Neutral Venue Visit - Stockport

 

Drama activityHigh Lane Primary School, High Lane, Stockport and All Saints CE Primary School, Heaton Norris, Stockport met at Romiley Forum Theatre, Romiley, Stockport, on Wednesday 18th November 2009.

This day built upon the identity work the children had covered in their own classes, including an exchange of information in the form of a class identity box containing special objects and fact files about the children. The day began with games to mix the children up and help them relax. Following this the children engaged in drama and dance activities ran by facilitators at the theatre, based on the story "Giraffes Can’t Dance" by Giles Andreae. This story provided a great stimulus for a first meeting to engage these Year 4 children with discussing ideas around identity and prejudice and exploring feelings associated with these issues.

Lunch time, which can often be a tricky time to manage, felt very relaxed. The children were put into mixed groups, each supported by a member of staff whose role was to guide informal conversation within the group. The children had fun talking about favourite TV programmes, discussing the contents of their lunch box and finding out lots of similarities and differences between them.

The children were provided with many opportunities to meet, work and form relationships with different children throughout the day, sometimes in small groups and sometimes in pairings. Facilitating the group in this way proved a great success and the children quickly and confidently became used to this way of working.

Drama activityDuring whole group reflection at the end of the day the children felt they had formed a relationship with someone in the group at some point throughout the day and were excited about meeting each other again.

The project is ongoing and the day will be followed up by reflective practice in school where the children will have opportunities to openly voice their thoughts in a safe environment and another exchange of information focussed on the question: Where do we live? before they visit each others’ schools next term.


 

“It’s good to meet children from other places in Stockport to find out about them!”

Year 4 boy
High Lane Primary School

“It was fun coming here with children from High Lane!”

Year 4 girl
All Saints CE Primary School

“The organisers constantly made sure the children were being mixed up and meeting new children. All activities have encouraged them to work as a team and work together!”

Year 4 Teacher
All Saints CE Primary School