Fair Trade? Empowering special needs students.

Centre for Urban Education

Through exploration and expression of creative experiences pupils with special educational needs were empowered to make informed choices and take responsible actions as active young citizens. Melland High School is due to move to a shared location with a local mainstream high school. Pupils from Cedar Mount were invited to take part in the project to encourage peer working before both schools moved to their new site in 2008.

The young peoples questioning techniques have been improved. The terminology that they have picked up is great and they have been really supportive of each other. Never once have they said that they didn’t want to take part they were all really excited about taking part’.

Objectives

Ten KS4 students will gain increased knowledge of global connections. Specifically how their decisions as consumers affect the lives of others. Students will participate in a number of creative workshops to demonstrate their increased understanding through questioning and discussion. Twelve (6 KS3 and 6 KS4) pupils will develop a shared understanding and be informed by the process of change to assist in decision making in the development of a newly shared identity.

Ambitions

The project has resulted in many unexpected outcomes. One of the pupils that took part in the project will be starting a work placement with WFA in the summer. The project has had a real impact on WFA as an organisation. WFA were able to try out new approaches with non-mainstream pupils which was a first for the organisation. The project has given WFA a lot of confidence as an organisation and they have developed new skills from the teachers. As a consequence WFA are taking an SEN group into a First Light project (Arts Council England).

The school were able to build a relationship with Cedar Mount High School which will carry forward to the new site and enable further collaborative working.