A project which began with the improvement of literacy in mind undoubtedly had the impact we had hoped for but in addition, we were all involved in a process which involved sustained shared thinking; children talked over problems and solved them, they demonstrated resilience and persevered when things didn’t work out at the first few attempts, no-one gave up.  Pupils who had just started at school with little or no English were fully engaged and grew in confidence as they were able to contribute so positively.  Children negotiated with each other and used comparative language to make judgements about the materials and parts they selected.

perhaps, though for learners who really struggle with self-esteem and don’t always see themselves as being able to achieve, the greatest achievement was an emotional one, best summed up by one of the children:

“I feel really proud of myself because I didn’t think I could make things like this! Now I know I can.”

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Sarah Pike- Key stage1 teacher-whitely park primary school