Welcome to the Engaging Places network case studies. I hope you enjoy them and find them as inspiring as we do.
Teachers partcipating in one of the Engaging Places network workshops © Alys Tomlinson
The Engaging Places network of 2008/09 was a huge success due to the hard work and creativity of all involved. The network included 16 schools, 13 learning providers and approximately 290 students! The partnerships worked to produce school-based projects which pushed educational boundaries and challenged young people to engage meaningfully with, and consider differently, the world around them.
The network participants worked hard, going through a process of disciplined curriculum innovation and creative exercises which pushed them to think imaginatively about what they wanted to achieve for their learners. At times we put the network participants through the wringer but the outcomes were well worth all the hard work.
Have a read to find out how Royal Grammar School used Las Vegas as a starting point for a-Level Geographers and how Graveney School gained architectural inspiration from apples! Learn why Dover Grammar ‘licked the stones’ and why the students from St. John’s were encouraged to tell tales!
Acknowledgements
- A huge thanks to all the network participants, their supportive schools and of course the young people involved.
- Thank you to David Gardner and Lucy Smith from the QCDA for all their support and to the V&A Museum for their generosity.
- Thanks also to John Thorp, Civic Architect, Julia Barfield from Marks Barfield Architects and the education department at Hampton Court Palace for their valuable input into the workshops.
What’s happening next?
The Engaging Places network for 2009/10 is shaping up nicely and our first workshop will be held at Southwark Cathedral in October. This year we are working across five regions and we are pushing thinking even further working with an ecology park, a cemetery and many more interesting places and spaces. So watch this space for updates on the 2009/10 network and their innovative projects.
All Engaging Places 2008/09 network case studies
A window on the past – Cardinal Newman Catholic School, key stage 3
Street investigation - Ospringe Primary School, key stage 2
A new view on design - Graveney School, key stage 3
Grounds for improvement - Barmby on the Marsh Primary School, key stage 1, 2
A 360-degree journey - Dover Grammar School for Girls, key stage 4, AS level
Tales from the Palace - St John’s CE Primary School, key stage 2
Resurrecting the past – St Pius X Catholic High School, key stage 3
Groundbreaking geography - The Royal Grammar School, key stage 5
