Inspired Classrooms Exploring churches as places of creative learning across the curriculum

Author: Saul Penfold MA PGCE

Published on: 2 December 2018

Inspired Classrooms is a highly innovative and free online Toolkit designed to better connect parish churches to their local schools.

It provides churches with the practical ‘tools’ and resources to better understand, encourage and support schools in their visits and can be used by any church and by any school at any time.

Inspired Classrooms has done the hard work for you – providing highly creative and practical ways in which your church can support English, Science, Maths, Humanities, the Arts and PSHE for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 (5-14 year olds). You can reference Inspired Classrooms in your applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund too – it is funded by The HLF and they are (rightly) keen to see examples of innovative learning and outreach taking place in parish churches.

‘It was the best literacy lesson – much better than writing in the classroom’. Key Stage 2 pupil, Bure Valley School

The Toolkit includes:

Visit Practicalities

All the practical tools to help plan and deliver the perfect day of learning within your church, with resources including a model Risk Assessment, Itinerary, Equipment List, Parents Letter and sample Press Release.

Lesson Plans and Challenges

Over thirty cross-curricular lesson plans, challenges and supporting resources for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, allowing you to easily find the lesson(s) you want. These help pupils develop a range of skills including research, teamwork, focus and creativity, encouraging feelings of ownership and attachment to their parish churches.

QR Code Offline Web App

Our QR Code Offline Web App gives access to a bank of supporting information even in churches with no wifi connection! All QR codes relate directly to and support the lesson plans and challenges.

‘I really enjoyed working at the church as working in a different environment inspired me’. Key Stage 3 pupil, Aylsham High School

We have worked very closely with the Aylsham & District Team Ministry and with teachers from across the Aylsham Cluster to develop Inspired Classrooms. Each lesson has been trialled in parish churches and feedback from clergy and church volunteers has always been sought and incorporated as the Toolkit has developed.

No other heritage learning resource has the richness or cross-curricular potential of parish churches and we hope that this Toolkit encourages and empowers you to work with your local schools in these ‘Inspired Classrooms’.

For more information please contact: Saul Penfold MA PGCE Inspired Classrooms Project Manager

vasb@vafcverqpynffebbzf.bet

www.inspiredclassrooms.org