Local Heroes Erasmus Project

Project Title

Local Heroes

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: Romas and/or other minorities; Research and innovation; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

This project application follows a successful first Erasmus+ project between the partner schools. This previous project solidified the links between QKA, AMG and EDC and has built close bonds between the staff and students, which has had a strong impact on all students, particularly at QKA, where without this funding students would not have been able to participate due to economic restraints.
This application focuses on developing knowledge about the schools’ identities and local history, deepening the links between the schools by understanding their values, both shared and individual. Additionally, at QKA, many students are new or fairly new arrivals to the UK, therefore this project aims to aid integration into the school and UK society by teaching the students about the school and local area. Furthermore, QKA has recently changed its name to Queen Katharine Academy, therefore, this project will help to raise the profile and promote pride in the academy, whilst embedding its new identity and that of its partners.
The project will focus on ‘Local Heroes’. At each school, staff will identify two heroes who are intrinsically linked to the school – each school is named after a person who will be one of the heroes. In addition to the heroes identified by staff, students will research local figures and identify 3 other heroes that they would like to learn more about – historical figures or living legends. During each movement, students will create a museum exhibition about their heroes, including three different elements: Museum Exhibits (traditional or innovative), Guided Tours of the exhibition and a Tourist Exhibition Brochure (in three languages). At the end of the project, the permanent exhibits will be copied and distributed to each school to raise the profile of the partnerships.
QKA is statistically the most deprived secondary school in Peterborough, compounding this is the fact that the majority of students are EAL and new or fairly new arrivals in country, leading to a lack of knowledge of the local area. This project aims to increase pride in the local and wider environment to aid integration and belonging, whilst at the same time promoting links with our European partners. Furthermore, the name ‘Queen Katharine Academy’ was introduced to the Academy in September 2017, therefore, this project will encourage both staff, the student body and wider stakeholders to develop their understanding of the school and its ethos and aims.
The project will also develop academic knowledge, research and presentation skills and promote an inherent interest in History and academia. Links during the project with local museums and universities will raise students’ aspirations to study subjects such as Languages and History at further and higher education (a key priority at QKA). Furthermore, the students will be encouraged to use their creativity to develop exhibits using skills from the Arts subjects such as Media, Design and Technology and Performing Arts (amongst others), to promote a love of learning and develop skills.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the information booklet and audio/visual exhibits will be used across all partner schools within the MFL and History curricular as well as being embedded into QKA’s Accelerated Curriculum, which is an alternative curriculum for students with low levels of English to help them to accelerate their English language acquisition and integrate quicker into the school and British society. Using the Local Hero resources as an integrated part of curricular learning would help them to learn about the local area and about Queen Katharine of Aragon and the school’s ethos. Furthermore, it would also help the staff body to bond with the school’s new identity in a positive way.
A range of skills will be developed including: Research and investigation skills in identifying local heroes and developing exhibits giving information about each person; Presentation skills – information will need to be clearly presented in a range of different ways, e.g. orally during tours, written in the information booklets and creatively in the actual exhibits themselves; Teamwork – Students will need to work together in international groups, allocate roles and work to deadlines.
QKA is very keen to raise the aspiration of students through its international work and focus on education as a way to escape poverty. This project will raise the profile of the school and education in general, by developing students’ knowledge of local and European heritage.
The results of the project will be recording in the permanent exhibitions which will be used in school, not only to compliment the curricula in Languages, History and Accelerated Curriculum, but also to support primary transition to secondary to teach primary students about the identity and ethos of their school. Digital resources will also be recorded and disseminated using e-Twinning and a blog-site for open access.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 87518 Eur

Project Coordinator

Thomas Deacon Education Trust T/A Queen Katharine Academy & Country: UK

Project Partners

• I.E.S.ENRIQUE DÍEZ-CANEDO
• Bischöfliches Albertus-Magnus-Gymnasium