‘Building the Future’: Educational research and development project on behalf of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was established to:

• Invest in young people whose aspirations and life chances are constrained by economic, cultural and social hardship
• Broaden access to the architectural, planning and associated professions
• Promote equality, diversity and social cohesion

The Trust’s focus of interest is the Built Environment sector and its mission is to promote inclusive access to that sector. The ‘Building the Future’ research and development project emerges from the Trust’s key mission.

The Trust has commissioned the Westminster Institute of Education at Oxford Brookes University to undertake research related to identifying and nurturing children’s and young people’s aptitude for occupations in the Built Environment and Urban Design, from construction to urban planning and architecture. The research will consider educational phases from primary to further and higher education, and will focus particularly on issues related to the achievement of Black and Minority Ethnic learners.

The project is in two main phases.

Phase 1 involves:

• a literature review synthesising existing knowledge about issues related to aptitude and educational approaches that lead to successful careers in occupations in the Built Environment (BE)
• empirical research seeking information on success factors and career trajectories from:
• Learners in the BE areas of construction, planning and architecture
• Employers
• Educators
• Trade and Professional workers in BE occupations.

Phase 2 involves:

• documentary survey and analysis of the current educational context and recommended practices to develop aptitude in BE domains
• devising and trialling approaches to identify and nurture this aptitude in children and young people from primary to post-compulsory phases of education.