Case studies
Communication Friendly Spaces™: Narrowing the Gap in Wirral
In partnership with the Wirral LA, Elizabeth Jarman Training Ltd designed and facilitated an enquiry-based project, from January-June ’09, involving training, support and development to review the learning environment in three primary schools as part of the LA’s Narrowing the Gap programme. Practitioners and teachers worked in their settings and schools and also with parents/carers to understand the preferred contexts of the boys involved.
Executive Summary
- The adults have all reported changes in their thinking, practice and generally in terms of the communication of the boys involved.
- Evidence in the form of photographs, film and maps showed the changes to the school environments that had been made.
- A significant outcome was an increase in communication between parents/carers and staff.
- There was generally an improvement in communication, particularly in listening, reported among the boy subjects that were selected, despite the short time span of the project.
- While the agreed focus of the project was on boys, all staff involved girls and the whole class in activities and changes to the environment while focusing on the boys for the enquiry element of the project.
- A variety of favoured locations and preferences for communication and learning in school for these boys were suggested with small groups preferred by all and 'small world' slightly preferred by younger boys.
- Greater family/school interaction was a direct result of the project.
