‘Cultural Capital’ is Key for Potential in Prison Education

At our recent Quality Improvement Group launch, our Novus lead for Creative Enrichment, Sarah Hartley, laid out the barriers to success in prison education. She mentioned how a focus on 'cultural capital' plays a significant part in preparing our learners for their next steps, aiding in custody and on release.

We understand that learners need to be given opportunities in order to aspire and be successful academically. It helps in the wider areas of their lives as they develop the experience and knowledge that they can draw upon.

Granting them experiences through the development of cultural capital supports them with rehabilitation. It helps them become successful after release from prison.

But what is cultural capital?

It was important for us to demystify the term ‘cultural capital’ and as an organisation define what it means to us.

Identifying what the term means helps to create a mutual understanding. This is important to ensure colleagues are open to embracing new ways of working.

This leads to the end goal, which enhances the quality of our teaching.

In anticipation of us embracing this new way of working, we have engaged in conversation with our colleagues.

We have asked them what cultural capital means to them.

We also want to understand how they think it should be identified. With this knowledge, we can give structure and guidance to learners.

Our definition needed to work in three ways:

1. It needs to be accessible to colleagues.
2. It should consider the needs of learners.
3. It needs to appreciate the range of ways that leaners can develop cultural capital.

Cultural capital refers to a person’s knowledge of connections and references we make to the wider world, giving opportunities to access new concepts and experiences and to encourage learners to develop new interests. Developing an individual’s cultural capital empowers them to confidently participate in life in modern Britain and become well-rounded members of society.

We carefully plan all our curriculums. This helps us introduce topics in contexts which embed the values, knowledge and beliefs of modern British society.

Through this, we aim to deliver a holistic learning experience aimed at supporting learning and mental wellbeing. We try to encompass the knowledge and skills required to achieve the learners’ qualifications and so much more.

How is this focus on cultural capital helping guide our strategy for prison education?

Ofsted previously remarked that “inspectors aren’t inspecting cultural capital; they’re looking at whether the (school) provides a rich and broad curriculum. A great curriculum builds cultural capital.”

Our leaders take on or construct an ambitious curriculum. Together, we design a curriculum that is designed to give all learners the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. In particular, we look after the most disadvantaged learners. We want to ensure that everyone, including those with special educational needs, disabilities (SEND) or high needs, has the knowledge and cultural capital that they need to succeed in life.

Ofsted are looking not just at one aspect of a curriculum, measured in terms of exam grades. We are taking on a more holistic view of education that encompasses many angles.

Ofsted places an emphasis in their grading on the quality of curriculum. Provisions are rated positively if they provide a rich and broad curriculum. Such a curriculum in turn builds cultural capital.

We have projects underway that address this need for variety. Our colleagues and partner organisations form our culture pipeline. They engage learners in enrichment activities, which increases their appreciation for learning. It also helps enhance their cultural immersion.

Methods of teaching in prison differ vastly from mainstream education, and from the ways that many people recognise. We operate in secure environments with an increased need for creative approaches.

We have limited access to learners. In turn, they have limited access to resources outside of class.

This incentivises us to enhance our provisions and make our impact more efficient.

The average learner in mainstream education has access to cultural learning outside of class. However, the learners in prison are largely cut off from outside sources of culture.

By embedding this approach, we have the best chance at engaging prison learners and maximising their time with us.

We’ve seen success in the past in our approaches to digital and functional reading skills training.

We embedded them across the curriculum, but we also upskill our educators. By doing this, we have been able to reach as many learners as possible.

How we’re supporting our educators in prisons to deliver on cultural capital

Colleagues are encouraged to consider digital literacy and the use of modern technologies.

These new ways of working increase our engagement with the world outside of prison. We have worked to provide training to our team, upskilling our staff in our new cross-curriculum approach. This helps to make sure they are fully equipped to deliver an education fit for a digital, cultural world.

We go beyond CPD opportunities. Our teams work to produce resources matching current affairs and celebration dates. This helps to make sure that our education opportunities are always timely and engaging.

We’ve worked with the National Justice Museum, Tate Liverpool, and Odd Art, among many others. They help to provide our learners with the skills, knowledge, and experiences that are so vital to being able to reintegrate into society.

We pride ourselves on this fresh focus and novel approach. We also ask our teachers and leaders to consider different ways in which their curriculum areas can integrate cultural capital. The end goal of this is clear. We want learners to receive a well-rounded and inclusive learning experience no matter which subjects they take with us.

A focus on cultural capital will bring about new ways of learning for prisoners in England and Wales. This approach is all about giving learners the opportunity to develop their cultural knowledge. We want them to have new experiences and broaden their hobbies and interests.

All of this is to enhance their personal and social development skills, which helps with their reintegration.

Interested in working with us? Contact us today to discuss how Novus can help.