Building Experiences

Northampton Inspection and Advisory Service

A programme of Teacher Training sessions in Making Models, Renovate and Building Structures, followed by a programme of Workshops in the schools of those attending. Schools taking part were from Northampton, Rushden, Wellingborough, Corby, Kettering, Desborough, Weston Favell, Raund, Daventry, Brigstock. Ten teachers and 300 pupils ages 6 – 10 took part in the programme.

Evaluations

Very interesting experience! Lots of opportunity to work together. The children needed to listen carefully to instructions, follow them and work co-operatively.
Working together in groups of 3 / 4 gave all equal status, so raising self-esteem.
The children walking through the hall at break time were so envious! Because the class had never worked together on anything approaching this scale, it was both exciting and stimulating. Its wonderful to be part of something so enormous and fantastic to watch it taking shape. The children as builders, were also appreciated by other members of staff and their peers in Year 4. The morning was stunning! I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Thank you!

Booth Lower School, Northampton.

I felt that this session was a valuable experience for both children and adults. We all really enjoyed it. It encompassed many areas of the curriculum – science, maths, speaking and listening, DT and the important area of PSHE. It valued independent and imaginative thinking and showed us how to share and value these ideas.
It catered for all levels of ability, and I know they all felt a high level of achievement.
We could do with more activities like this one and we would also like further training and equipment. It would be worthwhile investing time and money into these types of sessions because of the benefits they provide for the children. Thanks for such useful sessions – I would like to do this with other groups.

Brigstock Primary School

What a marvellous workshop! Just what children of any age need and don’t really get – only in a muddled ad hoc way. Team-building, ownership, co-operation, sense of achievement, no sense of failure, sharing, respect, and I’m sure for them – a memory they’ll always hold. This plus more should be part of the curriculum, especially early in the year – I’m sure academic attainment would follow.
The downside was that 35 children out of 110 took part and there are 410 children in this school. As science co-ordinator I’m sure that this and similar activities could be incorporated into the school curriculum – they will be in mine!

Danesholme Junior, Corby

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