Signature schools — Learning First

Bermuda’s Signature Schools

Schools and learning programmes that enable students to develop the skills, knowledge and relationships to follow their passions, build on their talents and achieve their career and further education aspirations.

Signature Schools offer Signature Learning Programmes, which blend academics with real-world, project-based learning focused on technical and industry skills within and beyond school. The First Signature Schools open in September 2022, at The Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy.

Each senior school will continue to have a core curriculum (including English, Maths, Science and Social Studies) and develop foundational transferable skills (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, digital fluency, etc). In addition, each senior school offers two signature learning programmes. Each signature will be offered in two modes:

a major signature, taking up 20%, one fifth, of a student’s learning time
a minor signature, taking up 10% of a student’s learning time

Each student will be expected to have a major and a minor signature. Students with a strong passion for their major signature will be able to follow that on an extended basis (up to 30% of their time) and not take an alternate minor signature. Over time, signatures will be delivered through blended learning (a combination of face-to-face and on-line) enabling students to do their major signature in their school and a minor signature with another school.

Learn more about the Signature Learning Programmes being offered by The Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy.

What’s different about our schools?

Our public schools are changing to help children and young people to follow their passions and interests, build on their talents and capabilities, and achieve their future goals.

From what is taught in the curriculum and how teachers teach, to where learning happens, how students are assessed and what it feels like to belong at school - change is happening thanks to the hard work of hundreds of educators, families and community members who have co-designed new approaches for our schools.

Find out more here about what’s different about Bermuda’s schools thanks to Education Reform.

Developing Signature Learning Programmes

Signature Learning Programmes have been developed in collaboration with teachers, students, parents, community members and business leaders. Since 2020, Bermudians have been invited to participate in design teams to develop design principles for Bermuda’s public schools, identify the priorities for school transformation, share ideas for what a new approach to schooling and learning might look like, and work alongside system leaders and subject-matter experts to design new curricula, teaching practices, learning environments, graduate outcomes and approaches to teacher professional learning.