Having had time to recover from the experience of running the Community Day, and having had the chance to look back at what we did and achieved, the benefits to the pupils of structuring the day as we did have become clear.
It was a long day, for them and us, with the structure constrained in some ways by the facilities available at certain times – we only had computer access for pupils during session 2, so any investigating had to happen then – and the creation of the posters took a lot longer than we had anticipated. However, it was very clear that pupils had appreciated being able to discuss their own experiences of lockdown; had opened their minds to what lockdown had meant to other children around the world; and had gained a real understanding of what we might want to change after the pandemic. The thoughtful and personal responses on display in their final posters were proof of careful consideration of their own role in the circles of community in which they live and the influence they might be able to have.
In terms of FOSIL resources, different worksheets – some individual and some group – stepped them through the day, and we made use of a LibGuide to provide them with the specific websites and videos we wanted them to use for different parts of the Investigate stage. The focus of investigation for this inquiry was very much on finding and using information from within sources rather than needing to locate that information for themselves. A further resource for the Reflect stage will allow pupils to continue to reflect on the ‘pledge’ they have made as the year progresses. This will be picked up through the tutorial programme, allowing the conversation to continue in smaller groups, and will hopefully lead on to further service as action.