What is the purpose of this webinar?
This webinar is part of a series around curriculum enrichment in primary schools as part of the extensive Rethinking the Curriculum project. This series aims to support and equip both teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to identify, plan and implement curriculum development work in a sustainable, creative and impactful way.
Who is this webinar aimed at?
This webinar will be particularly valuable to primary teachers, those involved in curriculum design more broadly, and all educators who want to learn about using art to enhance their curriculum offer.
Who are Electric Umbrella?
We are delighted to share the work of Electric Umbrella with you. Using music and real life stories and experiences, Electric Umbrella unites school communities and ignites vital conversations surrounding equity, diversityThe recognition of individual differences in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical ability, religious beliefs and other differences and inclusionAn approach where a school aims to ensure that all children are educated together, with support for those who require it to access the full curriculum and contribute to and participate in all aspects of school life. Through vibrant in-person workshops, interactive online assemblies and via the transformative UK wide Inclusion Academy, in which schools will be able to sign up for the Electric Umbrella Accreditation Awards, Electric Umbrella can support you in your journey to building a sustainable ethos of inclusion; ensuring that a culture of kindness becomes a lived experience for schools.
How could I use this webinar to support my team?
This webinar could be re-watched with your school leadership or teaching teams to develop a shared understanding of this approach. We have prepared some reflective questions that could be used to inform discussions and begin to consider what this might look like in your context.
The webinar has been edited split into the following sections:
- 1.32 – Claire Butley, Head of Education and Programmes at Electric Umbrella, provides an overview of what the charity does and how they work with schools.
- 19.14 – Simon Putman, Headteacher and Trustee at Electric Umbrella, shares his school’s experience of working with the charity and explores the wide-ranging impact of their work within his setting.
- 43.13 – A Q&A session to further explore the challenges, opportunities and practicalities of introducing a similar approach in your school.
As you watch the webinar, you may wish to note down insights that build on your understanding of this work.
You may wish to consider:
- What aspects of Electric Umbrella’s approach to inclusion resonate most with you, and why?
- Electric Umbrella places a strong emphasis on fostering ‘joy’. How is joy currently nurtured within your context? Are there any ideas from the webinar that you could discuss with your team or trial within your school setting to enhance these feelings of joy?
- Do any of Electric Umbrella’s programmes or resources particularly appeal to you and/or the needs of your setting? Why so?
- Are there specific pupils, groups of pupils, or classes who would particularly benefit from this approach? Why so?
- Are there any barriers you foresee when integrating Electric Umbrella’s resources or programmes into your current offer? How might these be mitigated?
- If this is of interest to you, note down three next steps for yourself and/or your teams to progress this work.
