October 20, 2009
We here at Freshwater Theatre Company have a love of geography and finding dramatic ways to make your topics more enjoyable and memorable for Foundation, KS1 and KS2 students, so we’re impressed to see that there is a social networking site out there for teachers who are interested in sharing ideas, discussions, resources and meeting up with other like-minded geography “champions”. What a brilliant way for geography teachers to connect with each other!
The Geographical Association also awards the Primary Geography Quality Mark for “primary schools who wish to achieve recognition for the quality and progress in geography leadership, curriculum development, learning and teaching in their school”. Their website has a wealth of information regarding geography for early years, primary and secondary school geography teachers.
We continue to bring geography alive for KS1 and KS2 throughout the Greater London and surrounding areas by using action-packed drama activities to explore such topics as Katie Morag’s An Island Home, Where in the World is Baxter Bear?, St Lucia - an Overseas Locality, An Indian Village (Chembakolli) and many more. We also offer bespoke sessions to explore any topic you might be studying.
If you are interested in the benefits of your pupils learning about geography through drama and practical exploration of the topic, please give us a call on 0844 800 2870 or email us.
Categories: Primary & Nursery Education News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 9:20 am
October 16, 2009
Freshwater Theatre has joined the world of Twitter!
We’ll be offering ideas for drama games to bring your curriculum to life, updates on primary and nursery education news and developments in our workshop, storytelling and show programmes.
You can follow us here - https://twitter.com/Freshwater_TIE
Categories: Freshwater Theatre Company News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 5:14 pm
October 14, 2009
If you booked our very popular MFL Storytelling sessions last academic year, your students had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with Goldilocks, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs and many other colourful characters. They might even have had the opportunity to play one of them!
This academic year, we bring you and your classes the chance to meet some more famous characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, the Giant or yet another Big Bad Wolf (they seem to be everywhere!)
These storytelling sessions are perfect for large groups of KS2 students, conducted entirely in your chosen foreign language, and involve many inclusdive activities, repetition of key vocabulary and most importantly, lots of fun! Your students will forget they are learning and enjoy being immersed in the French, German or Spanish language.
“All of the students were completely engaged throughout. They laughed and learnt.” Jo Quinton, Sonning Common Primary School, South Oxfordshire.
Email us or call us on 0844 800 2870 for more information.
Categories: Freshwater Theatre Company News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 11:15 am
October 12, 2009
Remembrance Day is observed on or around the 11th November in countries all around the world from Australia to Bermuda and South Africa to Canada, to remember those who fought and sacrificed during the two World Wars, as well as those lost in more recent conflicts. The Royal British Legion says that “…with troops on duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other trouble spots around the world, Remembrance, and this two minute tribute, are as important as ever”.
Countries outside of the Commonwealth also honour the occasion. France celebrates Jour d’armistice (Armistice Day) on the 11th November and in the USA, Veterans’ Day is a federal and state public holiday.
Last year, we were warmly welcomed by schools around the UK for Remembrance Day events and helped many students explore what life was like as a child during the war in our Second World War drama workshop. One of the teachers we worked with told us “…it reinforced the topic of WW2 and in particular the focus on children’s lives during the war. Children were given the opportunity to use drama to extend their learning and empathise with life in Britain during WW2.”
We are looking forward to visiting more schools this Remembrance Day.
Categories: Primary & Nursery Education News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 10:13 am
October 9, 2009
We are holding a free MFL Storytelling taster session at a school in Wimbledon (South West London), on Nov 19th at 9.30am.
If you would like to attend this and see how we can bring modern foreign languages to life for your students, please email us or phone on 0844 800 2870 to reserve your place as numbers are limited.
Categories: Freshwater Theatre Company News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 4:14 pm
The Lamb Inquiry, headed by the Chair of the Special Educational Consortium, Brian Lamb, has been investigating ways to improve parents’ confidence in the SEN assessment process. Two of the key issues that have been identified are: the need to identify learning difficulties as early as possible and, secondly, to understand the complex way in which these difficulties can impact on behaviour - for example students with SEN are eight times more likely to be excluded from school. You can follow the developments and read the related documents on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website.
Lorraine Petersen, of special needs organisation Nasen, welcomed the announcements but highlighted the importance of ensuring “…that all pupils have the highest quality teaching”, whether they attend mainstream or special needs schools. Read the full BBC article.
We regularly work with special needs schools around the UK and will be closely following the developments in this area. Our workshop leaders are in the lucky position of meeting new students with varied abilities and needs and enjoy the challenges and rewards this presents on a daily basis.
**The TES Special Needs London 2009 fair is coming up on 16th/17th October in North London - details can be found on the website.
Categories: Primary & Nursery Education News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 4:05 pm
In the same week that Gordon Brown pledged not to cut public spending on schools, staff at some nurseries are concerned that the restructuring of funding for nurseries in the UK could result in budget cuts and job losses, according to the BBC. However, the minimum part time nursery placement of 12.5 hours per week will be increased to 15 hours per week in 2010. Read the full story here.
Speaking of early years, teachers on the TES forums have been discussing ways to utilise the rather significant levels of energy of their new year one students, who have just crossed over from reception to KS1.
Of course we would suggest channeling this excess excitement into fun and educational drama activities but you can join the TES discussion here.
Categories: Primary & Nursery Education News
Posted by: Freshwater Theatre Company @ 3:57 pm
