Finding new ways to widen pupils’ experiences
Information about the school
Severn Primary School is in the Canton area of Cardiff. There are 407 pupils on roll aged between 4 and 11, and a further 146 nursery pupils attending on a part time-basis.
Around 24% of the pupils are eligible for free school meals and 25% have additional learning needs. The school has pupils from a diverse background, including over 50 different languages and dialects, of which the most common are Urdu and Arabic. Many of the school’s pupils speak English as an additional language.
Context and background to sector-leading practice
The school is an exceptionally harmonious and inclusive community, which is reflected in its vision statement: `Together we learn, together we grow`.
Even though almost a quarter of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, staff recognise that many more of the pupils come from homes where they have had very limited life experiences. For example, some of the school’s pupils have never visited the beach or cinema, or have been into the city centre.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
Over the last few years, the school has focused on finding innovative approaches to widen pupils’ experiences and encourage ambition.
The school’s ‘Sand Between Our Toes’ project aims to give its pupils some of the cultural, sporting, creative and adventurous activities that they may not have experienced. The school has achieved this by planning over 40 visits for pupils from reception to Year 6 and inviting a wide range of visitors into school to enhance the curriculum.
The school uses cultural venues around Cardiff to ignite the pupils’ curiosity and uncover talents that they might not have yet discovered, for example St David’s Hall, museums, local arts centre and local places of worship. Visitors such as Welsh National Opera, theatre groups and storytellers help to inspire pupils and raise their aspirations, enabling them to realise and appreciate the wide range of opportunities that are available to them locally.
Partnerships with many sporting organisations enable pupils to experience a wide range of activities. Most recently, these have included judo and badminton. A very well attended girls’ multi-sports club arose from staff identifying the low ratio of Muslim girls participating in sports clubs.
Inspiring creativity in its pupils has been multi-faceted, with projects ranging from engineering to musical performances. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has a high profile at the school, with local engineers working with pupils both during and after school.
Staff inspire pupils to develop their adventurous skills at all levels, from days at outdoor pursuit centres (paid for the school’s parent teacher association) to rock pool scrambling or kicking leaves in the park.
Many of the school’s pupils previously had very limited aspirations and were unable to identify a future career or role model. As a result, the school developed an ‘Open Your Eyes’ week for Year 6 pupils. Every year, staff invite professionals from a wide range of occupations, to talk about their work and what inspired them, ensuring that it challenges stereotypes. This now includes pupils from Year 5.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
The school’s focus on finding imaginative approaches to widen pupils’ experiences and encourage ambition has resulted in learners having a more ambitious and positive attitude towards their futures.
“Once I have an education I can do anything in life.” J.O, aged 11.
“No-one has inspired me like you do… I now know that my future is bright. Now I’m going to knuckle down and work extremely hard” N.S. aged 10.
“I know that my background doesn’t matter when it comes to achieving my goals.” M.M. aged 11.
“Your work is so fascinating that it has changed my future.” K.S .aged 10.
Useful links
Other resources from this provider
