Last year students at Ercall Wood worked with an architect (funded through Find Your Talent) to develop a design brief to transform a neglected outdoor space into a learning environment. At the time they identified a need for a calm, peaceful space within the busy school environment – ‘to escape the stress of lessons’ and ‘to feel like we’re not at school.’
Students from Ercall Wood on visit to Crypt, Birmingham © Ercall Wood Technology College
The school therefore applied for a CABE education grant to enable students to design and cost a spiritual space in the school grounds. The result is a design which celebrates the cultural diversity and history of the school, with the intention that it will be used by the entire school community.
The chosen site was a memorial garden within the school grounds. They researched the history of the school and features of the identified space, along with researching symbols which represent peace and which represent different religions. The students went on a trip to visit a variety of religious buildings and urban spaces which create calm within the busy city centre of Birmingham.
Working with an architect, the students then used this research to develop design ideas. This also involved the students preparing a site survey, making scale drawings and identifying any constraints the site presented. Finally, students worked on costings with the help of a quantity surveyor, and produced presentation materials to share with the wider school community and potential funders.
Key stage
Key stage 3
Curriculum links
- art and design
- re
- maths
- DT
- work-related learning
Learning objectives
This project aimed to encourage pupils to:
- develop research skills – taking relevant photographs, making sketches, making notes that will help inform their design
- work co-operatively with each other to produce site plans and gather information needed to create scale drawings
- learn to document and archive their work and to ‘curate’ their own exhibition
- become more aware of their environment and its ability to affect their wellbeing
- work collaboratively with built environment professionals and gain an understanding of the world of work
- develop their design and place-making skills using maps, plans and sketches
- develop communication and presentation skills as they become ambassadors for the project, within and outside the school
- learn to be sensitive and empathetic to other people’s feelings as they liaise with the family and friends of those who are remembered in the memorial garden
- gain a wider understanding of different cultures and faiths, the various ways that people respond to sacred spaces, and an appreciation of styles of arts and craftsmanship
Length of project
Dec 09 – March 10
Ercall students visit Birmingham’s Peace Gardens © Ercall Wood Technology College
What did the learning involve?
Main teaching and learning activities
Activity 1
The project began with a review of the reasons for planning a calm, peaceful space within school. Following this discussion, the students set out to learn about spiritual gardens in various cultures and religions.
Activity 2
The first practical task the students undertook was a site survey. In small groups, they photographed and made drawings of the site and its environs, and then produced a scale plan.
Activity 3
A trip to Birmingham offered the opportunity to explore a varied selection of the city’s spiritual places. Jane Puzey of MADE, and Alison Davies, an architect who had worked with the students the previous year on designs for a wildlife area, accompanied the students. To help them focus their research, the students completed a worksheet on each of the venues and used cameras to record their experiences.
To read more about their research trip, read the ‘Creating a spiritual space’ case study.
Activity 4
Back at school, the students analysed the research they had gathered on the trip. They decided what they liked best about each of the places they had visited. Working again with the architect, they identified the key features they wanted to incorporate into their designs. Creating the initial designs involved a wide range of activities: students worked outside in the space, made scale drawings and plans, and researched on the internet and in design magazines.
A small group of students then gave up their own time to pull together all the ideas and create a final design. They finalised the design by working with measuring tapes in the space itself, ensuring all the existing features that had to stay were incorporated and that their ideas really worked. A final scale drawing and a presentation drawing were completed.
Activity 5
In the final session, the students were able to share their designs with Rick Tyrer, a quantity surveyor, who helped them to work out the costs of their ideas. You can read more about this on the school’s website.
Students have also written an article in the school newsletter (which went home to parents), and have given a power-point presentation of their work to the Head teacher and a community group.
Resources / partners
- MADE
- architect
- quantity surveyor
- some basic equipment, such as tape measures
- presentation materials
Funding
£1,500 was received as a CABE education grant. MADE contributed time in-kind.
Ercall students sketching in Birmingham’s Peace Gardens © Ercall Wood Technology College
How well were the aims met?
- working with professionals from the world of architecture encouraged the students to take their own ideas more seriously, improving their self-confidence and belief in the value of their ideas.
- the project has proved to be an exceptional opportunity for students to work outside the classroom and to become more aware of the built environment.
- students are more aware of their environment at school, feeling differently about it and about their ability to influence the spaces around them.
- as this project was a joint arts/religious education/maths endeavour, teachers have gained some new experience of cross-curricular working.
Future plans
The work on the project continues. The students are now working in art lessons to design peace symbols to go on top of each pole around the perimeter and the quiet ‘island’, helped by research done by year 7 RE students. They are planning a school assembly, as well as planning to show their designs in a display at an Arts Evening in July. A group of students are also beginning to plan fundraising activities to make their design a reality.
Comments from teachers/students
In their evaluations, the students made it clear that they had gained a great deal from this project. Many of them commented on how much they enjoyed the trip to Birmingham.
‘Because it opened our eyes to other things we could do with our school.’ Student.
‘Gave us ideas of how we can develop our space to make it different.’ Student.
Students stated that they felt differently about the school environment after doing the project:
‘Because you can be creative and change an area. Before, we didn’t have many ideas about what to do.’ Student.
‘I feel that anything is possible with this space.’ Student.
2009/10 Education Grant case studies:
A Virtual School for Children in Care, Cornwall, builds its own straw bale shelter.
Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, London, create sculpture project.
Pewley Down Infant School, Guildford, create an out door ‘eco play house’.
St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, Guildford, build an outdoor learning ‘den’.
Further information
Read about the 2008/09 grant winning projects.
