Promoting Reflective Thinking in the Primary School
My Farmington Scholarship
I heard about the Farmington Institute and the Farmington Fellowships (now called Farmington Scholarships) through my connection to Liverpool SACRE and the Greater Merseyside RE Hub.
I applied and attended an interview at Hope University, a local university in partnership with the Farmington Institute, and was accepted on the program. My initial statement was:
As you can see it was rather adventurous! Through my tutorials, research and planning I reduced the focus to something more realistic and manageable.
My scholarship took the form of 30 days classroom cover. This is currently taken on a Friday, although some of the time is to be taken in blocks: to set up the Reflective Spaces and train classes, and to write and prepare the presentation.
I think the biggest challenge was to make the project workable.
I have throughly enjoyed the time and space that the project has given me. It has been challenging and I have had struggles with illness - which has impacted on my time. However, overall I have found it extremely rewarding and worthwhile. I am considering the possibility of applying again to further my study in the future.
"My work will look at the place of reflection within the curriculum, in general terms but also how it can be used as a device within R.E., PSHEe and Collective Worship. I would like to develop it's use and develop children as reflective learners and thinkers. This reflection could lead into a variety of responses, especially in the use of the creative arts.
This would impact on the school environment; I would look at the use of reflective spaces inside the school and in the outdoor spaces.
I would also like to look at how R.E. is taught and delivered in a community school setting; looking at best practice and developing more creative and innovative approaches. I'd like this to link in with the contacts I have within the Liverpool SACRE and help them develop a new agreed syllabus. I am already on the working party, but development has halted due to the recent 'Trojan Horse' issues and the review that is taking place.
The committee has already looked at the work of other SACRE groups, but this study would help broaden our search and link in with current thinking and approaches to the teaching of R.E. - initially at primary level but broadening it to KS3 & 4.
I would also like to, ultimately, offer training for RE Coordinators based on the findings from the work and study I undertake."