Sharing Good Practice

BY PHIL YATES be a themed day , a Fairy Tale Ball , for example , it could involve food , treats or a trip to the local park . Ultimately this would reinforce the children ’ s learning but also create lasting memories of enjoyment for them too .

Every school , teacher or educational organisation can further develop the learning opportunities they provide their students with , by enriching the curriculum .

Living in the Middle-East , we sometimes face barriers to enriching the curriculum for our students that we wouldn ’ t necessarily encounter anywhere else in the world . From seeking approval for trips and visits , to extreme weather conditions in the summer months .

These barriers only exist if you allow them to , there are many different ways around them and some very simple curriculum adaptations that we can make . We are actually very lucky in the Middle-East to have a number of government funded programmes and initiatives that schools can access and local innovation centres , parks , and heritage sites that you probably don ’ t even know exist .

Curriculum Planning

Sit down at the start of the school year , in year groups or with subject leads and map out key dates and events for the forthcoming year ; Earth Day , Book , Fun and Fitness , Science and Innovation weeks . This will allow you to organise activities and bookings such as visits from local authors . Get the Private or Government Schools Calendar from your local Education authority , this will help you to match your theme weeks with the Council ’ s theme weeks , therefore ‘ Killing Two Birds with One Stone ’.

Get the children engaged in a new topic or unit of work , start it with a ‘ Hook ’ to captivate their attention and immerse them in their learning . It could be something simple like inviting the Civil Defence to school with their fire engine , QR Code treasure hunts , or staging a classroom to look like the Gruffalo has paid them a visit !

Ensure that you end the topic or unit of work with a ‘ Celebration ’. This could

TOP TIP - Want to get the most out of a Book Fair ? Hold them during parent-teacher consultation days . More parents will access it , more books will be bought , the school will receive greater commission and can therefore purchase more books .

Sport

There are a number of government initiatives around the Middle-East , aimed at combatting childhood obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles . It ’ s incredibly easy to access coaching , tournaments , resources and expertise absolutely free of charge . DamanActiveLife in the UAE is continually running such initiatives .

Get in touch with local sports teams and clubs . Cycling , golf and rugby clubs , will come in and give children taster or booster sessions during themed weeks and across the year , your parents may even be a part of these clubs . Introduce the children to new sports that they wouldn ’ t normally get the chance to play . Many children can access cycling proficiency training free of charge through such avenues .

Ensure there ’ s a broad range of ECAs on offer , if you ’ re enthusiastic about running a club , the children will be enthusiastic about attending it . There ’ s a catalogue of resources online to help , so that teachers are not ‘ reinventing the wheel ’, from ‘ Cosmic Kids Yoga ’ for a ‘ Mindfulness Club ’ to ‘ Pinterest ’ for teacher ideas and inspiration .