Vistors to the School

Visitors are often invited into school to talk to or work with the children. Their input enhances the school's curriculum and broadens the children's perspective by giving an experimental slant to the different curriculum areas.

Mark Bell, a local tree surgeon, enhanced our garden area with rustic seats and chairs designed by the children.

Mike Smith, a local poet, worked with all the children to produce poems and stories associated with school. They found part of the schools work in the Celebration of the fifty years of the schools opening.

Rob Moffat, a local artist and architect taught the Year 6 children techniques of landscape painting following their visit to Malham Cove. He regularly judges the school's 'Pat Mayne Memorial Art Competition'.

Mark Powers, a sculptor, worked with the Year 4 children on their Creative Context Project and produced Totem Poles to enhance the appearance of the garden area.

Bill Dixon, a graphic artist, helped the Year 3 children produce a guide for the Sobriety Centre to be used by other children visiting the Waterways Museum.

Wes McGee, a famous poet, taught poetry techniques to our Years 3 and 6 as a part of the Goole Beacon Project.

Paula Marris, a drama consultant, worked with Year 3 to produce digital books. Their work involved drama, and story writing. Photographs of the children performing the drama were integrated into the books.

Jenny Pike, an industry teacher, visits Kingsway each year and runs an Industry and Citizenship day with Years 5 and 6. Children from other schools are invited to join in the days activities.

Volunteers from the RATS and MICE projects come into school weekly and work with individual children and groups of children to innovate and encourage reading and develop maths skills.
RATS (Reading assisted teaching scheme)
MICE (Maths is cool and exciting)

Mrs Straker, a community teacher, comes into school to work with parents and their children. Parents support their children in literacy and ICT lessons and further their own development by gaining insight into the teaching of these subjects. They also work towards an accreditation.

The Museum Service visited school to work with some of the infant classes. The children were introduced to the techniques used in Victorian Britain on a typical washday and all had the chance to ‘have a go'.

The children used dolly tubs and washboards to clean some washing. Thankfully we had a lovely sunny day so that we could hang the washing out to dry! All of the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and some even commented that they had enjoyed cleaning clothes! Just as well really as most children seem to also enjoy getting them dirty!

In the spring term of 2004, Year 5 got the opportunity to learn about how living in Africa is different to living in England . One child writes about the experince

“We went to Africa for a day, not the real place, just the School hall but it was cool. We started by choosing our own postcard, they all had different pictures of animals, ones that would be seen in Africa . Then we went into the hall, then we said hello in Swahili ‘Jambo’. We met Ruby, a lady who was born and lived in Africa .

We sat on some mats and Ruby showed us some household objects, mainly made out of recycled or natural materials like tin cans and pumpkin shells. We also learnt how to use them.

Haggling at a fruit stall in Africa was not the easiest thing to do, but I had to buy a pear, garlic and passion fruit. We haggled trying to get the price of the fruit and vegetables as low as possible, thinking of excuses why we shouldn't pay their asking price. I got everything apart from the garlic, my excuse didn’t work for garlic.

After break we looked at crafts in groups, we looked at 2 giraffes, and then we looked at 2 springbok and a Rhino. Most of the crafts were carved out of wood, as wood is available from the trees.

Then we all did a bit of African drumming. Ruby taught us a simple rhythm, after a bit our hands started to go red. Then we greeted everyone good bye in Swahili.

It was an excellent day and we learnt a lot about daily life in Africa .”

Local sculptor Bryon Howard worked with Year 5 children in the autumn term 2004.

First of all he worked with the children who practised doing some expressive painting. Working on large pieces of paper, the children painted to music, using large, bold brush strokes and colourful paints.

Mr Howard then discussed and showed the children the proportions of a person's head. Working in pairs or individually, the children began sculpting a clay head. They were encouraged to look carefully at different expressions and the details of the face, and they created their own characters in the clay.

All the children were very imaginative. They all used a great amount of skill, adding detail to bring their characters alive.