Taken from PEAKS
“Education goes beyond academic success. It is no longer just about what students know or can do; it is about who they are and who they are becoming.
PEAKS is our bespoke framework for character education and future ready skills. It equips students to lead and serve, to care for their own wellbeing and that of others, and to develop the skills of inquiry, oracy and digital literacy, futureproofing them for a world that will not wait.”
Our local partner charity, Just Good Friends, has been collecting stories from members who were children during the war. This presented an ideal opportunity for Year 8 students to develop their digital skills by creating podcasts to preserve these valuable memories.
I often wonder about the stories my own grandparents might have told, but unfortunately, I only ever knew one of them, and their stories are now lost.
This project also provided a chance for pupils to develop their listening skills and the art of conversation. Each Monday this term, Dr Jessop, Year 8 volunteers and I have been working together on this fascinating initiative.
We were delighted to welcome the ‘War Babies’ for a special afternoon tea, beautifully arranged by Steve Shepherd and his catering team, where our students met members of Just Good Friends. We then moved into recording areas with the aim of capturing around thirty minutes of conversation to be edited into fifteen minute podcasts.
Some amazing stories were shared, some joyous, others deeply moving, with one recurring theme: just how unpopular rationing was.
I am delighted that colleagues from other departments are keen to get involved. Watch this space for an art project and an original play, created from these stories by GCSE Drama students in the summer term.
The first of the students’ podcasts is now available and features Eddie, who shares a remarkable story of a young boy growing up in Plymouth.
Graeme McIntyre