Creative Learning
To support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, the curriculum at the start of the new academic year will focus on learning that promotes self-expression. There will be focus on creative, artistic learning to support development of themselves as people and their needs.
The pupils will be able to re-engage with their friends and teachers, communicate and share an understanding of their experiences. The creative learning sub-cell content is easily accessible through the curriculum link and we encourage colleagues to look at the resources developed – as they chime with the notion of the broad and balanced curriculum.
Primary
These ideas from Place2Be are flexible home learning or in school based activities linked to colour, rivers, space, seasons and animals.
All
Art therapy activities based on emotions, relaxation, trauma and loss, gratitude etc
All
Therapy worksheets related to art – masks, mandalas, postcards, picture frames etc.
EYFS, KS1
Useful if you are looking to use musical activities as a collaborative experience, a means of allowing children to express themselves, or a brain-break from other curriculum work. This is an ever-growing resource bank with curriculum linked lesson plans and units for teaching music. They can be used as whole units of work, or just in five-minute chunks. There is a short video on how to write songs, which could be useful for all age groups as schools use song writing as a way of allowing children to express themselves during this recovery period. This can be used by teachers and pupils.
EYFS to KS3
Useful if you are looking for ideas or support in planning activities in which children can listen and respond to music. This can be a very cathartic and unifying experience. The BBC’s Ten Pieces project provides a wide range of classical music to engage children as well as lesson plans with ideas for different ways in which children can respond to music, through creating pictures, dance and drama, or creative writing. The suggested activities can be adapted to work with other pieces of music drawing on the interests of the teachers or the children themselves.
Primary
This resource provides a range of short 5 minutes creative and active ideas to re-engage the children in activity and learning.
Year 6 and Year 7
This free website has many different creative resources to delve into the world of primary to secondary transition. It is a great starting point in September for Year 7’s who have missed out on transition units at primary school.
EYFS
This pack of activities has been kindly shared by the Embark Trust, Derby has been based around the book ‘Book of Hopes’ by Katherine Rundell. There are many different activities that link creative learning, mindfulness, art and music.
You can use the book on the IWB through the free Literacy Trust online version.
KS1
This pack of activities has been kindly shared by the Embark Trust, Derby has been based around the book ‘Book of Hopes’ by Katherine Rundell. There are many different activities that link creative learning, mindfulness, art and music.
You can use the book on the IWB through the free Literacy Trust online version.
KS2
This pack of activities has been kindly shared by the Embark Trust, Derby has been based around the book ‘Book of Hopes’ by Katherine Rundell. There are many different activities that link creative learning, mindfulness, art and music.
You can use the book on the IWB through the free Literacy Trust online version.
All
Explorify presents a range of visual resources to help children learn and talk about science. They can make predictions in ‘Zoom In/ Zoom Out’ or ‘Odd one out’ activities, watch clear science videos or consider bigger questions in ‘What would happen if…? activities. Includes content Wellcome, Science Museum, BBC Terrific Scientific and Eden Project.
All
This free website has many different creative activities for children to explore the world around them.
Primary, Secondary
These ideas have been developed by the Anna Freud Trust to share with pupils and build their own calendars for mindfulness and kindness.
Primary
How to achieve a recovery curriculum in maths. These slides describe explicitly why we need a recovery curriculum, contains useful references, transition in the first 2 weeks back in September and then how to build through to July 2021. Thanks to CLF, herons’ Moor Academy and Liz Thomas for sharing this resource.
Primary, Secondary
These ideas have been developed by the Anna Freud Trust to share with pupils and build their own calendars for mindfulness and kindness.
All age groups
This is useful if you are looking for ‘short bursts’ of activities to break up classroom sessions. This is a resource bank of different minutes of sound, which may be ‘music’ in the traditional sense, or they may be different kinds of soundscapes. Free registration is needed to access the minutes and lesson plans. There is an option for paid for membership which allows access to a wider range of minutes.
KS1
This book has pictures, stories and affirmations to relax children but also to engage their imaginations. Great for bedtime stories too. Would fit within Reading & PSHE.
All
Games and resources by www.musicteachers.co.uk containing interactive aural test training, music theory videos, quizzes and full versions of online games focusing on listening, note values, training your ears and reading music.
All
There are a wealth of teaching resources available from the PSTT and, to support home learning. There are ‘Science fun at home’ activities released weekly. Activities include ‘Ice science’ and ‘Fun with spinners’. There are also Science and STEM Club resources that include activities, information about famous scientists/ engineers and factsheets to support learning.
All age groups
This is useful if you are looking to plan music – based projects and will have the benefit of encouraging collaborative and creative thinking, as well as enabling children to show learning in different ways. It is the Royal Opera House Home Learning Offer. Currently the whole 12-week unit is still available through this website.
Primary, Secondary
This resource from the charity Place2Be has both primary and secondary aspects. Within the document there are ideas and activities linked to Self-efficacy, Hope, Gratitude and Connectedness.
All
A collection of some of the best primary science resources, games, videos and activities on the web organised in themes such as ‘Earth and Space’, Humans’ and ‘Plants’.