trips and so on, with the objective of providing children with opportunities to explore, have fun, and make new friends.

What are the main advantages of participating in the Summer School programme?

One of the strengths of our summer programme lies in conducting all activities in English, providing children with a great opportunity to practice and acquire new skills in interacting with others in a foreign language. Looking back, it’s amazing how well children manage to communicate and relate, easily adapting to a new environment!

Moreover, for children who will start nursery at Avenor in September, Summer School offers a unique opportunity for integration and induction at the beginning of the school year, being a great time to get to know each other.

What are the most anticipated activities at Avenor Summer School?

The most anticipated activities at Summer School are usually those that provide children with opportunities for exploration and adventure, including trips and themed visits. Whether it’s a trip to the park or a visit to a farm, children are always ready for a new adventure and have plenty to tell and show when they return.

Another activity that brings much joy and fun is Water Fun Day. Full pools, water guns, and water-filled balloons delight children who never want to leave the water play.

Of course, themed parties such as ‘Holi Party‘ or ‘Art Party‘ are also of great interest to children as they encourage curiosity and a spirit of exploration.

OUR PRIORITIES

Thinking about the programme as a whole, what are the most important aspects for you as educational coordinator?

Considering the implementation of our Summer School programme, both as an educational coordinator and as a teacher, the main objectives we pursue when designing the Summer School programme are:

• Joy and enthusiasm, including creating an atmosphere where children feel motivated and excited to participate in educational and fun activities.
• Connection with nature, aiming to value the time spent outdoors through activities such as gardening or outdoor adventures.
• Promoting learning through play and practical experiences, allowing children to have fun and learn simultaneously.
• Creating unforgettable memories for children, where they feel appreciated, encouraged, and fulfilled by participating in memorable and enjoyable activities.

In conclusion, I can say that Summer School represents joy, laughter, opportunities, knowledge, and learning. It is a place where “we don’t prepare the path for the children, we prepare the children for the path!“

Dr. Elizabeth Hidson, Senior Lecturer in International Initial Teacher Training, visited Avenor in April and shared with us some of her findings in best practices when it comes to teachers training around the world. 

In Avenor she was impressed by the ‘Teachers for Teachers’ Programme and the complexity of the Teachers Capabilities Framework – an instrument created to guide each teacher in their own professional growth. 

 

Could you share a little bit of your experience with us? It must be fascinating to travel around the world and keep an eye on innovation in schools that could really create an impact. 

I’ve been in education for about 25 years. The first part of my career was in schools, as a school leader or in curriculum development, but I’m always a person who asks why? Why do we do this? 

And even 25 years ago I used to ask for evidence of why I should do a particular thing because as a person who was designing the curriculum, who was looking at school improvement school leadership, I always felt that we needed a very secure reason for doing certain things.

My day job is international initial teacher training, developing new teachers. On the other hand, I’m a research and knowledge exchange fellow.

The University of Sunderland has given me time and funding to find interesting and innovative things that I can be involved with, that would bring improvements that could then be identified as having an impact. 

My particular belief is that schools and teachers have the capacity to identify their own areas for development through evaluation, through action, through evidence informed practice, taking the best of what we know from education research, and taking what we understand of the context because the context is very important.

Pedagogy, theory and quality – all together in ‘Teachers for Teachers’ programme 

One of the things I’ve seen in Avenor is the ‘Teachers for Teachers’ programme.  It is as good as any school based initial teacher training that I’ve seen anywhere, because it’s really well thought through, the pedagogy, the theory and the quality are all there.

The really nice thing about the ‘Teachers for Teachers’ programme is that it’s not just a programme, it’s a two year programme with very high-quality experiences for them. I think these teachers are very lucky!

It’s very common for teachers to go and be in the school training up throughout the year; it’s usually one year full-time with or without payment. What I do is partner the university with schools to provide that practical input so that teachers are getting both. If they’re planning to be internationally mobile they need an understanding of where they’re going to work and the teacher registration requirements which vary. 

What else besides the ‘Teachers for Teachers’ programme draws your attention in Avenor? 

I’ve looked at the Teacher’s Capability Framework. Very interesting. You’ve got the idea of the novice and the expert and then if you start to think about impact and again, in the ecosystem of a school you’ve got things happening at the individual teacher level, at the department level, at the school level, and beyond. So there’s logic in the way that it is structured.

The nice thing about looking at the Teacher’s Capability Framework is that every time I pushed into it and thought about something and dropped new ideas in, it worked. I couldn’t find anything that was broken. It works really well together. I was making sure that you’ve got things growing vertically as well as so that you get better and better as an individual as well. Getting better and better as a member of a team, as a department, as a school and beyond.

We can do a lot of good in the classroom, but sometimes there’s a limit to sharing that so the next level is where you start to share things with other people, with other teams, with the departments and then macro sharing it in the whole school and outside of the school, like in the OECD project. It’s very interesting working with a global collective of schools to contribute to the development of something internationally robust.

We pay forward in education

I believe that parents that have access for their children to schools that invest a lot in teachers’ innovation are lucky  that they have this type of access but sometimes it’s very hard to explain all of this good and valuable work to parents. They have different ways to look at education. 

Maybe there was one teacher 20 years ago who said something and now you realise – my goodness that teacher had belief in me.

I think that the wonderful thing about internationally minded looking education is that you see yourself not just as an individual, but that you see yourself within a community, within a society and then to be able to give back to society to your country, to region. 

I think researchers and sometimes teachers tend to say this is this and it’s the right way to do it.  But I think it’s more important to foster enquiry, engage with an opinion.  

I think you are very lucky to be in a community where everybody is trying, testing, thinking twice. It counts a lot because it drives you to think it’s the same with teachers.  The sort of environments where teachers flourish are the places where there is club involvement and the communication with the community is very strong.  

I’ve lost track of how many schools I visited over the years, perhaps hundreds and hundreds of schools. And you walk into the school and then I think the test is: would you work here? Would you like your children to be here? 

In education, continuous learning and search for innovative practices and effective teaching and learning methodologies represent an ongoing process. Schools are not just places of learning; they are true networks that collaborate and experiment in search of the best solutions for students’ education.

Because we strongly believe in this approach, in September 2023, Avenor applied to become a member in the OECD Schools+ Network, a global initiative that provides a learning platform for schools worldwide. Learning within the network is done through the exchange of best practices and by building successful models that can be applied  later in the design of learning processes in schools.

Thus, our school, along with 140 other schools from 40 countries around the world, selected to be part of the network, is now involved in creating a Toolbox of Effective Classroom Practices. More than that, we are one of the 10 schools selected to lead one of the 5 projects of the OECS Schools+ Network initiative.

How we are working to achieve this goal, what we have learned from the project, and how we are furthering the experience within our school community, we learn from Dr. Mihaela Stancu – Romanian Language Curriculum Leader and co-leader alongside Dr. Daniela Vasile for the Network’s research group on Cognitive Engagement.

 

What was Avenor’s motivation for engaging in this project?

A few years ago, we set as a school-wide objective to continuously stimulate and challenge our students, prompting them to think and find solutions. In order for students to be stimulated, they need to be cognitively engaged throughout their learning process. 

Although we have made progress in this direction (measured through surveys and exam results), we persist in refining practical tools to accomplish this goal effectively in the classroom.

By joining this project, we have the opportunity for genuine dialogue with schools worldwide, sharing our experiences, learning from theirs, and tailoring various solutions identified to our unique learning context.

Ultimately, the aim of all participants is to enhance students’ cognitive engagement.

 

How does the network work?

The network comprises 140 schools worldwide, representing approximately 118,000 students. To facilitate collaboration within the network, six working groups have been formed, with each school having the opportunity to join one based on its expertise and collaborate throughout the year with the other five.

The six working groups are: Classroom Interaction; Cognitive Engagement; Formative Assessment and Feedback; Quality of Subject Matter; Social-Emotional Support; Transversal Group on Pedagogy in Less Resourced Contexts. Avenor is part of Working Group 2 – Cognitive Engagement – which we also coordinate, with the assistance of Dr. Daniela Vasile – Director of Learning. Alongside Daniela and myself, four other colleagues are involved in the project: Mihaela Ancuța – Mathematics Curriculum Leader, Mari Nicolae – Academic Learning Lead Primary, Cristina Bumboiu – English Curriculum Leader, and Tania Răduță – Acting Head of Nursery.

Group work is conducted through online sessions, with specific objectives that we aim to achieve from one meeting to another. These meetings enable us to engage in dialogue and exchange ideas with teachers from around the world, co-creating solutions for our common challenges. The fact that each participant brings unique perspectives and experiences in the group  makes the entire endeavor highly beneficial for all involved.

 

What have been the most interesting lessons learned so far in the project?

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects we’ve discovered is that there are no differences when it comes to the challenges we face, and our interests are common – teachers worldwide want to know how we can engage more our students in the learning process.

Another common challenge is that, at some point, we all have to answer students’ questions: “How is what I’m learning relevant to me?“

This led to a question – How can teachers create meaningful learning contexts and connections to the real world?

In our attempt to find an answer, the solutions proposed by our group colleagues have been some of the most significant lessons learned for me:

• Using a variety of real-world examples in teaching;
• Challenging students to ask themselves questions about what is truly relevant and what are the big ideas that matter;
• Introducing topics of interest to students, actively engaging them in conversation. Examples of such topics can include poverty, gender, racism, diversity, social media, and animal rights;
• Encouraging students to learn from each other – each coming from specific contexts with their own life experiences;
• Adopting a collaborative school-family working model;
• Encouraging students to get involved in their communities, to be concerned about local and global issues.

Looking ahead, what are the expectations from this project?

We, the Avenor team, are very excited about this project and everything it entails, and we eagerly await to see how the Toolbox of Effective Classroom Practices takes shape, hoping to eventually use it in our classroom activities.

From a broader perspective, the OECD Schools+ network is more than just an educational initiative; it is evidence of the power of collaboration and a shared vision in transforming learning experiences. Through their active participation, teachers from around the world set an example in terms of innovation and commitment to excellence.