Where the wild things are Erasmus Project

Project Title

Where the wild things are

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: Disabilities – special needs; Health and wellbeing; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Due to a cultural shift in society, access and use of outdoors has reduced for children. This is due largely to the increase in technological advances such as television, video games, computers, mobile phones and i Pads. The benefit of this project is we plan to integrate the use of digital media with natural and social learning experiences.Britain has led the way in the use of outdoor learning and adventure for the development of young people, for example, through the Scout and Guide movements, Outward Bound and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Use of the outdoors promotes personal growth and social awareness and develops skills for life and the world of work. Outdoor learning instills qualities such as a sense of responsibility and a purpose in life are nurtured.

Our outcomes we perceive from this project are:
1 – Increased engagement for pupils in outdoor learning experiences;
2 – An increased ability for pupils to be able to transfer skills learned in the outdoor environment into the classroom;
3 – The development of pupils self directed enquiry skills
4- Pupils will develop a heightened awareness of international relationships and begin to understand how we can benefit from shared understanding;
5 – Improved opportunities to promote well-being, collaboration and social-emotional for our pupils and pupils in our partner schools.
6 – Pupils will learn how digital media can be used for the purposes of communicating ideas.

These outcomes links specifically to the priorities we have identified particularly because they are in line with the ethos of forest schools. The ethos of forest schools is based on a fundamental respect for children and young people and their capacity to instigate, test and maintain curiosity in the world around them. It believes in children’s rights to play, to access the outdoors, the right to access risks and the vibrant reality of the natural world and the right to experience a healthy range of emotions through all the challenges of social interaction.

As a special needs school all activities are fully adapted to suit a range of additional learning needs with a particular focus on digital media to ensure equal accessibility to the project. For example, for pupils who may not be able to fully engage with outside experience we will be making use of I pads, go pros, cameras.

Each activity cycle will have an evaluation assessment so that all schools can reflect on the successes and areas of development of this project at this juncture. This will involve an assessment of individual learning objective met for each activity and a plan for going forward in to the next activity. On completion of the activities schools will combine all of this information in order to complete and overview of successes and what we may do differently in any future projects.
Our International schools mission is to create an engaging and motivational learning environment for all children and to help them grow in ability and self-confidence. In the long term, Participation in the project will contribute to the development of
• New opportunities for staff and students
• CPD opportunities
• Staff will be more motivated and eager to try innovative ways of making use of digital media.
• Strategic partnerships are a highly effective tool for the sharing of excellent practice and innovation.
• the project will provide the foundations for international cooperation between the partnered schools
• New teaching strategies and concepts
• They will integrate outdoor learning to their normal activity taking into consideration students’ wellbeing.
• The project will give the opportunity to train staff in how to use eTwinning which will encourage teachers to create their own projects.
• In the long term, This project will also have a positive impact for schools wishing to develop English as an additional language.
• Data from the project will be fully incorporated in to our school self evaluation document and school improvement planning.

In order to share and maximize the results as widely as possible, outcomes, successes and lessons learned during our project will be shared through
• The schools website and newsletter, describing our projects activities, aims, results and conclusions.
Training for other schools in Forest schools.
• Self evaluation data
• School twitter feed
case study
• Our end of project report will be made available to all stakeholders
• final description of the project-a brochure/ leaflet
• Press releases
• Exhibitions/ assemblies, coffee morning with parents to showcase students’ work.
• Staff meeting

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 28711,8 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ysgol Ty Coch Special Needs School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Szkola Podstawowa nr 211 z Oddzialami Integracyjnymi im. Janusza Korczaka
• Scoala Gimnaziala Vulcana Pandele