Our project is called Connect and Unite. Through our project we will focus on developing basic skills in all our partner schools through a cross curricular ICT rich approach that includes personalised learning opportunities and with a real context for learning MFL. The pupils, staff and governing bodies of the schools in our partnership have a real and proven interest in international collaborative learning. The need for tolerance and understanding of other cultures ,traditions and diversity is particularly pertinent at this time with the refugee/migrant situation across Europe.Each year of the project will have a themeYear 1 - Building BridgesYear 2 - ConnectionsThese themes will incorporate lots of opportunties for problem based practical learning. There will be blended mobilities offering opportunities for our pupils to work collaboratively before, during and after traveling, on project work linked to the themes. Mobilities will also offer opportunities for pupils to experience immersion in the language and culture of the host country. Project work will build to an annual showcase events in each partner country. The preparation for and implementation of these events will provide 'teacher shadowing' opportunities for visiting partner staff. All partners will also work closely with ITT providers, local schools, colleges, universities and support groups to maximise involvement, teaching and learning opportunities and impact. The 6 participating primary schools are situated in different environments (urban, rural, and island ) and have primary aged pupils ranging in age from 4 - 12 years, from very different social and ethnic backgrounds. Our numbers on role in primary vary from 97 - 515 There are a total of 1380 primary aged children in our schools, with 270 of these children being in the final class of primary. These 270 children will be working most closely together during the project although all our primary children are involved in the project. All the schools include a proportion of children with a variety of special needs and including some looked after children. We wish to develop in our young people today the knowledge and skills they need to inhabit, protect and develop our shared world for tomorrow. Through this project children will acquire and develop many life skills and competencies that will enhance their future employment prospects and enable them to become active citizens of Europe.All the partner schools wish to enrich the knowledge of their pupils. The partnership will provide many opportunities for pupils and staff to get to know at first hand the language, culture, history and geography of other countries. Despite our differences we share a common interest in learning from the past and protecting our environment for the future. This is an international issue. By working closely together and getting to know each other's country the children will work to find solutions to the issues. The solutions may vary according to local economic and climatic constraints. We would like to further develop the enquiry based, personalised learning curriculum in our schools, establishing learning environments where innovation and creativity are nurtured and encourgaged. We would like children to leave our schools equipped with sound foundations in the basic skills of Mathematics, Science and Literacy with good digital literacy and as healthy and active citizens of 21st Century Europe
Our 2 year project called ‘ Connect and Unite’ set out to develop basic skills in maths, literacy and science through cross curricular teaching rich in IT, MFL and Art. Our priorities were to address underachievement in the basic skills of maths, science and literacy through more innovative teaching and learning. We wanted to strengthen the profile of the teaching profession and enhance the quality of early childhood education. The project, brought together six primary schools of different sizes situated in very different locations across Europe – urban, rural, island, with pupils from a variety of socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Some partners had worked together before, others were new to the partnership. Our schools have demonstrated a shared desire for international collaborative learning, developing tolerance and understanding amongst staff, pupils and whole school communities. Through the project we have further developed problem based active learning and thinking in our curriculums . We have established personalised learning environments where pupils and staff are motivated , tolerant, innovative and think creatively. We have engaged our parents in supporting their children's learning. The themes of 'Bridges' and 'Connections' have been explored both literally and metaphhorically providing a wealth of opportunities for creative cross curricular teaching and learning. The 2 year project has provided many opportunities for pupils and staff to travel to partner countries to participate in Learning, Teaching and Training activities and attend Transnational Project Meetings linked to project aims. All participants have acquired increased digital literacy through participation in our shared project Twinspace, through use of a variety of apps for animation, and language learning, and through communicating via mediums such as Skype, Google Meet. These opportunities have given pupils a very real context for the learning of modern foreign languages, as have the frequent opportunities for penpal exchanges. The majority of our schools have been able to include training teachers in the project, enhancing their future employment prospects We feel that our project has been extremely successful and that we have achieved and exceeded the majority of our objectives. This has been possible because of ongoing collaboration, good forward planning, dedication and enthusiasm. The themes of the project have inspired and motivated our pupils, staff and whole school communities. This is clearly evidenced on our Connect and Unite project Twinspace with its tremendous input from all participants. All our partners schools and communities are enthusiastic to be involved in future collaboration as the benefits are clear to see. For example, there have been improvements in Early Literacy shown in improved Phonics Screening results in both UK partner schools this year. During the lifetime of this project the coordinating school has received full reaccreditation of the International School Award and also had a 'Good' OFSTED inspection, which clearly valued our international links.