During Term 4, the P1-P7 children have very much been taking ownership of and leading their learning in the form of personal self-directed projects. We feel this is a really valuable aspect of learning as it encourages all those skills of communication, curiosity, independence and collaboration. Also, we believe that children learn best when they are pursuing their own interests and immersing themselves in something that they would love to learn about.

Across all ages and stages, the children have embraced their projects. We have had a fashion project, which included the design and making of an actual (and exceptionally beautiful) dress to wear, a project on the Hercules plane with a plan to make a model of one – as you’ll see from the pictures we think it is simply sensational, and a “Fishing around Fair Isle” project with tasting menus, quizzes and practical activities involving fishing equipment. All three children asked members of the community to visit school to work alongside them during their projects so a massive thank you to Neil, Anne and Steven for their engagement with the children.

To celebrate, we had a showcase event in the hall where we presented our projects and invited all the Fair Isle community to come and see them and ask us about our learning. As ever, we received lots of support and spoke confidently about our learning, receiving lots of positive comments as we did so. Check out the pictures.