Lord Puttnam CBE: excerpts from his speech at QCT conference, London
"To me, perhaps the most appealing aspect of the Quality Circle Time model is this notion of young people being given time explicitly to socialise with each other. One of the most attractive features of the Quality Circle Time model is its importance to get the aspirations and expectations of children right: but how much easier that becomes if the elements of the model relating to staff morale and “quiet time” are right.Teachers, just as children, must be propelled towards greater levels of self-respect and self-esteem, and a real sense of their own achievements.Clearly, I’m no expert on the idea of Circle Time, but the reason I am here is because I understand that it is a model which has demonstrated - is demonstrating – that by treating children as adults, they have the opportunity to enjoy a better childhood.It must be possible to take the ‘them and us’ culture of staffroom and classroom and create a learning community in which all are respected and valued.And, most of all, it must be possible to imbue even the most ‘difficult’ children with a sense of self-esteem and respect, a sense of community and culture, as sense of respect and responsibility.I’m really excited that your day had dawned. I wished this conference joy and genuine enlightenment, and I’m thrilled to have been allowed to be part of it."