EcclestonPrimary School Creativity Project 2007/08

The creativity project involved both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children and all staff. The objectives for the project were to raise standards in writing across the curriculum, and the development of key attributes and skills. The project was initially going to be for one term. Due to its success, we now use this cross curricular approach to planning each term, encompassing as many curriculum areas as is feasible without forging tenuous links. Creativity Project 2007/08

Wider resources Throughout the project we used loans and drew on the expertise from the museum and library services. These services have to be planned to be used in a way which is both sustainable and replicable. Creativity Project 2007/08

Core and Foundation Subject Focus Key Stage 1- Toys project, linking Science, Design Technology and History Key Stage 2- Egyptian project, linking Literacy, History and Art

Creativity Project 2007/08 Key Skills and Attributes Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 Creative Thinking Enquiry Information Processing Problem Solving Reasoning Self Awareness Motivation Social skills

TOYS Science Forces & Movement Pushes & Pulls Sorting toys Pushes/pulls can make objects speed up, slow down, change directionPushes/pulls can make objects speed up, slow down, change direction Investigations Measure distances travelled in appropriate standard/non-standard units Suggest questions about measurement Prediction Draw conclusions- what happened? Why? Numeracy Shape.space & measure Make kites- measure string, use different shapesMake kites- measure string, use different shapes Make pop-up puppets Nets Number partitioning into tens & units counting objects from toy shop History What do children already know about old toys? Comparison of Modern toys to old toys Describe artefacts Questioning skills Big book “Toys” & artefacts from museum service loan Sort toys into old/new- chronological order Role play- dolls house /furniture Oral source- visitor- question about the pastOral source- visitor- question about the past Trip to judges lodgings - report in NewsletterTrip to judges lodgingsreport in Newsletter Literacy Instructions for various sets of using toys How to make a kite booklet Checklists for instructions eg bossy verbs, sequencing Report of visitor’s visit to school Recount of trip to judges lodgings DT QCA unit- Winding Up Examples of toys with pulleys/winders How toys move- museum loan and visit museum curatorHow toys move- museum loan and visit museum curator Draw & label winding toys Look at and make models from kits Use nursery rhymes as focus for making own model using winding mechanismUse nursery rhymes as focus for making own model using winding mechanism Finished products Report in Newsletter PE- Dance Toyshop- toys come to life when shopkeeper leaves Tambour- Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite Use different body parts/shapes singly and in a combinations Sequencing a dance

EGYPT Display History Chronological understanding of Ancient Egypt Observe artefacts and make inference & deductionsObserve artefacts and make inference & deductions Record information Classify information in various ways Questioning skills Life in Ancient Egypt Research & record information Jigsaw (talk for writing) Literacy Stories with historical settings Character descriptions Speaking & listening- telling storiesSpeaking & listening- telling stories Review chosen book Produce story mountain & write own version of the storyProduce story mountain & write own version of the story Instructions- mummification Clay Investigate artefacts Draw containers/models Look at shapes/design/materials Design own object/containerDesign own object/container Manipulate clay to form object Art and Design Jewellery Investigate Egyptian jewellery Colours Shape Questioning skills- how did they make colours? Design jewellery with evidence from above Make jewellery Printing Investigate artefacts/ materials Objects Look at pattern, shape Design own border patterns Construct geometric pattern Print border pattern

Homes Class assembly Display Science Electricity Common appliances in the home Circuits Sorting and using materials Materials within the home, eg bricks, glass, plastics Investigations, fair testing Geography Mapping skills Journeys Field visit into local area- routes, road layout, street furnitureField visit into local area- routes, road layout, street furniture Types of houses History Questioning skills- historical artefacts, museum loanQuestioning skills- historical artefacts, museum loan Investigating artefacts eg dolly tubs, carpet beatersInvestigating artefacts eg dolly tubs, carpet beaters Role play- posser, other artefacts Compare and contrast homes now and thenCompare and contrast homes now and then Identify similarities and differences Describing own home Field visit into local area, age of buildingsField visit into local area, age of buildings Newsletter Literacy Poetry Nonsense verse Individual, group and class poem based on Jeremy JoeIndividual, group and class poem based on Jeremy Joe Adjectives Speaking to an audience Poems from personal experience Wrote poems about different types of homes eg. castles, house boats, cottage DT Design and make a house Skills- cutting windows, hinges, tabs, shell structuresSkills- cutting windows, hinges, tabs, shell structures Evaluation of finished product PSHE Safety in the home Road safety

Creativity Project 2007/08 Evaluation of the Project Plans and work have been scrutinised, and show evidence of cross curricular links and a focus on the development of skills. Children are given more opportunities for cross curricular writing. Moderation of writing and tracking evidence show an increase in standards of writing. Written work shows evidence of children’s improved enquiry skills, and there is an increased use of a range of sources of information. Discussions with children show evidence of some improvement in questioning skills- this will be an ongoing focus for school improvement. Children stated how they have enjoyed being able to handle and work with a range of artefacts. They have a greater awareness of links between subject areas, and are able to use skills in a range of contexts. All staff have been involved in monitoring the success of the project. Practice is becoming more embedded, particularly in Key Stage 1. Staff plan together, producing mind maps showing cross curricular links and identifying opportunities for cross curricular writing. This has developed staff confidence. Parents have been involved in the project from the outset, supporting work at home, coming to class assemblies, enjoying work in books and on display throughout school, and reading about the project in a our weekly newsletter.

Issues Whole school curriculum planning needs to be reviewed so that links between subjects are strong, not tenuous, to make the project worthwhile and real for children. Introduction of the project would have been more manageable in one Key Stage or one year group initially. Creativity Project 2007/08

What Next? We will continue to use this approach to planning of a skill based curriculum Continued use of the museum and library services Links with other organisations, providing visitors into school and visits into the community to support work in school Further development of cross curricular writingcross curricular writing Creativity Project 2007/08