From Royd to Reggio

If we use the Reggio approach to enable the children to change the communal, non-classroom areas of our school environment, how does it affect their speaking and listening, thinking and creative skills over a period of time.

A common feeling between staff and pupils is that some of the school shared spaces are cold and uninviting. The children were asked how they felt about these spaces during the development phase and asked what they would like to change. The general outcome was they wanted 'somewhere like home, somewhere they can work and play' and 'somewhere they can take their parents/carers'.

Following further research on the Reggio approach, it is clear that the quality of the environment has a fundamental effect on children's well being.

Using the Reggio approach we want to enable the children to change the communal, non-classroom areas of our school environment. We want to see how enabling children to lead the learning in changing these spaces affects their speaking and listening, thinking, and creative skills over a period of time. To do this, Sarah Jane Palmer, Artist in Residence, will work closely with a teacher and a number of parents to facilitate the Reggio Emilia approach with a reception base of twenty-five children over two terms, working with an initial focus group of six pupils.