Songs, stories and science from marsh, coast and sea Erasmus Project

Project Title

Songs, stories and science from marsh, coast and sea

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; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

FINAL REPORT (SUMMER 2021)

1. KEY POINTS:

Overall the project went well despite the double trouble of Brexit and Covid.

The former did not cause any obvious difficulties beyond regret until it became clear that the United Kingdom would not be participating in the Erasmus+ programme. Although relationships between teachers and their schools have remained cordial, everyone is disappointed that the multi-national framework for collaboration had been swept away

Covid created an enormous problem because the fourth and final mobility had to be postponed and eventually abandoned altogether. That final moment of collaboration and celebration was lost through the uneven pace of the pandemic in the two countries, fluctuating responses at government level and changing requirements, and the overwhelming uncertainty. Teachers in both Guadeloupe and Lincolnshire found this to be very challenging with concern not only about the loss of learning outcomes but also the practicalities such as deposits for Mobility 4 flights and accommodation which couldn’t happen.

Despite these problems the partner schools generally communicated well although there was a rocky period when the pandemic took hold and there was uncertainty about Mobility 4, final reporting, extension requests and project completion. Once National Agency expectations and official travel requirements had stabilised in spring 2021 and a programme of virtual and/or online activities was formed, we made progress and broadly achieved the main objectives.

2. CONTEXT

This was a four-school two-country Erasmus+ project with a focus on primary schools and staff mobility only. The core was discovery, reading, writing and communication in English and French with a strap-line of “Songs, stories and science from marsh, coast and sea”. This reflects the location of the four partner schools on the North Sea and Caribbean coasts of east Lincolnshire and Guadeloupe respectively.

We are delighted to that our four schools in small, fairly isolated communities new to Erasmus + were able to develop this successful collaborative project across long distances with a combination of ‘in-person’ visits by teachers and increasing use of digital tools such as Zoom. The need for the latter was accentuated by the pandemic, but also facilitated as schools generally became more comfortable using direct communications of this sort.

3. CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES

As mentioned above, we achieved our core objectives of building links, knowledge and understanding. More details are given later

4. ACTIVITIES

This was more cyclical than planned due to the “force majeure” of the pandemic:
– initial collaboration between teachers was by email;
– the first three reciprocal visits took place on schedule. In November 2018 and September 2019 from Guadeloupe to Lincolnshire and in February 2019 from Lincolnshire to Guadeloupe.
– work was exchanged between pupils on the themes relating to ‘songs, stories and science from marsh, coast and sea’;
– the final reciprocal visit was scheduled for May 2020 when a British group would have visited Guadeloupe. However, the arrival of Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictions meant that this has been postponed. Although a project extension was granted, the continuing cycle of lockdowns meant that the fourth mobility could not be rearranged within the statutory 36 months;
– consequently, after an unstable period caused by global uncertainty about the virus, the final months took the form of a series of virtual mobilities up to June 2021.

5. IMMEDIATE IMPACTS

a. The immediate impacts were considerable e.g. ‘in-person’ visits and online collaboration:

b. Positive publicity in our local communities through displays, meetings with parents, websites, and the media e.g.
– Guadeloupe: France Antilles- Twitter, Whatsapp, meetings at school, Mails-Beneylu and the National Education site. Also French Erasmus platform (Erasmus day).
– Lincolnshire websites: https://www.grimoldbyprimaryschool.co.uk/international-schools/.
and https://www.nspri.co.uk/global-learning-and-partnerships.

c. In other schools e.g. plastics collected in just a few minutes on a Guadeloupe beach were later used by one British participant in presentations on Sustainable Development Goals in other Lincolnshire schools. Bananier used the plastic waste to make carnival clothes and art creations.

d. The schools raised awareness of the Erasmus+ KA2 programme with their neighbours. which has lewd ti new projects e.g. Connecting Classrooms Global Learning Round 13 application with Chapel St.Leonard’s Primary School in September 2021

6. LONG-TERM RESULTS.

The impact on all participants, adults and pupils, able to participate in an ambitious international project, has been very positive. ‘Think global, act local’ has impacted these isolated communities

The range of teaching and learning skills and outcomes was enriched. Each school made specific gains e.g. teaching Maths at Bananier

Project Website

http://grimoldbyprimaryschool.co.uk

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58024,15 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grimoldby Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• North Somercotes CE Primary School
• EPU Bragelogne
• ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE STEPHANE MATHIEU