'traditional' or 'project based learning' school?

[Milkmanenvelope]

First thing - I'm not in the UK (but am from there originally).

We're looking into secondary school choices for my eldest here, and they divide into 2 main types:

• old schools, traditional, use textbooks, often religious background
• new schools, project based learning and/or multiples subjects studied together under one theme, tend to use mainly or exclusively iPads or laptops, no textbooks

Project based learning didn't exist when I was at school a million years ago in the UK (or if it did, I didn't notice it!) The traditional schools do tend to get slightly better results, but I am swayed by the arguments on the PBL schools that it teaches skills they will need to have in future (undefined problems, working in teams, needing to find out themselves what they need to learn).

Then I worry it's more important to get the fundamentals right first at school and worry about all that stuff later.

Can you wise people give me your insights?
Is one generally 'better' than the other, or does it depend on the kid? And if so, which type suits what type of kids better? FWIW my child goes to a primary school that organises learning into themes (bit like PBL?) and students are supposed to be responsible for their own learning blah blah blah. Seems to be going fine, but I didn't choose the junior school because of that, I chose it because it seemed nice and friendly and I wasn't too bothered at junior school about the learning philosophy of the school!

(And no, where we are, there don't seem to be any schools offering a mix of both. It's one or the other)

Sorry meant to add - which would you go for and why?

Traditional schools still teach all of those skills and when the children come to choose their subjects they really know what they are choosing.

It depends a lot on the child in my opinion. DD’s primary did a lot of project teaching, the topic of the term influenced all subjects and lessons often overlapped, everything was fairly loosely structured.

DD hated it, she was quite anxious as she loves routine but as the project covered so many areas she never really knew what would happen when and what was taught when.

She is. Ow at a traditional secondary, strict time table and she thrives, she knows exactly what is on when, the subjects are separated from each other.

I know other children who love the idea of leaning across subjects and do well.

So, I would go by your child, not by the system you like.

I agree I think it depends on the child. I would have hated PBL. Way too unstructured and confusing. But I imagine that Blue Sky thinker children might do really well under it.