Welcome to the Social Pedagogy Development Network

In 2009, we founded the Social Pedagogy Development Network (SPDN) together with key partners from the Thomas Coram Research Unit, the National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care, and Jacaranda Recruitment as a way to connect different developments around social pedagogy in the UK. We wanted to provide a platform for dialogue and learning from each other, sharing experiences and creating further momentum. Very quickly the SPDN has become a grassroots movement for people and organisations who are interested in social pedagogy and want to nurture its development at a local and national level. The network is underpinned by social pedagogic principles about engaging in open dialogue, of valuing people and their experiences, of connecting with others in a democratic way. As facilitators, our focus lies on providing the conditions for all participants to engage with each other and with those themes or issues that they feel most passionate about, thus laying the ownership for the SPDN in their hands.

The SPDN is based on the idea that change happens through people, and their passion to pursue what matters to them is fundamental and therefore worth nurturing. Following Margaret Mead’s words, the SPDN aims to bring together small groups of thoughtful, committed citizens in order to do no less than change the world by developing a better understanding of social pedagogy. You can find out more about the SPDN's vision and read about previous SPDN events. We have also drawn together a map outlining the developments of social pedagogy in the UK. For further information about the Social Pedagogy Development Network and to join the movement, please email us.