PROJECT TITLE: OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

School Name: BELMONT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Teacher’s Name:  BRONWYN FRINDLE AND LIAM GOUGH

Year Group: PP, YR 5,6

Number of students: 34

Creative’s Name: FELICITY GROOM AND ANNICK AKANNI

Creative Practice(s): Music and Textiles

Main Curriculum Focus: HASS, MATHS

Cross-curricular Links: Literacy

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About our project:

The school had a disused garden space that we were keen to rejuvenate as a way of learning outside and also potentially creating a space for them to play, learn and explore.  

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About the group:

Belmont Primary School is a small school, there’s quite a few students with English as a second language. It’s very multicultural and students generally come from families who value education. The students needed greater opportunities to work collaboratively and to explore creative practices to build their sense of identity and wellbeing.

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What we did:

We planned, developed, implemented and critiqued our garden over two terms integrating the Maths and HASS curriculums. We found that the process of making and creating the space had many curriculum outcomes that were all very relevant. Our garden took the full two terms to finish and all the kids were involved in some or many of the decisions and direction of everything from planting to execution. The kids were led by their curiosity and had many opportunities to explore new concepts and skills through gardening and caring for nature.

We loved Creative Schools because we were able to learn new things and learn about the creative habits in new and exciting ways. Some of us were part of the program last year and were familiar with the process, so guiding our friends with our previous experiences meant sharing and lending a helping hand where needed. - Student

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We had the year 5/6 class work alongside the pre primary class in a buddy system, with the older kids leading the younger kids. Teachers and creatives worked alongside each other and also were there to support the children.

We solved together, working out what resources we had, what we needed and how we could get it. Community donations made up the vast majority of the resources as well as what we could find in the school.

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How did we use the Five Creative Habits of Learning?

Every day a collection of creative habits were used. Collaboration was a key factor in cleaning, weeding, planting, painting to work towards our outdoor classroom / garden.

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What we discovered:

Some bigger kids perhaps needed leadership roles though all of them took on some kind of role that encompassed mentorship and guidance for the younger kids. Both groups showed curiosity at different points of the day and used their own findings, explorative ideas to build a strong sense of self, resilience and team building to execute their agency.

There were also several students with special needs who shone throughout the program. One student had never contributed in class at all, but was able to raise his hand and offer his ideas during Creative Schools. Another who was too shy to accept her certificate at assembly earlier in the year was able to perform a drama play in front of the whole class and receive immense support and praise from her peers.

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The impact on the Teacher/Creative team:

This was the first time we had all worked together as a large group. There were some challenges at the beginning due to some teacher changes in the year  5/6’s. It wasn’t until about week four that we had Liam Gough as the new permanent teacher in that class. He then stepped into a role where he didn’t know much about Creative Schools. We also had the challenge of our Creative Schools co-ordinator being part time and us mostly being in on a day she wasn’t working, but we persevered and tried to ensure everybody was involved and on board with the process and development of the project through the duration of the time.

That said, the creative process of working together in a large group was highly rewarding and enjoyable. The collection of knowledge and experience made the process so much more achievable and productive. Doing a project of this scale wouldn't have been possible with just two people in the allotted time. Felicity enjoyed Annick's skills and energy and Annick enjoyed Felicity’s pace and knowledge of gardening. While Felicity and Annick had different teachers as their contact, Bronwyn was the main co-ordinator for Creative Schools and it made the process very easy to have an experienced teacher at the helm. Bronwyn was very good at being on top of all the curriculum links we needed and being very proactive in implementing them in each session.

This is the first time I had ever worked in a large group and I just loved learning from Annick and the team. I saw a lot of great processes that I can implement in my creative practice. Just one example is that I just loved Annick’s simplicity and effectiveness of painting the boxes outside - Felicity

This is my second year doing creative schools with Belmont Primary School but the first time doing this in a collaborative group and working with Felicity has been so much fun. One thing I love about Felicity is her drive and passion for working with kids in a creative way. Her knowledge of plants, gardening and nature and how she incorporates that with her own creative practice really shined in this project together. Her energy, movement and creative flair she brings is effortless and I admire that - Annick

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