Developing skills for cross-curricular teaching in a community-based and outdoor environment.
St Vincent’s participation in a KA201 Erasmus+ Utopia project has come to an end after two years!
The main objective of this project was the professional development of primary school teachers. We wanted to support and develop high-quality and innovative teaching methods, upgrade existing skills and embrace the challenges of the future. We aimed to achieve change through self- and whole school improvement and exchanging of good practices.
In a partnership of seven primary schools from Belgium, London, Wales, Slovenia, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria, complemented by specialists from the university of applied science Thomas More University, Belgium and specialists from the Department for Education and Children of Wales, we organised learning and training activities, both physically in training events and project meetings including online, to facilitate the exchange of good practices to enhance the motivation, knowledge and skills of teachers, to make teaching more effective and to foster a culture of lifelong learning in the schools.
The overall project aims were to further deepen our pupils’ learning, knowledge, skills and understanding holistically in authentic and imaginative outdoor contexts, nurture their wellbeing through connectedness with their environment and continue to extend their cultural capital to prepare them for their futures as enquiring, resilient and productive global citizens.
Through the Utopia Project, St Vincent’s school have taken part in international visits both in person and online meetings. We have had the opportunity to exchange ideas with our European partners and training provided with a focus on Cross Curricular and outdoor learning, with staff members going on visits to Belgium, Athens and most recently to Wales. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from and with our EU partners. Thank you one and all!
As part of Professional development across EU education systems, each partner school created examples of Good Practices linked to their curriculum that were shared between EU countries. To see the variety of classroom activity resources available across a range of age groups please visit the Utopia website: https://www.windekind-utopia.be/
For the latest news or more useful information on international projects or opportunities and what local schools are doing, please visit https://www.connectgloballearning.co.uk/. Make sure you read the fantastic updates in the Newsletters section!
As part of it’s final report – here is a magazine created by Utopia partners to celebrate all the highlights and achievements of this Erasmus+ KA2 project. Enjoy reading!