‘Thinking outside’, 2008-09
Creative Partnerships BDR
Armthorpe Tranmoor Primary School, Doncaster

Gillian was Lead Creative Partner, working with the staff and children to research: Can the use of the outdoors maximise opportunities for creative learning in the delivery of a topic-focused curriculum?

Gillian and staff created six mini projects, one per half term, each working with one year group and using their current topic as a starting point. The projects took place outside, whatever the weather. The theme for the whole programme was building structures and the curriculum focus was the practical applications of maths.

Y6 built shelters to hide in as they 'escaped across Europe from the Nazis' (WWII topic)
Y2 built homes for pets (Pets topic)
Y5 built working shadufs (Ancient Egypt topic)
Y1 built a large castle (Castles topic)
Y4 built an ecovillage (Environment topic)
Y3 made a 3-D map of Armthorpe (Armthorpe topic)

Gillian also delivered some training days for staff on creative ways to work outdoors.

The programme has had a very positive impact in the school community with the staff and artist developing good working partnerships. Staff seem much more confident about working outside on larger scale projects. It has shown that if the will and resources are there, there are lots of creative ways to deliver aspects of the curriculum outside.

The vast majority of the children really enjoyed their experiences of working outside with the artist. The project highlighted that practical activities are engaging to most children and give opportunities to learn and apply skills and knowledge in a realistic situation.

The weather proved not to be the barrier to working outside that most people believed it would be.

All images © Gillian Brent