Stimulating Creativity

Streetsbrook Infant & Nursery School: Children’s curiosity enlivened through paper bags & ‘treasure’

  • Date:
    2010 - 2011
  • Introduction:
  • Article:

     

    Our Achievement

    • The project has supported the children’s development in sorting and categorising objects; children are now  more confident working both collaboratively and independently.
    • Current assessment highlights that boys and girls in Reception are now working equally well, and boys are just as engaged as girls.
    • There has been a significant increase in teachers’ confidence and understanding in teaching for creativity; teachers involved now feel more prepared to take risks and try new things.  This way of working has become embedded in daily practice.
    • Reception now works in a continually evolving and responsive way, to suit the children’s needs. 

     

    The Feedback

    “Its opened up a new way of thinking and embedded further that creativity is more than the arts...every session has given us new ideas and aspects we can incorporate...we have fresh ideas and ways of working that can be incorporated into our teaching of the curriculum as a whole.”

    “This has made us into the teachers we are now...we would never have done all that!  We still need to ask for permission, but have more confidence to ask and to do things, we’re enthused to try more.”  Teacher

    “The Teaching Assistants have developed their practise, they are integrating ideas and creative ways of working more, and are open and excited about it!”

    “Involving parents in their children’s learning has meant there is a constant flow of resources.”

    The young people were enthused by working with different materials:

    “It’s a cuboid...we were learning about 3D shapes...close your eyes and feel it.”  Chelsea

    “I like the bottle tops...they could be eyes for the robots and aliens...we used the materials to make alien soup!”  Connor

    The Cre8us effect at... Streetsbrook Infant & Nursery School

    'Creating Spaces'

    Staff at Streetsbrook Infant & Nursery School were aware that children needed opportunities to explore the environment and develop their understanding and confidence with resources.  Children needed the time and space to explore their environment - growing their ideas and developing their curiosity into deeper learning.

    The project started with an exploration of the new Reception environment - the practitioner, Louise Bardgett, encouraged staff to look at ways to use the space effectively and creatively.  The children were also involved in discussions with what they would like to see and do in the space. 

    Staff, parents and children were given paper bags to go home and collect ’treasure’;  Taking ownership of the project, bags were returned to school and the children were responsible for sorting, ordering and categorising their ‘treasure’, whilst having the opportunity to explore their materials.

    Over the course of the project, the space has developed in many ways and has become incorporated into the daily work and topics for the Reception classes.  Parents have also been invited into school to see what has been achieved and to further develop the resources available in the space.

    The project has created an awareness among staff and developed the Reception teachers’ understanding and thinking in planning and delivering creatively.  The practise within Reception has become more sustainable and the school is now looking to develop and embed this practice across the whole school.

    Creative Agent: Nicola Richardson

    Creative Practitioner: Louise Bardgett

    School: Streetsbrook Infant & Nursery School, Solihull

    You can download this case study by following the link to the PDF below.

    If you are interested in this project and would like to find out more, you can read the full Project End Form Report on the Creative Partnerships database here.  If you want to find out more about 'Creative Partnerships' please visit www.creative-partnerships.com.

  • Downloads: