Blog : School Kitchen

Playing with sculpture and scale helped children think big and produce inspired creative writing. We looked at where ideas come from and how imagination underpins learning and what this looks like on a human face with  questions such as ‘what does learning look like and what emotions do we feel when we are learning?

The children created miniature clay sculptures based on emotional expression and then using simple digital tools made them look massive, they wrote great descriptive narrative based on their ideas and this short film illustrates how thinking big inspires great learning and impressive results.

The North Dudley Learning Partnership are a collection of schools that are committed to working together. As a group they aim to share expertise, experience and resources that support effective teaching and learning and ultimately improve their schools.

Teaching and learning is a priority and being able to explore what moves a school from good to outstanding was a shared goal across the partnership. They offered their children and young people the opportunity to share their ideas about what makes teaching outstanding.

This short film highlights examples of outstanding teaching within the context of the new Ofsted teaching and learning framework and is a resource designed to inspire and support.

Download the Brochure

187 is a visitor from Mars who dropped into Kingsland Primary School and inspired a whole school community. Her shy, friendly nature captivated the children who were very keen to help her return home and made national news in the process.

This short film summarises phase  one of this highly innovative project that has really got the children excited and enthusiastic about learning and engaged more parents than ever before in the life of the school.

There is an academic year planned around this amazing encounter with 187 leaving her spaceship behind and continuing to make contact with the children through satellite broadcasts.

We have had a wonderful time at Greenacres Primary School delivering poetry and sculpture workshops designed to inspire creative writing with year 2 children.

The children engaged with the theme of ‘Wild Scotland’ and created rhymes and haiku’s along with clay sculptures that stretched both their imaginations and their vocabularies.

This short films shows the children really engaging with the learning process and gives an example of the excellent poetry they produced.

Three schools in the Midlands recently had the opportunity to be the first in the world to experience 360 technology as part of their education. We are committed to developing and innovating 21st century learning using the digital tools of our time.

Immersive learning engages learners and raises standards. Encouraging children to lead their learning, helps them fulfill their potential.

This short film demonstrates how 360 technology can have a dramatic impact upon the curriculum and shows the reactions of teachers and pupils involved in this creative learning experience.

Universal Learning is dedicated to making inspirational spaces with and for children, young people and their communities. We specialise in original, innovative spaces for creative learning.

Experience the awe and wonder of our latest space transformation as we pay homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction masterpiece!

Why are children the silent majority in the Ofsted inspection process? What would happen if they carried out an Ofsted inspection at their primary school! Watch this film to find out.

We believe the current Ofsted process needs debating and changing as there is serious imbalance in the approach to determining how a school functions. We have taken part in six inspections in the last 18 months and have been assessed whilst leading learning sessions. On each occasion ( we were graded outstanding by the way) we have seen a distinct lack of interest in any meaningful dialogue with children and a complete abject failure to understand their ability to contribute to the process. A tokenistic  ‘chat’ in adult orientated language is pointless and patronising.

Bearing in mind there are around 25,000 primary schools n this country with almost 4.3 million children in them, (ref department for education june 2013) how can so many people be ignored? How can this be right in the 21st Century? Help us get this matter discussed and instigate a change process that enables children to have a meaningful role in a process that impacts upon and affects all of their lives.

Please watch our film and let us know what you think ( be constructive!) and please share it with as many people as you can. We believe learning is beautiful and we want the world to recognise that children should be allowed and enabled to share their views and be heard.

Children from Shireland Hall reflect on their education as they prepare for their new school construction project.

Shireland Hall Primary School in BIrmingham is a well known school that is recognised for innovation and sharing excellent practice regionally and nationally. As they prepare for the arrival of the builders this summer who will commence their new school building project, the children have been taking time to reflect on their education.

They made this short film to capture some of their feelings about their time at Shireland Hall and this creative learning project also provided them with an opportunity to share some of their hopes and dreams.