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Collaboration with Shaftesbury School

Working with the school for the benefit of students and the town’s community

 

This project page was established in January 2022 to support collaboration with the school. An early attempt to connect with Alex More stalled prior to the pandemic but 2022 brought a more successful link up. Alex More, Lead Teacher of Innovation in Teaching and Learning at Shaftesbury School was keen to access people across the Planet Shaftesbury network who could share expertise with students; this came at a time when interaction in groups of people needs to take account of the circulation of Covid19 variants and  Planet Shaftesbury was keen to have occasional use of the school’s large hall(s) for public events. With this high motivation on both sides there are other possibilities for productive collaboration.  

Planet Shaftesbury Contact PersonKaren Wimhurst

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Scope of the project:  

Collaboration could extend over any aspect of the curriculum, or extra-curricular activity, that supports the building of individual or community resilience in the face of the crises affecting Earth’s climate and nature. Here are some possibilities.  If you’d like to add your name and special interest to this project webpage please email planetshaftesbury@gmail.com. Note that the Resources section of the website provides details of network members who are able to speak, run workshops, or otherwise share their expertise or experience – you could ask to be added there too.

  • The school has its own tree planting programme and has used advice from members of Shaftesbury Tree Group

  • The school runs an award-winning STEAM programme (integrating science, technology, engineering, art & maths) and is sometimes looking for local expertise to connect with student projects.

  • The school has an innovative, technology-enabled, Future Classroom that could be used for a public event by arrangement – see details here https://shaftesburyschool.co.uk/about-the-future-classroom-project/

  • Spaces that may be used for public events – with their capacity noted - could include the 6th form centre (can hold 120), main hall (180), and breakout spaces such as future classroom 30-40 seated. The school has 86 classrooms in total.

  • The school has ambitions to host county-wide two-day student events (one day for primary and one for secondary) with a sustainability focus which Planet Shaftesbury has been invited to support – possibly drawing in additional resources through the Dorset Climate Action Network (Dorset CAN). See current activity below for 2022 details.

  • In return for support of student events the school will host (free of charge) and promote (to students and parents) community events arranged with Planet Shaftesbury.

Current activity:

Co-creating two 2022 Sustainability events – one for students aged 9-14yrs and one for the community (to include parents & older students). This is work-in-progress and will be the subject of some meetings (see Events on the homepage) but key points to date (mid Jan) are:

Students:

Proposed Focus UNESCOs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), event to take place probably on 11th May, invited participants – up to 10 from each of 17 SAST schools, morning workshops and afternoon talks (some with remote speakers) in a TEDX-style event with topics aligned with the goals below.

  • Affordable clean energy

  • Sustainable cities and communities

  • Responsible consumption & production

  • Climate action

  • Life on land/sea

  • Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure

 

The school could schedule multiple talks, choice of workshops and seminars and offer a great programme. The idea would be for each child to document their experience of the event and take away a ‘pledge’ something to follow through as an ambassador back at their school.

 

Adults, community & Planet Shaftesbury

 

After the school event – probably not the evening of the same day but within a week – the school would be opened up for a similar event for people from the community. This event to be structured and organised by PS with school support (refreshments, promotion, some staff students ‘on-hand’). This event could be booked via Eventbrite and we could secure sponsorship or charge a nominal fee to cover costs. 

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