Future Creative

Astor of Hever Community School Enquiry Project

The aim is to focus the students on their learning and reflect on their progress to improve. We feel that being able to manage themselves, work as a team and think creatively in KS3 will enable them to attain higher grades as independent learners in KS4 and beyond. Many of the students have low self confidence in their learning, students have already “failed” the 11 plus when they come to us and have little confidence in their own ability. We feel that by raising expectations, giving structure to lessons and showing students the relevance of their learning they will want to achieve in line with developing skills through a creative curriculum. Sense of Identity Aim: To Create a template for the future Aim: Aspiration Raising

Working with practitioner Sian Stevenson a small production team of around 8 Year 7 pupils will devise a storyboard looking at questions such as “What does our school do that others don’t?” “Why is Astor of Hever great?” “ What are the benefits of Creative Learning?” The production team will be created by students who have applied to be a member and who are then voted in through the school counsel system used in school. The aim is to answer these questions using presentations and film to provide students with an understanding of their own learning, the opportunity to compare their learning with others and to enable them to see positive aspects to their school. The production team will work with Sian to select a larger group of 70 pupils to work on the enquiry, primarily Year 7 students but with additional support from Sixth Form. Any outcomes generated (presentation and film) will be seen by feeder primary schools, other staff and pupils across the school and parents to raise positive profile of Astor of Hever with a focus on the enquiry based learning in Year 7. The delivery will start in February and run through 10 Thursdays. Sian will be lead practitioner but a filmmaker will also be bought in to deliver at two or three of the sessions alongside Sian. Sian’s drama background will be key to unlocking confidence and aspirations of the group and to ensure the presentation (both live and captured on film) is of a high quality.

If pupils begin to discover the good things about their school and they enjoy the project they will talk positively to other classmates.