Peterborough's young citizens taking the lead in the future of their city: an RSA Area Based Curriculum project gets underway
How do we involve children in the future of the places in which they live? How can we ensure that the richness and diversity of places like Peterborough underpins the learning that students do in schools? Teachers, heritage organisations, councillors and students from Peterborough came together at Peterborough Town Hall on 16 September to explore a new way of looking at schools working in partnership with their local area.
One of five schools the RSA is working with in Peterborough, Dogsthorpe Junior School has partnered with Railworld Sustainable Transport Centre to create a year-long project for all students in Year 5 at the school. The project will see the students contributing to the 're-branding' of Railworld which is re-identifying itself from being a railway museum to a centre for the exploration of sustainable transport in Peterborough. At the same time students will be exploring what might make Peterborough into a ‘Destination City' of the future: a real life ambition of the tourism strategists at Peterborough City Council. National Curriculum content, numeracy and literacy skills will be illustrated through this topic, which will also look at graphic and website design, branding, creativity, history, engineering, science, citizenship, research skills and geography.
The project was initiated at Peterborough Town Hall with a conference entitled ‘Making Peterborough a Destination City: Dogsthorpe's Young People Taking the Lead'. Students were delegates at the conference, listened to key note speeches by local Dogsthorpe Councillors on the history of the local area, interviewed the adults present about their views on Peterborough, had their own opinions solicited by the Mayor and by the council's tourism lead on everything from the recent renovation of the Cathedral Square to the pros and cons of more shops in the city centre, as well as workshops around Peterborough's buildings, the environment and vehicle design. The issues raised will be followed up in the classroom. Future activities will include students interviewing members of the public about Peterborough, and designing a new website for Railworld.
As part of Citizen Power Peterborough, and forming a key example of the RSA's Area Based Curriculum work, the Peterborough Curriculum is bringing together schools and partners from the wider community in Peterborough in order to enhance the learning and the outlook of students in the city. Crucially the Peterborough Curriculum supports schools and their partners to develop curriculum projects together, forming meaningful and educational projects in relationships that are sustained over time.
Other Peterborough Curriculum projects underway include West Town Primary School who are partnered with Peterborough Cathedral to involve students in developing a new education centre; Bishop Creighton Academy working with Peterborough FM Community Radio Station and Peterborough Cathedral to develop a 'Question Time' programme designed by the students; and multiple activities and partnerships entered into by Thomas Deacon Academy and Ken Stimpson Community School.
One of five schools the RSA is working with in Peterborough, Dogsthorpe Junior School has partnered with Railworld Sustainable Transport Centre to create a year-long project for all students in Year 5 at the school. The project will see the students contributing to the 're-branding' of Railworld which is re-identifying itself from being a railway museum to a centre for the exploration of sustainable transport in Peterborough. At the same time students will be exploring what might make Peterborough into a ‘Destination City' of the future: a real life ambition of the tourism strategists at Peterborough City Council. National Curriculum content, numeracy and literacy skills will be illustrated through this topic, which will also look at graphic and website design, branding, creativity, history, engineering, science, citizenship, research skills and geography.
The project was initiated at Peterborough Town Hall with a conference entitled ‘Making Peterborough a Destination City: Dogsthorpe's Young People Taking the Lead'. Students were delegates at the conference, listened to key note speeches by local Dogsthorpe Councillors on the history of the local area, interviewed the adults present about their views on Peterborough, had their own opinions solicited by the Mayor and by the council's tourism lead on everything from the recent renovation of the Cathedral Square to the pros and cons of more shops in the city centre, as well as workshops around Peterborough's buildings, the environment and vehicle design. The issues raised will be followed up in the classroom. Future activities will include students interviewing members of the public about Peterborough, and designing a new website for Railworld.
As part of Citizen Power Peterborough, and forming a key example of the RSA's Area Based Curriculum work, the Peterborough Curriculum is bringing together schools and partners from the wider community in Peterborough in order to enhance the learning and the outlook of students in the city. Crucially the Peterborough Curriculum supports schools and their partners to develop curriculum projects together, forming meaningful and educational projects in relationships that are sustained over time.
Other Peterborough Curriculum projects underway include West Town Primary School who are partnered with Peterborough Cathedral to involve students in developing a new education centre; Bishop Creighton Academy working with Peterborough FM Community Radio Station and Peterborough Cathedral to develop a 'Question Time' programme designed by the students; and multiple activities and partnerships entered into by Thomas Deacon Academy and Ken Stimpson Community School.
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