There aren’t too many parallels between Silicon Valley and Ilkley All Saints’ Teacher Training Partnership. We spend less time behind our computer screens, for starters, and I imagine our pay packets are fairly different. But we have decided to bring a bit of the tech world to our programme this year by introducing something that we have tentatively called “Google days”.

It is, as far as we’re aware, unique to us in terms of teacher-training programmes, but it’s an idea that comes from the tech giant: Google has been known for offering its staff the option of using up to 20 per cent of their on-the-job time to work on side projects of their choice.

Why would it do such a thing? Well, it’s all about creating a culture of trust and innovation, and it reportedly resulted in groundbreaking creative endeavours (Google Maps is said to have first taken shape in this enterprising space). While recent reports cast doubt over the extent to which this policy still operates at Google - and some have suggested that, in fact, not many staff take up the offer - we have found our version certainly works for our trainees.

Now, we’re not expecting our trainee teachers to create billion-dollar products, but the idea of giving them the trust to explore their own space and to show them we believe they are a diverse and uniquely talented group did appeal. Unfortunately, 20 per cent of a trainee’s time would mean a lot of lost teaching that would ultimately prove problematic for numerous reasons, not least workload. So, we have settled for one day per term initially, with the option of more time should they request it.

Answers on a postcard

When we introduced the concept at the start of the year, trainees’ reactions were mixed, ranging from excitement to confusion and curiosity. Some were initially happy just to have a “day off” school, while others were confused about the rationale.

We needed to explain the proposal carefully so they fully understood that this was not a catch-up day or a day off, but a time to really explore their passions and indulge their curiosity. However, communicating the underlying principle of how the day should be used can be tricky, not least because what the trainee does or thinks during this free space should not be dictated or influenced by those who set the teacher-training programme - that’s the whole point.

So, we explained that the opportunity to engage in side projects or personal development that might not be rooted in orthodox forms of CPD was important for their development as professionals. And we were keen to ensure that they didn’t feel obliged to produce “work” from these sessions for the benefit of looking busy; we have not produced any formal way of monitoring their activity during these days. Rather, we have asked them to send a postcard reflecting on their time spent on a Google day.

We have just received a batch of these, which have revealed the diverse ways in which our trainee teachers have used their days.

One was researching, networking and blogging about mental health, while another was learning how to build an insect diorama. One early years foundation stage trainee opted to brush up on how to play the ukulele to support teaching, and another visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park to apply some newly developed art-interpretation skills.

Some will read the above with scepticism about what we are doing. Indeed, we’ve met plenty of people from across the education profession who have struggled to grasp the logic of the approach. It’s understandable, considering the restrictions and accountability culture that exist in the profession. Changing mindsets and fundamental beliefs about how we train and learn takes time and patience. And “outcomes”, in terms of impact on their training and then their teaching, would be very difficult to ascertain.

But we want to unpick the old notions of how best to train teachers. We know that our teachers must be well equipped to tackle the demands of the classroom as it stands today, and that they must have the necessary knowledge and skills to be effective in their roles.

They also need to be trusted as teachers and individuals; how much conventional teacher training really shows the trust we have in them? Google days are one great way of saying, “yes, we trust you, we believe you have the skills and the self-regulation to do something great on your own without us dictating everything to you”.

At present, the opportunity is only offered to our trainees, not existing teachers, but as we continue to develop the idea and monitor its success, there is potential for the concept to be taken up by schools more widely and used by all staff. We are excited to find out how our staff might use that time and what wonderful things they create.

Chris Whitehead is the initial teacher training lead at Ilkley All Saints’ Teacher Training Partnership in Yorkshire

This article originally appeared in the 6 December 2019 issue under the headline “Giving trainees a free day to do what they want”