Global learning plays a vital role in building a better future for our learners through teaching them about their relationships to each other and our planet.  In our approach to Global Learning, we examine global and local issues, while promoting an awareness of the impact that our learners can have as global citizens. In a rapidly changing world, we support the long-term development and success of our learners, by enhancing their critical thinking skills, promoting their development of positive values and attitudes, and providing opportunities for active learning across all subjects in our curriculum through Global Learning.

The Global Learning aims for our school are:

• To better help our learners understand their role in a globally connected world. 
• To explore strategies and future solutions by which our learners can make the world more just and sustainable.
• To stimulate critical thinking and help promote greater awareness around global and local issues.
• To teach key concepts around Global Learning linked to the United Nation’s 17 Global Goals.
• To actively take part in projects that have an impact on citizens both locally and globally.
• To enable our learners to connect with others globally and share their learning journey.
   

What follows are examples of Global Learning at The Henry Moore Primary School. Please click on thumbnails for larger images.

The Memory Project

For the 4th year in a row, our children at The Henry Moore Primary School have recently been involved in a global art project, which gets its name from its intention: to provide handmade, heartfelt portraits as special memories to children in deprived parts of the world. The Memory Project provided photographs of children from India along with short messages about themselves. They were in for a surprise! Our children sketched the portraits that we received and sent them back as gifts to India. Later in the year, we were sent a video showing the moment the Indian children reacted to receiving these portraits.

As you can see, the artwork is outstanding and our learners formed a unique connection with the Indian children. Special memories were made on both sides to last a lifetime. This project helped support the Global Goals that we learn about in our curriculum, in particular No Poverty and Reduced Inequalities.

What our children said about the project:

This is an important issue so that everyone in the world has equal opportunities. It's not right that people, especially children have to suffer from poverty. I learned that not everyone in the world is as fortunate as us and we need to respect and be kind to others because we never really know what their lives are actually like until you learn about them. I enjoyed drawing the children from India and in their video there were so many happy faces. I also liked that everyone in my year got to learn about the children and had the chance to make another child's day. I think that every child in the world should have something special or sentimental and that it's really sad that some children don't have access to everything. Also it's not right that we need to provide some children's happiness and worth when those are basic human rights  - Mia

Project Impact:

Our children felt connected and had an impact on the Indian children's lives. We learned about what the schools were like in this part of India. We learned about what life was life for the children and were more empathetic for children who are less fortunate than us. It gave our artwork a real global purpose.

International Day of Play

We gave children the chance to step away from their usual routines and dive into a day packed with games, challenges and creative activities, all designed to support learning in a fun, active way. Through play, children were developing key life skills, from teamwork and leadership to resilience and problem solving. The activities encouraged them to think differently, work together, and navigate challenges in ways that felt fresh and exciting. For many, the change of pace was a real opportunity to shine. The freedom to move, explore, and connect in a playful environment helped build confidence and gave every child the chance to take part in a way that felt meaningful to them. The variety of activities meant there was something for everyone, and the buzz of excitement throughout the school showed just how valuable play can be,  not only as a joyful part of childhood, but as a powerful way to learn, grow and thrive.

What the children said about their learning: 

The issue is that many children are not playing because they either do not have the resources or they are in countries that cannot afford it. Another main reason is because mobile games and screens have taken over. Nowadays most children (not only in the UK) are playing games on devices and are filling their brains with useless information! We learned there are so many types of games and different hobbies, board games and outdoor games. I remember that everyone was playing elegantly with no issues and having fun. There was a lot of teamwork, fairness and fun! We were able to develop our social skills, which will help us when we’re older - Mohamed

Project Impact:

This day allowed children to experience play in the classroom and other activites in the playground. It promoted board games and other play based learning as an alternative to video game and screens. It was used as an inspirational approach so that the children could take some of these ideas home. It made us appriciate all the games we have.

World Ocean's Day

During World Ocean’s Day we learned about the plastic problem from  reading stories and watching videos. We then got creative and used plastic for our upcycling projects. Year 3 made ocean art collages out of plastics and other materials showing some of the animals that are threatened. Year 4 performed a trashion show which had outfits that were designed and made in teams. They also prepared speeches about the environment. Year 5 were inspired to make plastic plant pots and grew plants. This was linked to their biomes topic and contained designs from the story ‘Varmint’s. Year 6 made Harry Potter wands linked with their end of year topic.

What our children said about their learning:

We learned about the Great Garbage patch and how it’s affecting the world. Its polluting our ocean and killing lots of sea creatures. Birds as well. When we invented plastic, it takes 1000s of years to decompose. Microplastics are also harmful to everyone because fish eat them and then they enter the food chain. We made plastic pots and it was very enjoyable. It was just a little thing but it made a big difference and it is helping to save the world. I liked the Varmints story because it showed how humans destroy nature for living space. This one creature helped save the environment with one tiny seed. I enjoyed growing it and seeing how it changed every day. This issue is important because everyone is being affected so we have to change something now. Leaders of the world should work together to solve this problem - Meaca and Ethan

Project Impact:

Our children were able to learn about the issues with plastic and the effects it has on the ocean. We were able to upcycle plastics that were brought in from home. We were able to put on a show to parents highlighting the issues that are effecting our environment.

Letters to the Earth

As part of Earth Day, our children at Henry Moore Primary School were inspired by environmental stories. We learned about a particular issue affecting our world such as pollution, deforestation and climate change. We then wrote poems, letters and messages to our planet with a different theme including hope, thankfulness and sorrow.

There was an added incentive as this writing was used in a school-wide writing competition with the winners reading out their learning in assembly, receiving a special global certificate and having their messages on display at the front of the school. It helped raise global awareness as we continue to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at our school.

Congratulations to: Eshaal, Preye, Verity, Areti, Amber, Amelia, Sienna, Dylan, Jack, Tamara, Cooper, Dylan, Lucy, Clara, Olivia, Florence and Annabelle for winning the writing competition!

What our children said about their learning:

This was an important issue to learn about because we live here and we humans are destroying the planet. Pollution, factories, which produce harmful gases and other causes are all reasons that we should crucially try and solve the problem for the next generation. We learned about a related story and wrote environmental poems about it. I enjoyed writing it because it was like writing to the earth as if it was a person and encouraged the use of personification. I also enjoyed reading out my poem in assembly because I won the competition! It is vital to look after our planet as it is fragile and our curriculum allowed us to learn about it. I think we should also have an Earth Day lunch to promote eco friendly activities - Preye.

Project Impact:

This whole school project inspired the children to write about the Earth. It was used to to learn about environmental issues and also to help improve progress in writing. The children also had a competition to take part in, which was an added incentive. Overall, the letters, poems and messages showed lots of creative flair and allowed the children to showcase their writing for the school.

Send My Friend to School campaign

Our year 5 children wrote letters to our local MP highlighting the fact that many children, both in the UK and abroad, are not able to go to school. Our MP visited us later in the year and wrote a response to us!

What our children said about their learning:

This was an important issue to me because children are not going to school. They don’t get the rights to an education and more and more children cannot read and write by the time they are 10. This will affect them when they are older. We learned in poorer countries, a lot of the population do not go to school and how it is affected them. We did an exciting activity which involved the problem, cause and resolution in an issue tree. I wrote to the MP for Harlow and read my letter to him on his visit! I enjoyed learning about the world and how certain things affect it and how much we need to improve the Earth. We need to act NOW - Jessica

Project Impact:

Our children were able to join a real campaign and use their thoughts and opinions for a good cause. Their letters had a real impact as the MP visited and spoke to the children about the issue. Our school council asked the MP questions and were inspired in their roles. They were able to appreciate being in school, understand the issues why children are not in school and use critical thinking skills to come up with solutions.

Books2Africa

Books2Africa ship donated books every day to countries like Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. They have 3 warehouses with over 1,000,000 books on site. We took part in Books2Africa's Recycling campaign and children were encouraged to bring in a book to donate. We donated around 700 of our used, but much loved, reading books. Our EcoWarriors helped collect and pack the books.

What our children said about the project:

We collected the books from different classes. There were all types of books - Chapter books and picture books. It is important because not everybody has books to read and they might not have an education. It’s not their fault that they don’t have anything to read as some countries are poorer. We are very fortunate to have things like this. I felt happy to donate the books because we are helping other children learn to read. At first, I was a little ignorant about it but over time I realised that it is also helping the environment as well as helping children in Africa – Olivia and Emily.

Project Impact:

Our school donated over 700 books to this cause. It gave children a chance to understand how a recycling centre for books works. Children also learned where countries in Africa were such as Nigeria, Malawi and Tanzania.

International Women's Day

What our children said about their learning:

-to follow

Postcards to Cambodia

We have been working with Serve Cambodia and the Fellowship of Hope Organisation to provide a link between our students in Harlow and Cambodia. Our year 5 children were able to learn about the similarities and differences between our two schools. We then drew self-portraits, wrote messages about ourselves in the Khmer language and sent a small gift on the long journey to Cambodia! After our postcards arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital, the Cambodian children made a video showing the postcards being received. They were able to read our writing and also spoke great English! It was great to see the connection our children had made and the impact it had on the children of the Fellowship of Hope Organisation. We hope to continue our international link in the future.

What our children said about the project:

We got to learn about a different community and how they might not have much but are still happy with their lives. They seemed really grateful for being in school. I liked comparing the schools. I liked that we sent a picture to them and they sent one back. It was good to connect. It was really nice that we got to talk to them on the video. They asked us questions and we got to answer them. We got to see them and experience their lives - Aalin and Khadija

Project Impact:

Our children were able to connect with the Cambodian children and have an impact on their lives by sending portraits and gifts. We learned about the school there and the importance of clean water and sanitation. We made a video answering their questions about the UK. We were able to write in another language in another script to our own. They were able to read it and talk to us.

Rocinha Favela

As part of our geography, learning about South America, we explored the favelas of Rio De Janeiro. We heard the story of 2 children who lived in Rocinha, took a virtual ride on a mototaxi bike and heard from the people of Rocinha including a barber, maid, policewomen and tour guide. We wrote from the point of view of the children, wrote descriptions of the favela and learned how a favela is self sustainable because it gets no funding from the local council. We learned about the challenges the locals face and the threat of gangs and crime. The people were very proud of their community and it surprised many of us how happy they were living in a different setting to us. Lastly, we read the story of Little Pele, who had a dilemma selling fruits to help his family income or to play football on the streets. 

What our children said about the learning:

I liked learning about this topic and how their lives were different to ours. It shows we should be grateful for what we have. It is an important issues because they did not have much space to live with and other problems that the government should help them with. Theres litter and rubbish on the streets, crime and the houses are clumped together on the hill. The roads are very narrow and there is crime. But the people like living there. I wouldn't mind living there because I would spend time with my family. I wouldn't like it because I like my own home with electricity all the time. This taught me that there is poverty in Rio and the children still have to live and have basic needs - Ava and Sophia

Global Ambassadors

For the first time ever, we have appointed a student in each class to help lead Global Learning at Henry Moore Primary School. Each person will have responsibilites such as keeping the class updated about events, writing about their experiences for social media, leading assemblies, talking to guests and visitors as well as their eco-duties like recycling, monitoring food waste, keeping lights and whiteboards off when not in use and more!

Please welcome your Global Ambassadors for 2024-25: Lizzi, Martim, Khadija, Viktoria, Jessica, Lexie, Shahmeer, Eliza, Arthur, Ava, Caitlin, Mahmoud and Emily. We know you will do a fantastic job!

The Memory Project

Our year 6 children have recently been involved in a global art project, which gets its name from its intention: to provide handmade, heartfelt portraits as special memories to children in deprived parts of the world. The Memory Project (memoryproject.org) provided photographs of children from Syria along with short messages about themselves. They were in for a surprise! Our year 6 children sketched the portraits that we received and sent them back as gifts to Syria. Later in the year, we were sent a video showing the moment the Syrian children reacted to receiving these portraits. As you can see, the artwork is outstanding and our learners formed a unique connection with the Syrian children. Special memories were made on both sides to last a lifetime. We look forward to continuing this project next year!

What our children said about the project:

We sent the portraits to make them happy and let them know we are thinking of them. There is a civil war going on and they have to be safe and stay inside. Buildings get knocked down. Its great to be able to connect to the Syrian children. I hope they stay safe, happy and have a quality education. Also that they have access to food, water and a nice home. Its important to me because we don't know how lucky we are. We have all our needs met at home. I was interesting in their lives and how they are living. The finished project made me feel proud. We spent a long time drawing them! - Grace and Leah

Project impact:

Our children felt connected and had an impact on the Syrian children's lives. We learned about what the schools were like in this part of Syria. We learned about what life was life for the children and were more empathetic for children who are less fortunate than us. It gave our artwork a real global purpose.

Lego Global Food Challenge 

During World Children’s Day, our year 4 children learned about children’s rights - in particular Article 27 – about the right to food. We learned about the barriers to food around the world and the issues many families face. In Senegal, one in five children suffer from chronic malnutrition due to dry lands and less food production. We learned about a farmer from Senegal who farms corn, peanuts and aubergines. Farming has become more difficult for him (and others) due to climate change and as a result, he needs to transport his crops to market himself, rather than paying for transport.

Our children had the challenge to design a trailer for a bike, which could transport a farmer’s crops to market. The requirements were to consider types of storage and shelter for protection, refrigeration, wheels/tyres for the terrain and how the trailer would attach to the bike. In groups, the children worked on the brief and produced the trailer out of Lego! The final solutions were imaginative, varied and presented to the rest of the class. This challenge was part of our ongoing Global Learning Programme, learning about Global Goal number 2 – Zero Hunger.

What our children said about the learning:

We made a trailer for his food so he could take it to market. I made a roof for a secure shelter. I had a cooler. He was losing money as no one was buying his food because he was too fard away from the market. We needed to make sure the food didn't rot, fall or bruise. We should be grateful for the food we have in UK. It's not nice to not have food. I feel terrible for familes in need. In Uk we have foodbanks so we should donate more so no one is starving. In this project we got to play and learn at the same time. We worked in teams and it was good to help someone by using our brains to solve a problem - Roy, Molly and Maddison

Fairtrade Award

We have been learning about Fairtrade and promoting it across the school. Our year 5s all took part by presenting to the rest of Key Stage 2 a presentation about Fairtrade. Some even presented to the management team. Their knowledge was expertly shared across the school. As well as this, they learned about Fairtrade in English and wrote a leaflet about the benefits, explained the process and wrote from the point of view about Fairtrade farmers receiving Fairtrade premium. This helped us maintain our Fair Aware award for the 2nd time.

What our children said about their learning:

I liked learning about this subject because it taught me to buy fairtrade products to help farmers get paid a fair wage. It was interesting to do the presentations and have the confidence to do it. It was really fun to do it. It was different and it showed me not to be nervous but it ended up being fun. We were able to educate the other classes. I will remember the videos and stories about the farmers because they were going through a hard life but now they are better. We were raising awareness.  It is an important to me because everyone has a right to go to school, have nutritional food and shelter. I feel like not everyone has that and we are very lucky to have the luxury of all these things. But not everyone has the opportunity for these things. Every should have the same things and Fair Trade helps this. They should be paid even more for all their hard labour work - Mia and Lucy

Project Impact:

Children learned about the choices they make in a supermarket and how these choices affect the lives of farmers in countries such as Colombia, Ivory Coast and India. They also learned about globalisation and where the Fairtrade process fits in. We also learned about the effect Faitrade has on the UK and what would happen if farmers stopped working. It linked to our English so enhanced our writing. All of Key Stage 2 were taught about Fairtrade by the year 5s. We maintained our Fair Aware status with our 2nd award.

International Women's Day

Children at The Henry Moore Primary School celebrated International Women’s Day 2023. During a school assembly, we learned about a woman’s right to vote, equal pay and stereotypes. Each year group then learn about a particular inspirational woman. Reception learned about Jill Viner, London’s first woman bus driver.  Year 1 made fact files about the British nurse, Edith Cavell, who saved the lives of soldiers during World War 1. Year 2 learned about Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space, while Year 3 enjoyed learning about the works of Beatrix Potter and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Year 4 wrote letters about the life of Malala Yousafzai, who continues to campaign for girls’ rights to attend school. Year 5 made infographics about the mathematician Catherine Johnson and her role in the space race.  Finally, Year 6 wrote diary entries while learning about Anne Frank in their World War 2 topic. As part of our Global Learning Programme, this was another fantastic day to celebrate these inspirational women, learn about gender equality and reflect on how these issues affect us today.

What our children said about their learning:

I don’t think it’s fair that men and women are paid different amounts to do the same job - Alexandra.

Catherine Johnson was inspirational not just because she was a woman working in a male environment, but also dealing with the prejudice of skin colour in 1950s America - Freddie.

Postcards to Cambodia Project

We have been learning about clean water and sanitation at a school in Cambodia, as they commence a project to build new toilets. Our children sent postcard portraits to them with messages of hope written in the Khmer language. We saw a video of the children in their classroom reading out the postcards we sent. Amazingly, they were able to read our Khmer script.

What our children said about the project:

It was fun to draw the portraits and learn about the Cambodian school. I was shocked to learn they didn’t have many toilets and the hygiene looked awful. I hope they enjoy the gift and messages we sent. I think connecting with them is a very unique thing to do - Frankie

Project Impact:

Our children were able to connect with the Cambodian children and have an impact on their lives by sending portraits and gifts. We learned about the school there and the importance of clean water and sanitation. Our collegue also flew over there to help build the toilets. We were able to write in another language in another script to our own.

The Memory Project 

Our year 6 children have recently been involved in a global art project which gets its name from its intention: to provide handmade, heartfelt portraits as special memories to children in deprived parts of the world. Northern Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of school attendance in the world, due to children facing the risk of kidnapping by local militia.

The Memory Project provided us with photographs of some of these children along with short messages about themselves. Our year 6 children then sketched portraits of them and sent them back as gifts to Nigeria. We then received a video showing the Nigerian children’s reaction to receiving these portraits. As you can see, the artwork is outstanding and our children felt a real connection after drawing them.

What our children said about the project:

I really enjoyed drawing my portrait and learning about the Nigerian children. I felt a connection to Yasmin. I hope she enjoys seeing my portrait. This is an important issue because there are people in war-torn countries that do not have access to the things we have like school, food and water - Evelyn

Project Impact:

Our children felt connected and had an impact on the Nigerian children's lives. We learned about what the schools were like in this part of Nigeria. We learned about what life was life for the children and were more empathetic for children who are less fortunate than us. It gave our artwork a real global purpose.

World Children's Week - Pipeline Challenge

For World Children's Week in year 3, we focused on Article 24: The right to clean water. We learned about a village in Sierra Leone and the problems they face with clean water. Their problems can be summarised as:

1. There is not enough water in the well for everyone to drink.

What our children said about the project:

World Children's Week - Global Food Challenge

For World Children's Week in year 4, we focused on Article 27: The right to have food. We learned about the hunger hotspots in the world, how much people spend on food in different countries and what types of food people eat. We also learned about where our food comes from in the UK. Finally, we learned about a farmer from Senegal and the challenges he faces taking food to market. We had a challenge to design a trailer that would allow him to take fruits on the back of his bike without damaging it and keepint it fresh.

What our children said about their learning:

We learned in Global Learning that the farmer had to keep food safe, secure and cold so that the fruit doesn’t rot or get bruised. In poorer countries they have less to eat like rice and grain. Richer countries eat more junk food. How did poverty start and will governments help them? - Madison

World Children's Week - Diversity

For World Children's Week in year 1, we focused on Article 14: The right to not be discriminated against. This linked with our diversity topic as we explored the Big Question: Is it good to be different? We made a Guess Who  which showed how we are all different.

What our children said about their learning:

It is good to be different  because we are all different. I have glasses and wear black trainers. I don’t look like my friends. They have a different family to me. The book we read taught us that we are from different countries and are different colours - Oliver

World Children's Week - Dollar Street

For World Children's Week in year 6, we focused on Article 27: The right to have a proper house, food and clothing. We learned about reduced inequalities by using the website Doller Street to find out about familes around the world and how much money they earned. We also made paper bags to show how people in Kolkata India have to work hard for just £1.30 a day, making and selling these paper bags. Lastly,  we designed scenes, which would demonstrate the different rights from the UN Convention on Rights of a Child (UNCRC).

What our children said about their learning:

Children’s rights are the things that children should be able to have or things we should be able to do. Like the right to water, education, having a voice and being cared for. It is important so we can have food, education and everything else to live and be safe  - Rory

World Children's Week - Healthy living

For World Children's Week in Reception, we focused on Article 24: The right to healthy. This linked with our healthy living topic. Our children learned about being clean, brushing their teeth, washing their hands and healthy eating.

Migration Writing

Our year 5s have been learning about migration in their Journeys topic. This includes reading The Matchbox Diary, which is a book about an Italian who migrated from Italy to USA. It brings up an issue that is still current today and we wrote about the experiences from the little boy's point of view. It also helped us answer our Big Question: Is every journey we take through choice?

What our children said about their learning:

I really liked The Matchbox diaries  because we were able to learn about migration in the old days. The family moved from Italy to New York and it was interesting learning about how they had to travel, the reasons why and that this is still happening today all over the world - James

The Way to School Art Project

We have read and explored how children around the world travel to school. Each year group learned about a particular picture and recreated it using a range of materials and skills. For example, year 3 used both water colour and poster paint to create a background as well as crepe paper to add texture. Their picture showed children from the Philippines travelling by raft. Year 6 used drawing and water colour to create a collaborative piece of art showing the children of Nepal using a zipline in the Himalayas.

What our children said about the project:

I liked The Way to School book because it taught us how some countries have dangers travelling to school. I think this is important to know because we can realise how easy it is for us to come to school. I also enjoyed the art because every picture turned out amazing! - Harrison

The country we have been exploring is Cambodia. Some children make their way to school through canoeing along the river. They have no other mode of transport but are still determined to make their way to school to get the best edication they can - Aalin

Project Impact:

Our children learned about the hardships children all over the world face when travelling to school. It allowed the whole school to work on a collective art project and show progression in their art skills. The children were able to compare their relatively simple journeys with children that did not have such easy travel. They reflected on their own journeys and became empathetic towards others in a range of counries such as Nepal and Cambodia.

Send My Friend to School Campaign

We have learned about quality education and the barriers to it by joining the Send My School to School campaign. We wrote letters to our MP about the importance of education with ideas for some of our solutions to why children are not able to attend school. We used persuasive writing to bring about our points about lack of SEN trained teachers, teacher's pay and teaching in countries with emergencies/crises. We received a reply and visit from out MP about the issue where children shared their thoughts and showed their issue trees about the campaign.

What our children said about the project:

This was an important issue because the more children aren’t in school, the more adults in poverty in the future. I enjoyed writing my letter and I got to read it out to Mr Halfon. The issues tree helped put into perspective how badly education suffers in some places. It helped me learn about just how much education is an issue and some of the ways it can be fixed - Damisi

Project Impact:

Our children were able to join a real campaign and use their thoughts and opinions for a good cause. Their letters had a real impact as the MP visited and spoke to the children about the issue. Our school council asked the MP questions and were inspired in their roles. They were able to appriciate being in school, understand the issues why children are not in school and use critical thinking skills to come up with solutions.

World Ocean's Day

As part of our Global Learning Programme, the Children at The Henry Moore School have been studying about the state of the world’s oceans and what we must do to protect them. The children considered all the waste currently found in our oceans and upcycled these materials into items of greater quality, artistic or environmental value. This initiative supported Global Goal #14 – Life Below Water - in our impact towards a more sustainable world. We presented the children’s work in the Gibberd Gallery at the Civic Centre. The display was a mixture of work from all year groups, exhibiting what the children learned during our World Oceans Day. Our upcycling projects included bags made from crisp packets, toys made from water bottles, coasters made of old clothes and outfits made from plastic for a trashion show. Some year groups also wrote poems and made posters about the issues facing our oceans.

What our children said about the project:

In year 1 we recycled bottles and cut the side bits off and the bottom too. We took off the lids and painted them. We made the wheels with wooden sticks and cardboard. We decorated it with all sorts of plastic and other junk and stuck it with glue. I enjoyed painting it the most. We learned that fish eat the plastic in the ocean and are poisoned. If all the animals eat plastic, there will be no animals left in the sea. I would feel bad and it would not be good for the sea - Henry

In year 5 we took an old T-shirt that we no longer used or was too small to wear. We cut it into strips and rolled it into the circles. Then we sewed it with thread to keep it secure. They are strong enough to put mugs and cups on. I liked that we reused something that we did not use anymore. This is known as upcycling. On World Ocean’s Day we learned about plastic pollution. Plastic gets dumped in the seas and animals eat it. It then becomes stuck inside them. Plastic is a big problem in the world. We should always put plastic in the correct bins for recycling and also think about single use plastics - Amelia

In year 3 we made a mosaic. First I drew a picture of a jelly fish in my book. Then I thought of some nice colours to cut out of a cereal box. There were 2 shades of orange. I cut out more pieces of cardboard to make tentacles, then the body and stuck it together. I also made coral and other fish to complete my ocean scene. We upcycled the cardboard to make it into art. I liked how it came out, especially the colours and the shape. We found out that the ocean is in peril and there are tons of rubbish in the sea. People are throwing it away and not caring about the animals. We should have more bins on the beach and recycle more. We need to care about the oceans more - Harry

We upcycled rubbish in to fashion. We gathered lots of crisp packets and cut them in to shapes to make a skirt. Then we stuck them together. After that, we tried it on had to adjust it with sticky tape. For the shirt, we used a bin-liner. We cut off the bottom and then the sides and realised it was too short so we used more leftover crisp packets to cover it. We added a train that hung from the skirt. We also used bubble wrap to complete our design with Velcro. On World Ocean’s Day we learned that plastic causes our oceans to be polluted and animals are dying because of our actions. We made posters and wrote poems about plastic. We should recycle plastic bottles and upcycle them into all sorts of creations like bird feeders etc. We could also litter pick on beaches to stop plastic getting into the oceans - Skyler

Project Impact:

Our children learned about the causes and effects of plastic in our oceans. They learned about the power to upcycle plastic and help reduce the plastic problem. Through our assembly, we learned about where the Garbage patches in our oceans are around the world and some of the solutions to help. Year 4 modelled their upcylced outfits at a fashion show, which was watched by parents. Our learning was displayed in a local art gallery inthe summer months for the whole of Harlow to see.
 

Conservation Topic 

We have been reading the book 'One Plastic Bag'. It tells the story of of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community. Isatou Ceesay found a way to recycle the bags and showed how one person’s actions really can make a difference in our world. Our children wrote about the story, designed their own bags our of crisp packets and then made an actual product for DT.

What our children said about their learning:

I enjoyed drawing my pictures of the plastic bag. I found it very interesting writing questions to the woman. It was a fun story to learn about how she used the plastic and recycled it to make different things and how she feels - Olivia

Designing the handbags in this lesson was really fun and coming up with the ideas. When we washed the crisp packets all we could smell was cheese and onion! Upcycling these bags was a great way to make them more useful and help the environment. It made me feel sad that we are destroying our environment - Oscar

Migration Topic

Our children have been reading the texts: 'Where Will I live?' and 'The Silence Seeker'. We learned about the reasons why people migrate around the world using real photos. We then read a fictional story exploring the feelings of boy who moved to a big city, making a friend along the way, who was oblivious to his situation. The children then wrote from the point of view of both boys' thoughts and feelings.

What our children said about their learning:

In English we learned about the Silence Seeker and all about migration. We found out that refugees have to move from one country to another because of war or natural disasters. Migrants have a choice weather to move and do so to get better jobs, healthcare and a better life - Izzy

In English we wrote a postcard planner for the Silence Seeker. It was so much fun! I was very pleased with my work and I used my targets to write about migration. I remember using a lot of ideas why the Silence Seeker came to the city. My parents wanted to go to a richer country and be safe - Skyler

International Women's Day

We have been learning about Malala Yousafzai and her role in women's rights. We wrote letters to her, learned about her life and how she is an activist for children's rights to go to school.

What our children said about their learning:

I really enjoyed learning about Malala as she is an inspirational person to girls just like me. Writing a letter to Malala was super fun and very enjoyable. Also learning about her life and how she was nearly shot. I don’t think that its fair that she was discriminated against because she was a woman - Tilly

Fairtrade Fortnight

During these two weeks, our Eco-warriors have been busy giving presentations to their classes about Fairtrade. We learned about the lives of Fairtrade farmers around the world and how Fairtrade benefits them through our buying choices. They then shared examples of Fairtrade products on their Fairtrade stall. All the Eco-warriors spoke with great enthusiasm and can be extremely proud educating the classes. After learning about Fairtrade, all the school was involved in making a giant Fairtrade mosaic which is on display. This led to use receiving the FairAware award from the Fairtrade Foundation!

What our children said about the project:

I learned all about how Fairtrade works and how it affects farmers around the world every day. It also affects us because if they don’t work, we won’t get fruit here when its winter. I learned they sell bananas, cocoa and wheat. I enjoyed all of the special events in Fairtrade Fortnight. It is important that the farmers make more money for their produce so they can live and have a fair wage - Freddie

Project Impact:

Our children learned about the impact of Fairtrade by hearing the talks given by our Eco-warriors and an assembly given by Mr Azzopardi. Years 4 and 5 also had a Fairtrade speaker teach a remote session. Children learned about the choices they make in a supermarket and how these choices affect the lives of farmers in countries such as Colombia, Ivory Coast and India. They also learned about globalisation and where the Fairtrade process fits in. We also learned about the effect Faitrade has on the UK and what would happen if farmers stopped working.

Books2Africa

Some of our Eco-Warriors recently visited Books2Africa’s recycling centre where we donated around 1000 of our used, but much loved, reading books. Books2Africa ship donated books every day to countries like Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. They have 3 warehouses with over 1,000,000 books on site. After emptying the carload of books, our team scanned them into the system and then packed the boxes ready for shipment. We were able to tour the rest of the warehouse and learned about the running of the charity from all the fantastic staff. We kept them very busy with so many questions! Books2Africa mainly handle books but they also had rooms full of computers, clothes, toys and games. Our donation shipment has a tracking number so we can see exactly where it arrives in Africa after its long journey ahead. Bon voyage books!

What our children said about the project:

We went to Books2Africa to recycle our unused books. We learned that the books people donate get packed up and sent to places all around Africa. It wasn’t just books – They had computers, phones and even shoes. We had to pack up the books and then scan them onto the computer - Grace

Project Impact:

Our school donated over 1700 books to this cause from children and our library. It gave children a chance to understand how a recycling centre for books works. Children also learned where countries in Africa were such as Nigeria, Malawi and Tanzania.

The Memory Project

Our year 6 children have recently been involved in a global art project which gets its name from its intention: to provide handmade, heartfelt portraits as special memories to children in deprived parts of the world. Northern Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of school attendance in the world, due to children facing the risk of kidnapping by local militia.

The Memory Project provided us with photographs of some of these children along with short messages about themselves. Our year 6 children then sketched portraits of them and sent them back as gifts to Nigeria. We then received a video showing the Nigerian children’s reaction to receiving these portraits. As you can see, the artwork is outstanding and our children felt a real connection after drawing them.

What our children said about the project:

I really enjoyed drawing my portrait and learning about the Nigerian children. I felt a connection to Yasmin. I hope she enjoys seeing my portrait. This is an important issue because there are people in war-torn countries that do not have access to the things we have like school, food and water - Evelyn

Project Impact:

Our children felt connected and had an impact on the Nigerian children's lives. We learned about what the schools were like in this part of Nigeria. We learned about what life was life for the children and were more empathetic for children who are less fortunate than us. It gave our artwork a real global purpose.