Students from Shireland Collegiate Academy took centre stage at the Making Education Relevant event, sharing their experiences of the Dupoto programme. They explored how technology, student voice and personal development could help make education more meaningful to young people.
Held at the Shireland Training Centre in Oldbury, the event brought together educators, students and other voices from across education to consider a central question: what makes learning genuinely relevant to the young people experiencing it?
Discussions and presentations explored a range of themes, including identity, inclusion, leadership, student voice, future aspirations and international perspectives. Together, they examined how schools could create learning experiences that connected more closely with students’ lives, ambitions and the wider world.
There were a number of speakers helping to bring those different perspectives together, including Dupoto co-founder Elfyn Wyn Jones, whose career has spanned teaching, school leadership, design and education innovation. His work with young people, educators and organisations across different countries and cultures has led him to examine what makes education relevant and how schools could respond to the changing needs and experiences of students.
Students from Shireland brought their own experiences to the discussion, showcasing their Dupoto journeys and sharing how the programme has supported their learning, wellbeing and personal development. They talked about how they had applied the approach in practice and how technology could be used for more than simply accessing information. It also helped them reflect on their experiences, recognise their strengths and consider where they wanted their education to take them.
Dupoto is an external organisation that works with schools to support learning, wellbeing and personal development. Its territory mapping approach uses visual tools to help students reflect in their identity, direction and personal growth. The programme combines reflection with real-world challenges, leadership development and curriculum integration.
School Principal, Thomas Daly, said: “Our role as educators is not simply to prepare students to pass examinations, but to give them the knowledge, confidence and experiences they need to navigate an ever-changing world. That means creating opportunities for students to connect what they learn with who they are, the communities they belong to and the futures they want to build.
“Making Education Relevant reflects that ambition. It was particularly powerful to see our students not simply talking about their learning but contributing to a much wider conversation about what education can and should mean for young people. Their confidence, curiosity and willingness to challenge ideas are exactly the qualities we always aim to nurture at Shireland.”
The students’ contribution formed part of a wider conversation about how education could remain more connected to the realities of young people’s lives. By bringing together educators, students and different perspectives, Making Education Relevant provided a platform to consider how schools could better support young people. The discussion looked beyond academic achievement to the confidence, self-awareness and sense of purpose students need for their futures.