PICL

Pupils at a Burton primary school are on a mission to rescue aliens as part of a project to help them improve problem solving and communication skills.

The gym at Victoria Community School will be transformed into a far flung planet which has suffered an earthquake and the pupils will put on a performance of singing, dance, movement and imaginative sequences as part of their mission to rescue the aliens.

The school, where the majority of pupils in the school speak English as an additional language, also hosts a specialist centre for children from across Staffordshire with speech, language and communication needs. The mission was set up as part of its involvement with Creative Partnerships’ Enquiry Schools programme to find new and imaginative ways to engage with children in Years Three to Six (seven- to eleven-year olds).

The school was put in contact with the team at Birmingham-based Play On, who have been collaborating with the teaching staff since the start of the year to work towards the sharing event.

According to head teacher Yvonne Fearn, the school is constantly looking at ways to stimulate its pupils and encourage communication and problem solving skills.

“Our involvement with Creative Partnerships has allowed us to work alongside specialists in the form of Play On who have helped us deliver a project that has got the children excited,” she said.

“Rescuing alien life forms is a scenario where there are no rules or boundaries so this removes the inhibitions and the fear of failure and encourages greater contributions from all the pupils so that they all want to participate.”

Kate Buttolph from Play On added: “The sharing event is the culmination of a lot of hard work but it will all be worth it to see the children’s ideas brought to life because it’s a situation where each child’s contributions are valued."