Brian Close, deputy head at St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School in Binley, Coventry wanted his year 3 and 4 students to notice and understand their community surroundings and to learn independently. So he took them into Coventry city centre to explore.
St John the Baptist Anglican Church in Berkswell © amandabhslater, flickr.com
Binley is on the outskirts of Coventry, and whilst most of the students were familiar with the city centre, their experiences were limited and they tended to navigate by Burger King and Primark.
However, with Brian the students had the opportunity to explore a Coventry they’d never seen. Walking up cobbled streets they began to notice details and the unusual. Alien objects on one street were eventually identified as foot scrapers, and building materials and street furniture began to be noticed.
When ordinary places become extraordinary
As the students began to take an interest in their surroundings - their surroundings began to take an interest in them! The students were taken to Coventry’s Peace Garden to look at the city walls, and as they went about their detective work Brian was approached by a local man who had noticed the group at work. The man worked on-site and had keys to the wall tower, and was so impressed by the students, he let them into the tower to look around.
The group then carried on their exploration and happened to walk past Coventry and Warwickshire Radio. On the way, Brian was approached by a man from the studio, who was so impressed by the students behaviour he wanted to find out what they were doing.
Two students were whisked into the live radio studio to talk to the presenter with Brian about the project, whilst the rest of the group watched their interview on a TV screen in the foyer.
Brian’s class really enjoyed their visits in to the city centre. Students who originally disliked the city were changed by the experience of visiting a range of buildings and places, including City College, the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and the Coventry Transport Museum.
Lady Herbert's garden, Coventry © Joe D Miles
Setting a challenge
The class are now ready to take on their main challenge. Brian has partnered up with Helen McGowan from the Diocese of Coventry through the Engaging Places 2009/10 network. Together they will be introducing the class to two very different places of worship:
- St Bartholomew’s Church in Binley, an unusual building with a domestic interior situated on a busy junction; and
- St John the Baptist Anglican Church in Berkswell, a Grade I listed building in a rural location.
Brian is using the project to make cross-curricular links within the humanities stream, setting his students the challenge of becoming detectives - comparing and contrasting the two buildings and exploring why they are so different.
To find out how the Divine inspiration project develops, visit the Engaging Places network section over the next few months.
To find out about other partnerships and projects developing in the Engaging Places network visit the article, The 2009/10 Engaging Places network.
Inspired?
Take a look at the following teaching resources to do something similar with your class:
