Blog : Learning

The traditional idea of an ICT suite with rows of desks and clunky PC’s is outdated and after consulting with the learning community at Hurst Hill Primary School, a more contemporary and approach to digital creative  learning has unleashed the exciting potential of smart technology within a learning context. We did creative design sessions with children and staff and shaped their ideas into a deliverable design solution.

Static technology can be limiting and using smart devices provides a much more flexible approach that accommodates a wider range of learning styles. By working with the learning community and  creating a safe learning space that responds to the needs of both the teachers and learners, we helped empower people as they endeavour to reach their fullest potential.

The new learning space was created in one week ( during a half term closure) with an immediate impact upon standards as the space encourages creativity, promotes teamwork and enables the children to share and disseminate their work efficiently . Removing the sluggish computers, bulky monitors and formal seating that amounted to an inhibitive learning environment and refreshing the space with a 21st century environment designed with the key stakeholders has been a transformative process.

The walls were transformed from a shade of pink to soft white which made the room feel larger and provides a great opportunity for displaying work, the prison like window grills were removed along with purple blinds in place of new white shutter blinds that blend into the walls. Round tables replaced large desks to encourage sharing and teamwork whilst the seating injected a splash of colour to help brighten up what was a grey space. The flexible tables can easily be moved to utilise floor space and the wall of beanbags brings comfort to those who enjoy working at a lower level. The lighting was changed, storage space was created and the iPads are stored inside a charging station based in the store cupboard freeing up valuable room space.

With wifi in school these changes allow a learner to pick up an iPad, find a seat and be using the internet or Apps within seconds of starting the lesson giving the teacher more time to focus on teaching. With a whiteboard on the wall it is easy to connect an iPad to share work, demonstrate an idea or set a task.

If your school or academy has an tired ICT Suite, don’t be embarrassed about it, see it as an opportunity and we would be delighted to help. We can consult with you and your learning community and help them create a vision for a new inspiring learning space, and then turn that vision into a reality.

We are passionate about engaging children, families and communities in projects that bring the community together in positive, life enriching, creative experiences. We also think we should all be outdoors at every possible opportunity so The Totem Project at George Betts Primary Academy was a brilliant opportunity to combine our interests as we enabled people to create a wonderful new community space in the grounds on the academy site. Located in an urban area in Smethwick, the academy are committed to working in partnership with families and the community and the Totem project is a wonderful example of their ethos. Download the project summary brochure to find out more.

Click Here to download the project summary

To read to our children and to understand and engage with what is written can sometimes be taken for granted and with that in mind children of all ages from and their families have collaborated to create a story about a boy who lives in The Mystical Woodland. The story was brought to life with illustrations inspired by the children’s artwork as they interpreted the story. The book has been translated into 12 languages for the parents and children from the community to enjoy. They include Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi, Italian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Urdu.

Many of the younger children involved in the Mystical Woodland book project are from non-English speaking families, and we wanted to make the book accessible to all parents and children in the school and beyond. The school holds a weekly ESL class for parents and we presented the idea to them to translate the book into their own community languages so that they can read the story with their children at home.

Some parents are in the process of learning written and spoken English, the challenge therefore was to develop their understanding of the story. Children acted out the series of events in the book working closely with the ESL co-ordinator translating unfamiliar words as we went along. The parents worked in small groups pooling their knowledge, skills and command of English to translate the story page by page. Once the translations were complete we invited their children to come and listen to the story in their own community language to see if it was understood. Parents read proudly, taking the art of storytelling to a much deeper, personal level for the children to enjoy.

You can download the story for free by visiting this link:

The Mystical Woodland

Children at Shireland Hall primary are creating a sky garden to inspire outdoor learning. With space always at a premium in primary school’s the children thought about how they could use the roof as a unique additional learning space and creating an urban sanctuary will be a fantastic way to enrich the curriculum. The children started this project with a trip to a sculpture park and the organic garden to get their creative juices flowing and then have started generating ideas for their spatial design.