To fully realise the potential of the Excelerate investment, partner schools must be committed to long-term transformational change.
The goals are interconnected and, before we can hope for the ultimate goals, there must be sustained and constant connection to the other goals.
Action inspired by the Excelerate investment will empower young people to thrive by enabling schools and partners to deliver high-quality, diverse learning opportunities and pathways that further realise the opportunities of Scotland’s curriculum. Hear more about the investment from The Wood Foundation's Programmes Director Georgea Hughes.
Excelerate provides opportunities to inspire and empower education practitioners and school communities to deliver meaningful, impactful, and context-driven learning opportunities that root the curriculum in the real world.
It is an ambitious investment founded on three years of intensive research into international education models which demonstrate the impact of progressive and innovative pedagogical structures prioritising knowledge-engaged, rather than knowledge-rich, education.
Excelerate aligns with The Wood Foundation's programme design principles which include a commitment to collaboration, medium to long-term approaches, and informed by professional standards and policy.
Immersive, collaborative professional learning opportunities
Ongoing network support
Project-based, interdisciplinary, and expeditionary learning approaches
Small learning communities
Focussed skills development
Structural change
Distributive leadership and collaboration among practitioners
Meaningful and impactful business and community partnerships
Excelerate was launched in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council in late 2019, engaging Banff, Kemnay, Portlethen, and Alford Academies as the first cohort to benefit from immersive professional learning, collaborative partnerships, and the appointment of a dedicated staff member (meet the team).
We are pleased to have welcomed Aboyne, Bucksburn, Harlaw, Mackie, Mintlaw, Oldmachar, St Machar, Northfield, and Turriff, Dyce, Peterhead, Arbroath, and Forfar Academies to the Excelerate network.
Schools commit to the partnership for a period of up to eight years in order to embed system change. The partnership agreement is reviewed annually.
Have a look at the Ford NGL Road Map, Inspiration and Impact. Each school community is unique and all learning is cascaded and developed in a context-driven way.