What a creative curriculum can produce

Chalkhill School prepares to celebrate the opening of the new park

 Jean Lambert's statement that the arts, humanities, physical education and citizenship are as important as English, Maths and Science LINK in the primary curriculum made me reflect on my experience at Chalkhill Primary School in Wembley where I am Chair of Governors.

The plans to build a new park close to the school presented a great opportunity for work across the curriculum. More than three years ago children were involved in submitting  possible plans for the park with ideas for the kind of equipment that should be installed. They had to think about provision for all ages and safety issues.

The School Council got involved when plans for the park were delayed. They wrote lettes to local Brent councillors, e-mailed them and spoke to them face to face to urge action to complete the park, emphasising how important it was for children on the Chalkhill Estate to have somewhere safe to play and the importance of exercise and play in adopting a healthy lifestyle.

When  completion neared they were again involved in putting forward ideas for the opening ceremony and pupil delegates went to one meeting where activities, within budget constraints, were planned. In School Council they came up with the idea of a Junior Friends of Chalkhill Park to litter pick and take care of the equipment. Within th school there was a competition to make posters to urge the public to look after the park, pick up litter and clear up after dogs. The best of these were placed on the park notice boards.

For the opening ceremony the children and staff worked with Mahogany Arts to create carnival costumes, the staff steelband rehearsed, a pupil samba band was formed, Bollywood dances created and the school choir chose pieces to sing on the day.

Meanwhile Year 3 pupils collaborated with the Brent and Kilburn Times  to produce a page of the newspaper about the park.

The pictures below give some idea of the results of all this work.

Jean Lambert MEP urges Gove to listen to teachers and children on primary curriculum

 LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has called for Education Secretary Michael Gove to stop the ‘surveillance’ culture in primary schools – and instead listen to teachers and children themselves about how best they should be run.

The Green MEP also called for primary schools to teach problem solving, and to recognize that the arts, humanities, physical education and citizenship are as important as maths, science and literacy.

Ms Lambert, herself a former teacher, will make her comments at the launch of the Charter for Primary Education at the University of London Union tomorrow.

Speaking alongside children’s author Michael Rosen and National Union of Teachers’ Deputy Secretary-General Kevin Courtney, she will say:

Primary schools have become obsessed with tests and surveillance of pupils’ ability to retain a number of facts and abilities in a small range of ‘core’ subjects like literacy, maths and science.

Of course eventually passing exams in these subjects is important, but the focus of primary schools should be on offering a well-rounded education, and that means regarding the arts, humanities, physical education and citizenship as just as important – and recognizing that ‘play’ can be learning.

Michael Gove wants to take our schools in exactly the wrong direction, and he really must start listening the experts: teachers and the children themselves.

 The Charter for Primary Education can be found HERE