‘Broaden your horizons - it’s a big world out there!’ – Wheeler Primary School
Wheeler Primary School has identified within their School Evaluation Framework (SEF) a need to develop our multicultural awareness and to further include it in our curriculum.
As the school becomes more diverse, their planning has been refined to encompass the opportunity to broaden children’s awareness and understanding of different cultures. Art, drama, dance and music are seen as the perfect vehicles for introducing a range of cultures to their children.
They see this project is a perfect springboard from which to launch a multi-cultural exploration of creative learning.
Enquiry Question:
How can we improve attainment by broadening children’s awareness of the wider world and ensuring a readiness for learning?
Project Description:
‘Broaden Your Horizons’ aims to develop children’s awareness of different cultures and of the wider world, by engaging with a range of practitioners who will deliver a series of activities, using music and particularly drumming.
There are now 16 different languages spoken across the school and with this comes an invaluable opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions.
Pupils, governors and staff were involved with the process of recruiting the practitioners – one film maker, Jon Robson, and two musicians, Gary Hammond and Peter Moran. It is hoped that these practitioners will bring the necessary skills and experience that they require to deliver the project.
Classes have been identified to work alongside the practitioners on a variety of sessions that they will actively plan with them. The direction of these sessions will be dependent upon the pupils’ ideas. As part of this process the planning stages will involve much talking and communicating of ideas. Practitioners and class teachers will plan collaboratively prior to sessions and review them afterwards.
It is envisaged that Gary Hammond will work with four classes over a five week period combining music making with creative writing. Peter Moran will work with 6 classes over a six week period introducing drumming from across the world and placing particular emphasis on gamelan drumming.
Running parallel to this is the use of their film suite and equipment, to record processes and outcomes along the way. Children will be encouraged to record their experiences through film. They will choose what to record and share with the rest of the school via ‘The Big Screen’ set up in the school hall. Parents and carers will be invited to view these films at a performance assembly.
To facilitate this process a series of staff CPD sessions will be delivered to further develop staff film making skills, to improve confidence in using the film suite, and to ensure that children build on skills developed in year 1 of the Change Schools programme.
Project Outcomes:
The school would like to continue the positive impact of their ‘Big Screen’ project from year 1 of their Change School journey, because it engaged and motivated their pupil's learning.
Wheeler Primary School is at the heart of a Regeneration Area and as part of this change, there are now a number of different languages supported within the school and Children’s Centre. This project is planned to launch a multi-cultural exploration of creative learning.
The creative agent and creative practitioners will plan and deliver a parent workshop, where parents can come along and experience working with musical instruments alongside their children.
After their experience of working with the practitioners, it is envisaged that classes will use these experiences to inspire future work around cultural diversity.
