When we first started to work together in autumn 2018, we could not have foreseen how the years ahead would unfold. The pandemic presented us with challenges, but our positive experiences were also shaped by it. Travel was out of the question for 18 months, which meant that we were not able to visit the school in Seville or to meet up physically. However, just like everyone else, as we got used to using Microsoft Teams more effectively we found ourselves having more contact with our colleagues and deepening our collaboration.

The project objectives were met, not just in the materials we have produced, although we are pleased to be able to share these with anyone who is interested; we also learned more about international cooperation, further improving our project working through our participation.

The results of the project are available here, and this content is still being added to. Here you will find the content we have produced as set out in our original funding application, the Intellectual Outputs as they are known in Erasmus terminology. We have more resources to share, including those elements of our work which did not make it into the final Outputs, but which were, nonetheless, useful to our understanding of the topics. The wider research area of The Learning Institute website is currently being updated, so do check in from time to time to see what is new.

Erasmus is a collaborative programme and we have forged stronger links with our partners during our work. Not only have we learnt from each other, but we have also found ways to continue our joint work into new areas. Links with Devon and Cornwall Police are strong, with prospects for TLI offering training opportunities in the future. Four of the partners are involved in our Erasmus project on Natural Schooling, now entering an exciting phase of delivery following the recent transnational meeting hosted at our Roche base. Alongside these more formal connections, we have grasped opportunities for visits and online meetings, exchanging knowledge and student experiences. As individual colleagues move on in their careers, to other organisations, they take these links with them, and we make more connections. In addition, last June, we were delighted to host a very successful online event, where we shared our project outputs, but also heard from a range of speakers and held participatory workshops which were lively and well received.

A key area of work, and another way in which we are taking forward the legacy of our projects, is the development of our Research Interest Groups (RIGs). These provide a new forum for sharing ideas, developing resources, planning research, and offering supportive evaluation. Each RIG has an area of focus and membership is open to teachers, researchers, and students from both within and outside The Learning Institute. In this way we hope to increase our level of scholarly activity and to have a greater impact. The current RIGs include groups on ACEs, domestic abuse, interdisciplinary working, menopause, natural schooling, safeguarding, and widening participation. To find out more about the RIGs or to get involved, please contact the team via research@learninginstitute.co.uk. We plan to hold a launch event for the RIG approach in spring next year - details to follow.