Welcome to the Open Futures story

Helping teachers to build children's ability to think and to do.

Watch the film

The Open Futures Story

Follow the story of how Open Futures evolved from an initial concept into a radical pedagogy supporting over 80,000 primary aged children.

Learn More

2002

2003-04: Setting the scene

The Helen Hamlyn trust focusses on reaching children at the earliest stages of their education.

2003–04

2004: R&D phase – who is doing what?

How to bring existing school-based programmes together and place them at the heart of the curriculum?

2004

2005: Concept and partners

Partnerships are established to develop an integrated programme

2005

2005-06: First pilot – growit cookit

Ten schools on the South Coast become the first Open Futures schools

2005–06

2006-08: An emerging pedagogical approach – askit growit cookit filmit

The project grows with more schools and Philosophy 4 Children underpins the Open Futures pedagogy

2006–08

2008-10: Working with Wakefield

A major partnership sees a third of all schools in Wakefield join the programme, enabling the programme to consolidate

2008–10

2010-17: Expansion and diversification

Open Futures expands to focus on four urban areas of high deprivation.

2010–17

2017-18: Looking to the future

Open Futures pedagogy is re-housed as part of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy at the UCL Institute of Education

The Open Futures approach to learning

Access Open Futures resources created by our expert Curriculum Team and partners. These include publications, videos, lesson plans, recipes, activity sheets, equipment lists, health and safety information and lots of other resources to support the introduction, organisation, embedding and sustainability of the Open Futures approach.

askit

Helping children to develop their ability to question, to reason, to hypothesise and, above all, to communicate

askit resources

growit

Engaging children with the wonders of growing fruit and vegetables whilst supporting literacy, numeracy and science

growit resources

cookit

Giving children the opportunity to really understand where their food comes from and how it relates to who they are

cookit resources

filmit

Providing an inspiring introduction to the world of digital filmmaking, deepening learning in science and developing literacy

filmit resources

View all resources

The Open Futures Story

The Open Futures approach to learning

Open Futures pioneered a way of letting children learn through thinking and doing