Alexander (2012, p.4) states:Pupils need for both learning and life, not only to be able to provide relevant and focused answers but also to learn how to pose their own questions and how to use talk to narrate, explain, speculate, imagine, hypothesise, explore, evaluate, discuss, argue, reason and justify. This project aims to develop quality discussion and debate in upper KS2 (pre-high school) through climate change and environmental issues.427BC is perhaps one of the ancient world’s best examples of an argument with something vital at stake with Diodotus arguing for clemency, and Cleon, “the most violent man at Athens”, opposing him. “The good citizen,” he insisted, “ought to triumph not by frightening his opponents, but by beating them fairly in argument.” We have seen the impact of arguments reflecting current agendas on the local, European and world stage: Brexit, Climate Change, world leaders and Social Media Intrusion have led to, not only heated arguments, but fights and even families and friends falling out. Have we lost the skill of debate? Can we not state our point of view without being insulting to those who hold a different belief? We want to create a positive learning outcome from recent public outbursts of anger and argument. We will, in this project, show children and young people how to debate fairly and to forge new skills to listen, explore other peoples' viewpoints and yet remain friends. This project will develop critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking experience (on a transnational stage), good oracy skills, conflict resolution, empathy, confidence and presentation skills. An independent evaluation of the first phase of The Plymouth Oracy Project proves that Oracy development improves pupil attainment, behaviour, confidence and attendance. Furthermore, disadvantaged pupils make significantly more progress and close the gap to their more affluent peers. This project will build upon the successes of the project to date and develop best practice materials and outcomes for discussion and debating in Key Stage Two and into Key Stage 3.

The Strategic Framework for Education and Training (ET 2020) for Europe has at its core the important target of reducing the number of young people leaving school early that become Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). According the EU statistics about young people and NEETs the countries involved in this project are all facing similar problems related to the youth’s disengagement from education, labour market and, in worst cases, from society. In 2011, 14 million young people 18-29 years in Europe were NEET - this problem is still an issue. In all four countries the situation of young people being excluded from education many through social disadvantage is an on-going problem. A radical new approach is required to create longer-term solutions. The project is based on a combined approach of early intervention, parental education coupled with active participation by young people falling into the risk category of becoming NEET to tackle this issue head-on developing a unique, innovative and inspiring project. This 3-year project aims to look at the causes, influences and barriers to education that result in so many young people becoming NEET. The many strands to this project aim strategically to explore what viable alternatives there are nationally and internationally to traditional learning models that contribute to the challenge faced by many young people in both the primary and secondary sector but also to the parenting behind these young people. The project will focus on engagement with schools, pupils, their families and local organisations working at grass roots to support pupils and their families to explore how collaboratively we can support pupils to remain in school/educational setting. We will also work with local businesses to scope how we can support young people in the world of work through better work experience models. To support these aims, objectives, and training activities we will develop seven Intellectual Outputs: • Baseline assessment • Early Identification Tool • Phase 1 of the World of Work Toolkit • Phase 2 of the World of Work Toolkit • Good Practice guidelines • Research & Analysis report • Good practice guidance There will be one multiplier event in Cardiff to promote the aims of the project and widen participation in the using resources and methodology developed. Pupils and staff from Wales and from partner regions will deliver workshops. Delegates will learn of the good practice and will be encouraged to become involved in this project through in order to widen the participation across Europe. There will be FOUR short exchange programmes for pupils – with opportunities for them to share experiences, develop pupil voice and develop as global citizens through inter-cultural dialogue. There will be THREE short-term joint staff training events for staff to share experience and develop approaches to working with pupils at risk of becoming NEETS. There will also be opportunities to work shadow while on the short-term study visits. The participants in this project include: 9 Schools 4 Local Authorities/Regional Authorities 1 social enterprise/non formal education – Non Governmental Organisation We will also involve local organisations who work at grass roots level with young people who are potential NEETS and local businesses, but not listed as partner organisations. As a direct result of this project, we expect to see increased engagement by pupils and their parents in education. The result from which will be raising in standards and a reduction in the number of pupils becoming NEET.

Our planet is shared by over seven billion people. While a small number of people use the majority of global resources and enjoy unfettered access to public services, too many people face extraordinary challenges in building dignified lives, free of poverty, powerlessness and fear. These inequalities result in unacceptable human deprivation. Our fragile planet is also under increasing environmental stress to the extent that we are transgressing planetary boundaries. According to the Future Generations (Wales) Report 2020, ‘never has the need to think and plan for the future been so relevant’. Thinking and planning long-term is something humans are capable of, but it requires certain ways of thinking and skills – these skills will be critical for our young people as they add their voices to questions such as: How we balance the needs of current and future generations? How we foster empathy for people that have yet to be born? How we balance resource use and our impact on nature to avoid dumping multiple problems on our children and the generations to come? How we become ‘good ancestors’? The aim of this project is to capture the imagination and creativity of pupils and teachers taking them on a journey through time into the deep past to explore their place in history, then to imagine 100 years into the future. The project has 3 parts all of which stimulate the development of creative skills and develop active citizenship :1. to take an expedition into the deep past to explore our place in history and share experiences through creative responses2. to imagine and share visions of the future we want to see in 100 years time through storytelling, letters and visual techniques3. to identify and start to take collective action in your class, school and wider community to build towards that positive future It will achieve this through teacher training ahead of each project exchange and pupil exchanges to share and create visions together. Throughout the project, we'll develop and pilot intellectual outputs so these kinds of activities can be used by other teachers and in the wider youth sector, that also make the best use of the blended learning techniques honed during COVID. These include baseline data produced in a way to engage learners, school communities and policymakers, online teacher training module in the project techniques and activities, recorded webinar and workbook in some of the creative techniques and an exemplar gallery to stimulate ideas. The target of the project is teachers and learners in primary and secondary schools, including special schools with some beneficial impacts in school communities and, of course, for future generations as more people become accustomed to long-term thinking, take account of our impacts on current and future generations and seek to live with everyone able to live a life of dignity and respect within planetary boundaries.