Let’s All Grow Together Erasmus Project

Project Title

Let’s All Grow Together

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

With both partner schools establishing a good relationship we both wanted to find ways of collaborating together on different initiatives and finding ways to keep visiting each others schools. This led us to our Erasmus project on wellbeing, mindfulness, mental and physical health and growth mindset. These were themes/topics that we wanted to find out more about and then incorporate into our own organizations as we felt that this agenda was developing across education and we believed would be necessary in an ever changing and more demanding world.

Whilst both schools taught each other’s languages, we wanted to give our children opportunities to experience French and British culture. The project had four occasions when children would get to meet their pen-pals from France/England. With the changing political situation in Britain we also felt that it was very important to strengthen ties between European countries rather than isolate ourselves from others cultures and languages further. So, our project took shape, and our objectives were established and our plans created.

Our program of activities contained real experiences for our children, mixed with a range of knowledge, theory and practical skills for our staff and parents. The aim was to find ways of putting theory into practice to enable all stakeholders to improve their understanding and knowledge of wellbeing. Both schools had workshops on growth mindset, mindfulness, healthy eating, exercise, yoga involving experts coming into school and working with all our stakeholders. Information was shared and disseminated to inform both organizations of what we were learning and experiencing. The ability to communicate effectively and meet during the mobilities enabled both organizations to work on the agreed goals and demonstrate / explain what we would do with what we had learnt.

The two mobilities we were able to organize before the Pandemic gave great opportunities for the children to speak and interact with their pen-pals. The trips we organized gave allowed each school to experience each others cultures. This was increased further by spending a day and a half in each others schools – experiencing a school day in another country was a great cultural experience. During the mobilities the children participated in a variety of activities which fell under the umbrella of mindfulness, growth mindset and healthy mind and body. The staff were also able to discuss how the project was changing the culture within their own organizations.

The project resulted in many benefits for both schools. We were expecting to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of the areas we had planned to explore and learn about – but both schools were not aware of the impact and change that the gained knowledge was creating for staff and pupils. The timing of this has proved extremely valuable as the Pandemic has really exacerbated the importance of mental and physical wellbeing on all stakeholders. Whilst we have all had to make changes and adaptions to our ways of living and working – mindfulness, resilience, wellbeing have really been key during lockdowns and into the transition of schooling again. These were never meant as a long term impact, however our project has helped inform us to make key decisions in the running of our schools during these difficult times.

Project Website

http://www.wanboroughprimary.org/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 57582 Eur

Project Coordinator

Wanborough Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Ecole du Lac