FNDPs 2015-16

Five Nations Development Projects (FNDPs)

Following an external review of the Small-scale Research Initiatives (SSRIs) in 2014, the Strategy Group decided to pilot a series of funded development projects (FNDPs) that support teachers' work to develop citizenship education or education for active citizenship in their schools. Teachers from across the five nations were invited to apply and we were pleased to fund six projects. Projects started during the autumn term of 2015 and the teachers attended the Cardiff 2016 conference to share their experiences and findings through short presentations. Each project lead gave a 'poster' presentation to highlight the aims, outcomes and impact of their work. The posters can be viewed below along with a short description of the project objectives.

Inspiring, Engaging, Invigorating... We need more classroom practice... Well done!
Initial Teacher Educator and CPD Professional, Ireland

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: Food Equity for All
Project lead: Claire Dunphy, St. Eunan’s Primary School, Clydebank, Scotland
Article 24 of the UNCRC states that children have the right to good quality health care – the best health care possible – to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy. Pupils were asked to consider the statement 'Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve this', exploring the point that while we as a rich country should help poorer countries achieve their right to nutritious food, a substantial amount of children within our own 'rich country' do not receive this right.
Key Objectives

To develop in pupils an awareness of the inequality that exists in our society, in particular - food inequality - focusing on the rise of food banks in the UK
To enable pupils to think critically, discuss and debate the issues around food inequality. (Why the rise in food banks? Should there be food banks in a wealthy country? Who uses food banks? Should we support food banks? Does being given free hand outs of food have an effect on a person’s self-esteem? )
To empower pupils, equipping them with the skills and resources to lead their own campaign
To enable pupils to become active citizens in their local community, working in partnership with a local organisation (West Dunbartonshire Community Food Share) and lobbying their local politicians
To nurture political literacy in pupils
To increase self confidence in pupils and their sense of being able to participate positively in their community and wider society.

Update (2016)
Claire’s students (P7) have:

Presented their work on Sustainable Development Global Goal 2 – No Hunger – and delivered speeches to Primary student teachers at an event at Strathclyde University.
Presented their work on Sustainable Development Global Goal 2 – No Hunger – at Scottish Parliament.
Presented to 150 MEduc students at the University of Glasgow
Organised a campaign rally at the local town bandstand

See their class blog.
This project contributed to the work of the whole school on the Sustainable Development Goals, for which St Eunan's Primary won the Learning for Sustainability Award at the 2016 Scottish Education Awards. Watch a short video on how St Eunan's Primary School has been working on the Sustainable Development Goals as a whole school community.

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: Foundation of School Council
Project lead: Zoe Bowden, Towers School and Sixth Form College, Kent, England
This project aims to establish a school council framework, which is based on lessons about democracy. Pupils worked together in teams to develop clear goals for their pupil candidate. Elections were held in the autumn and the very first members of the school council were elected. The Council has a small budget which they use to plan for and run projects either in school or in the wider community. Once trained, leadership of the Council passed to elected members of the Sixth Form who will feed back to the school leadership at formal meetings. The aims of this project include to increase an understanding of how campaigning, voting and elections work through a real and practical experience. In addition, the Council will provide a mechanism to increase student participation in decision-making in school issues and the School Leadership Team now consult the School Council over key decisions.

The FNDP grant has been used by pupils to undertake their first student led school council projects. The projects were chosen by Council members after taking the views of other pupils in the school. Wherever possible pupils will use their £100 as a start up grant, with the aim of returning the grant to the fund at the end of the project so it can be re-used for the next academic year.

This is the first time a School Council has been established at Towers School. Citizenship learning has been rolled out across the entire school to support this work and a Year 7 scheme of work will be developed as a resource to support staff in teaching Citizenship in future years.

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: Developing Citizenship and Service Learning School Policy and Practice
Project lead: Máire O’Higgins, Larkin Community College, Dublin, Ireland
This project aimed to deliver Citizenship and Service Learning programmes utilising The Call - a community service learning programme developed by Localise Youth and Community Services. The Call can be implemented in three ways:

The Call 10 week Challenge is where students identify, plan, organise and deliver a caring in the community project.
The Call Workshops where students learn the importance of volunteerism and the power of service to others. After the initial workshop, students pledge to make a difference to their community. In the second workshop the students examine how they met that pledge.
The Call Service Days allows students undertake a four week programme focusing specifically on one aspect of their community they would like to transform. They plan and carry out this transformation.

Approximately 185 Larkin Community College students were involved in this project, which will become a model of best practice that can be replicated in other schools. The college helped facilitate this process by video recording The Call programmes and using the edited videos as resource and exemplar materials for their colleagues, incoming students and other schools.

The project will also create a school policy on Citizenship and Service Learning Education based on extrapolating from best practice. The resulting videos will be posted to websites including www.artsineducation.ie, www.localise.ie, www.larkincommunitycollege.ie and www.sccdublin.ie

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: Migrants/Asylum Seekers/Refugees: Breaking the barriers of Stereotypes
Project lead: Sinead McCarthy, Scoil Mhuire, County Meath, Ireland
In light of recent developments in Europe, this project aimed to critique the stereotypical views of migrants/asylum seekers/refugees that are portrayed by society and often passively absorbed. The project aimed to:

facilitate CSPE students in uncovering the truth about the realities of these people’s lives and to dispel the various myths that exist in the local community and wider afield
facilitate CSPE students in raising awareness about the lives of their fellow human beings who are on the move through Europe and to learn about asylum seekers/refugees who are already living in Ireland through an exhibition.

The intended impact and outcomes of the project were that students will:

think more critically about societal views as a result of exploring the reality of the lives of migrants/asylum seekers/refugees
develop empathy for other human beings who are less well-off and whose human rights are being denied
have raised awareness in the school community and in the local community through their awareness raising exhibition.

A set of photographs were used in the exhibition. These photographs will form a Photopack for use with future CSPE classes in the school when tackling the issue of Migrants/Asylum Seekers/Refugees.

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: 1916 Film Project: To promote citizenship education in our school community.
Project lead: Jacqueline Sheil, Borris Vocational School, County Carlow, Ireland
This project aimed to enable students to reflect on the significance of the 1916 Uprising for the Ireland of today through engaging in the research, delivery and execution of a film to celebrate this anniversary. With input and direction from Kilkenny Young Film Makers, the Transition Year class engaged in all aspects of creative and technical production whilst exploring and expressing their thoughts in visual form about this historical event and its relation to their identity as young Irish citizens today.
This formed part of an Installation Art work, with the film being screened on the ceiling of a darkened room. Students were asked to lie down to view it as a mark of respect to those who sacrificed their life for the freedom of the Irish nation. The Music Department created an original music score to accompany the film.

This citizenship action project was cross curricular, incorporating subject areas such as CSPE, Art, Irish, History and English, and helped to develop citizenship education within their school community.

The intended project impact and outcomes were:

to create awareness, understanding and knowledge of what citizenship means
to show the historical context and evolution of our state in order to help foster an appreciation of democracy and identity. This will encourage active citizenship
that students will be better informed about concepts such as democracy, justice, equality, freedom, authority and the rule of law
to develop skills and aptitudes such as communication, initiative, interacting appropriately, team work, critical thinking, analysing information, expressing opinions, negotiating and participating in community action
for teachers and students to have experienced and gained from effective forms of learning: active, interactive, relevant, critical, collaborative and participative
to leave a legacy and lasting visual memory as a reminder to all in their school community of the importance of the social and political world we inhabit.

Update (2016)
This FNDP received coverage in:

the Irish Independent - Art of teaching and learning: when 1916 is more than a history lesson
an Education and Training Boards Ireland publication – Issue 1 2016

Click on the image to see the poster presentation.

Project name: Culture and Identity - Islam in Wales and Islamophobia
Project lead: Menna Jenkins, Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
This project aimed to further develop the Year 9 RE unit ‘Media and Islam’. The majority of pupils, by nature of the school’s and community’s ethnicity, do not have any contact with Islam or Muslims in their daily lives. Most, if not all images and portrayals of Muslims and Islam to which the pupils are exposed are negative, confusing and in some cases frightening. As teachers, they are continually exploring ways of counteracting stereotypes and mis-information. The grant gave the pupils the opportunity to explore an aspect of Islam in modern Wales through participation in an Islamic Art, Culture and Symbols workshop led by a resident from the community.

The project’s aims were as follows:
Teachers

Enhance professional knowledge of Islamic Culture, Art and symbols thus adding it to scheme of work permanently
School-community link established with local business and member of the Muslim community

Pupils

A greater understanding of this particular aspect of Islam (demonstrated through survey and in subsequent class work)
Formal and informal positive feedback of workshop
Inform pupils of issues relating to PSHE and citizenship

The school ‘Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera’

Establish partnerships within the community
Enhance RE and Expressive Arts curriculum

This project will be shared with a professional community of Neath Port Talbot RE Teachers who are working in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Islam UK at Cardiff University. The topic will be embedded into schemes of work and resources/lesson plans produced. An account of the activity will be on the school website and there will be a wall display in the school.