Christmas is well and truly behind us (as is the Caribbean sun!) and I'm looking forward to getting back into experiences once again.
Back to It: Ambassadors of Hull
Priory Primary School's 'Ambassadors of Hull' experiences were my first of the month with two classes meeting at the KCOM learning zone over two days. On this experience, they learn what an ambassador is before the children split into groups. They are then given a dossier on Mary Murdoch, Clive Sullivan, William Wilberforce, Amy Johnson and Lillian Bilocca, having to write down facts about this person before each group has to come to the front and present their findings to the rest of the class. This is a really useful way of getting the children to "engage" in the day. At first there can be a little reluctance/shyness to stand up in front of everyone but once the brave first group get up and show how it's done, the hands go up when I ask who's next.
The children then go outside to question the public armed with clipboard and pen with questions such as "What do you like about Hull?" or "How do you think Hull city centre can be improved?". This is very often their favourite task of the day and again after a little shyness at first, they soon want to be the next person to ask the question. This task is designed to give them "confidence".
Finally, after lunch, we complete a walk around the city centre to show them statues and landmarks of some more Hull ambassadors, discovering along the way quirky hidden gems from Hull's historical past such as England's smallest window.
We finish the day back in the learning zone to recap the day and talk about what they have learnt. Hopefully, the whole day will have given the children some "aspiration" in thinking about their futures. Then, the children are back on the bus to school at 2.30pm prompt knowing that it's been an ACE day!
Travelling Further Afield: London Day Trip
There was no rest, with a busy week following, including a trip to London with Pearson Primary School.
Even with the usual early start of catching the 7am to King's Cross, there is lots to cram in in such a short time! During the walking tour to see the famous sights such as Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, I like to tell the children about some of the connections to Hull. For example, the pub on the Thames, is a ferry called the Tattershall Castle once took lots of passengers to and from the north and south banks of the River Humber long before the Humber Bridge was built. A stop off opposite Horse Guards' Parade where King Charles I was beheaded, is another connection to Hull when famously he was refused entry within our city walls, sparking the first act of the English Civil War in 1642.
We visit more famous sights, such as St Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge, on our cruise down the River Thames before heading to the Science Museum, the WonderLab and our last connection to our home city: visiting the Gypsy Moth, hanging proudly inside. It is the very aeroplane that Amy Johnson flew solo to Australia in.
We just have time to visit the Natural History Museum before heading home. The dinosaur section always goes down well!
Back to King's Cross, the children buy a souvenir to take home with them and we arrive back on the train in Hull just before 10.50pm. Some very tired children but a great day and something they will remember for a very long time.
Wrapping Up The Month: Trips, Pre-visits and Half-term Fun
I had another visit to London this month with Bude Primary School, a couple of Trawling experiences and also had to fit in a few pre-visits. This involves visiting the classes of children, whose experiences take them out of Hull (such as London, York, Edinburgh and Kip In a Ship experiences). We get the opportunity to tell them what to expect on the trips and what they will need to take with them etc. More importantly, it gives them a chance to meet me and hopefully calm any anxieties they may have. I think it's easy to forget these are primary school children and many of them have never been outside the areas where they live, let alone to a busy capital city.
Half term gave me a chance to join Jo and her Step Up Move On young people. We took a group of Year 11s to York. I have met the majority of them many times over the years, and it's been so nice to see them grow from being small children to reaching the point where they are thinking about their futures. Through a visit to the university, meeting some students and talking about what uni life is like, they were shown everything it has to offer; you never know it might inspire them to go on and get a degree! The day was topped off with a fun visit to York Dungeon, before the return journey home.
A busy month with lots of steps but worth it seeing the enjoyment in the children's faces during each experience.
Alan, Learning Experience Lead