"Creative partnerships have become an integral part of the curriculum here at Bramley Grange" - Headteacher Alan Woods

Bramley Grange Primary has developed a creative way to improve literacy skills in Y5 and Y6 boys, bringing members of the school together in the exciting design process.

The whole community got involved when sculptor, Dan Jones and performance poet, Matt Black came to the school in Rotherham to create the outdoor ladybird shaped literacy space, as part of a Creative Partnerships BDR project.

Dan worked with the entire school on visualising, designing, building and installing the work, which led to hugely improved motivation amongst some disengaged pupils, while Matt worked collaboratively with the children, creating poetry and carving their own words into the structure of the space.

The school have been actively working with Creative Partnerships BDR for several years and is now working on an indoor literacy space, which is further increasing the involvement of parents and the wider community in school life.

Alongside the innovative learning spaces, Bramley Grange Primary is progressing with its community radio project to help listening, speaking and presentation skills and the school remains an exemplar of how creativity in teaching can help to achieve whole school change.

Alan Woods believes Creative Partnerships support has had an important impact and offered a real chance to develop a more creative approach to teaching and learning in the school:

“It has given us the opportunity to develop a more exciting curriculum that is relevant for the children. We have seen some children who have come forward and voiced their opinion when in other areas of the curriculum they wouldn’t normally do so. That is important and gives a voice to all our children.”