Brokerage

Teachers can ensure that they have the subject and content knowledge to facilitate their project effectively but working with external partners means that students get a broader range of experiences and can connect their learning to the real world. In some cases, teachers may rely on a broker, such as

university education outreach or a Local Enterprise Partnership advisor, to connect them with external

partners. In others, they may use their own contacts through personal or professional networks. 

One BTEC teacher at DSFC relied on her existing contacts at Teesside University to put her in touch with external speakers and workplaces for two different projects: “You really do need experts, if you can get them. And you know what, it wasn’t that difficult to organize a guest speaker. Yes, it took a bit more effort but just look at what’s on your doorstep. There’s so much and you don’t need to go miles and miles away. We’ve got loads in the North East, so just be a bit creative and form contacts.” 

As teachers develop a network of contacts, they have a greater range of expertise to draw on when planning their projects.  External partners can also develop a teacher’s subject knowledge, particularly if the project is cross-curricular or integrates real world concepts which are new to the teacher, topical or link to the wider picture.