HOW OUR HISTORY UNITES US

Project summary

This project will be based on professional exchanges between teachers and leaders which will develop, test, adapt and implement innovative practices. This will be a practical cross curricular project linking subject areas and making teaching and learning more real and meaningful. It is designed to develop pupils’ basic and transversal skills, such as the ability to think critically, take initiative, solve problems and work collaboratively. The project will support teachers and leaders to deliver high quality teaching, deal with complex classroom realities and adopt new methods and tools. It will use innovative, learner-centred approaches and methodologies to address under-achievement in basic skills through more effective teaching methods.This project involves ten partner schools from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. The rationale for this project was initially established during a previous very successful Comenius Partnership. The group includes experienced partners and three schools new to European Partnerships, ranging from very large inner-city schools through to smaller rural ones.Through a careful analysis of the strengths and needs of our partners, using our eTwinning site, we have established our joint priorities which include providing high quality learning opportunities and increasing attainment levels, reducing disparities affecting our disadvantaged learners. Partners identified methodologies and competences that they will be able to share.We will look at the effect of migration, immigration and emigration on our countries as well as the current refugee crisis. Identified priorities also include improving the use of ICT for the teaching and learning of digital competences, increasing the understanding and use of a range of web tools and programmes as well as increasing language competences amongst our learners. Based on the successful previous experience of the partners we will further strengthen our knowledge, skills and competences through cross border cooperation with exchanges of practices, and mobilities of our staff and pupils – making the curriculum grow out of what is around them both locally and further afield.The project will involve classes or whole schools, with children ages 5– 14. Students will be encouraged to explore their local environment to find evidence and to ask questions, and will be involved in the planning during the project.The project is designed to be integrated throughout the subjects of the curriculum, examining how the history of each of the European partners unites us. There will be six sections: Language, Maths and Science, Art, Music, and Religion, Sport and Physical activities, Geography and History, and our final section the European Union - what it is and what it means to be part of it.Each of these will contain a bank of open ended questions and investigations.Each section will be led by a different coordinator from our partner schools. The methodologies used and the actual activities in each section will evolve through collaboration between teaching professionals as the project progresses.There will be a series of project meetings for the coordinators where the development and progress of the project will reviewed and agreed. There will also be two meetings for 'pupil ambassadors' who will represent their schools at each stage of the project.The project will remain focused on our objectives throughout. Questionnaires and surveys at the start, during the project and at the end will be used to examine knowledge, attitudes and confidence levels. All assessment data will be reviewed. Feedback from staff and our ‘pupil ambassadors’ will form a key part of our very important regular project meetings.The project will have a significant impact upon our schools. Curriculum planning in our partner schools will be adapted to include a range of new innovative teaching and learning methodologies, including project based, cross-curriculum learning, linking subject areas, making teaching and learning more meaningful and relevant. There will be more attractive education programmes, in line with individuals' needs and expectations with a more motivated, excited and committed staff and student body. This will mean a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional environment inside the organisation: ready to integrate good practices and new methods into daily activities.The activities and results of our work will be shared with families, members of the local community, other schools and local media. Sustainability is a very important element of this project. It will enable the long term embedding of the successful elements of teaching and learning strategies within the practice of each school. This will lead to more attractive education programmes, in line with individuals' needs and expectations. During the projects we will plan and devise a range of further cross-curricular projects to be shared widely.