Latest News

Arts, Projects

Confident Creators programme

blcadmin

Our schools firmly believe that the arts is an essential part of a child’s education, and using the arts as a tool for learning is a valuable skill for teachers to support pupils in their classrooms. Over the last 2 years we have been supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Teacher Development Fund ( https://www.phf.org.uk/funds/tdf/) to research and develop Using the Arts to develop Growth Mindset and embedding the arts into the curriculum through our joint programme with Windmill cluster and Pegasus Opera – Confident Creators. The programme has allowed 20 teachers a year to work in partnership with expert arts practitioners in Art, Music and Drama and involved over 1000 children using the arts to access Maths, Science, English, PSHE and cross curricula topics.

Key elements to the Confident Creators approach are a focus on supporting the arts process (rather than the outcome), encouraging children to talk about their learning, question, reflect, try again, and working collaboratively.

Whilst the pandemic meant we had to halt our face to face teacher and classroom sessions, we have been able to resume teacher training online and are now producing a suite of resources that use the rich learning from the project to support any teacher in the future to use the arts in their classroom.

Science

Science Magic Show for year 3s across our schools

ArtsEdTech

In November, we made the most of digital opportunities to invite Science Magician Dr Matt Pritchard to make a Science Show for us, and host a live streamed Question and Answer session for 9 year 3 classes across the cluster. This project was part of our Ogden Trust Schools Partnership programme supporting Physics teaching and learning across our schools.  The 40 minute show Dr Pritchard produced was packed full of curiosity – optical illusions, exploring the sometimes extraordinary way forces work on objects and asking the questions – what is happening?  and the next steps – What if?  The children had many questions for Dr Pritchard when he joined them live on the their whiteboard screens after the show and were able to see some of the investigations again, with an explanation on what was happening….. whilst one or two he kept for them to keep wondering about!  We are delighted to be able to continue working with Dr Pritchard as he designs and tests more resources that he is developing for Ogden Trust over the coming months.  

 

 

Uncategorized

New Virtual sports challenge in partnership with Fulham Football Foundation and Girls United FA

ArtsEdTech

.We are delighted to have built up a brilliant partnership with Fulham Football Foundation, Girls United Football Association, Black Prince Trust and Powerleague over the last year. Sadly plans to organise our girls football league and other fixtures have had to be put on the back burner for a while, but children have been keeping active! Several schools have been taking part in the weekly challenges set by our partners, designed for all ages of primary children to complete and develop their skills over the weeks. Filmed  challenges are sent weekly, then staff in schools promote to the children and off they go! 

Uncategorized

Brixton Townscape Heritage podcasts and films – well done Evelyn Grace and St Gabriel’s students!

blcadmin

During lockdown, some talented students from St Gabriel’s College and Evelyn Grace Academy, together with students from Trinity Academy, made sure they were making the most of their time outside school curriculum at home. They worked with partners The Brixton Project to produce a fantastic series of podcasts and films about Brixton – its history and their own associations with it.
If you want to find out more about Brixton and its rich cultural heritage – tune into the students’ excellent work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JptGbT_GVy4&t=3s

Thanks to The National Lottery Fund and Lambeth Council for giving this opportunity and to all the staff at school who helped.

Uncategorized

Lambeth Larder launch of Covid 19 crisis response website

blcadmin

A wealth of resources and a new dynamic map of Lambeth can now be found on the updated Lambeth Larder website, allowing users to easily search for and find local assistance related to the pandemic.

This includes where to find emergency food provision, advice and other support services in the borough as well as details of volunteering opportunities and where items can be donated.

To explore the response map visit the updated Lambeth Larder website here

Uncategorized

Madame Kalamazoo’s Magical Mail – holiday stories from National Theatre digital

blcadmin

Madame Kalamazoo’s Magical Mail

Brought to you via email from the National Theatre

Would you like a visit from Madame Kalamazoo this summer?

Madame Kalamazoo is a mysterious storyteller who arrived from the Blue Moon at the start of lockdown. She writes funny daily stories for children and will send them to you for FREE via the National Theatre by email. The magical thing about her stories is that they have your children in them as the main characters!

These imaginative stories have been written to help young people get through the unusual times we are living in and to invite them into a community of children all receiving their own special Kalamazoo adventures each day.

If your children choose to, they can go a step further than simply reading and can contribute artwork and ideas to help move the stories along. Their artwork can be sent via a magical route to other children also receiving Madame Kalamazoo’s Magical Mail.

Families receiving Madame Kalamazoo’s Magical Mail already have been loving their daily stories and have had this to say:

“Madame Kalamazoo has been such a welcome distraction and breath of fresh air. Every day my son wakes up asking if Madame Kalamazoo has sent a letter and he’s really thrilled when it arrives. Thank you, Madame Kalamazoo.”

If you would like your children to be part of the growing community of children receiving their own special, daily stories from Madame Kalamazoo this summer, then please pre-register with the National Theatre here.

Uncategorized

The latest newsletter from our fantastic arts partner Pegasus Opera Company

blcadmin

As a group of schools we have benefited so much from a strong partnership with Pegasus Opera Company, based in Brixton and dedicated to supporting, developing and celebrating BAME opera performers. Pegasus has worked with our schools on celebrating Black British music, Black Georgians and for the last 2 years has been our artist practitioner partner on our Paul Hamlyn Foundation funded Confident Creator programme. Their work goes from strength to strength, as demonstrated in their newsletter, linked here.https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/?tab=wm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgxwJWjCrLTKZwZTbXNbxsBKcFXvh