“When they came to visit there was wool all over the place. There was purple wool on the tree and on the tyres and the children were following the wool.”
So what happened when they followed the ball of wool? They found Nanny Rose knitting in their outdoor area.
Designed to develop and support children’s speaking and listening skills, Nanny Rose’s Magical Garden gave children at Tennyson Road Infant School an imaginative context in which to also develop their outdoor space and use in lots of different ways.
They instantly loved Nanny Rose, wanted to pretend to be her and to design a garden that they could enjoy with her. We were delighted to see that after the initial meeting of Nanny Rose, four of the six target children (those who did not have the confidence to speak in front of the class) donned her apron and spoke to the rest of the children about her flat, her shopping list and her interests.
During the course of this six day project they designed a garden area, built, painted and planted. They shared Nanny Rose’s love of stories; listening to hers and creating their own and reliving them outside in their beautiful new space. Props, costumes and huge pieces of material transformed the area into whatever they wanted. Teachers use this opportunity to observe Catalyst’s approaches to developing child-led learning and facilitated follow on activities with their classes between their visits.
Legacy
The project impacted directly on the progress and attainment of the children involved. Pupils are more confident in speaking and listening and enlarged their language skills. Measures of well-being and involvement show that children are more focussed plan together and can support their own work better.
Measures have indicated that in all but three cases, they have achieved level 1 reading and writing with 20% already operating within level two. They have been enabled to express their ideas clearly and been inspired to create new areas including the space dedicated to the project.
Teachers have registered an improved aspect of their classroom work. They had the chance to work alongside the two practitioners who helped them interpret the themes and seek ways to follow up the work. The staff adapted activities and extended the outside space adding to the culmination of a scheme of work. Staff are able to see and learn from the approach demonstrated. They stated that they valued the contribution given by Catalyst and were willing to try out some of their ideas especially the imaginative aspects of Nanny Rose’s Garden.
Website: www.catalyst-theatre.co.uk
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