Embedded Files
EYFS Lead, Rowena Bernstein, was determined to make the most of the LGfL 'The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace' resource, so she integrated it into all six areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
'One child came into the school after the Easter holidays and said that they had been to the Royal Mews with their parents. They were very knowledgeable about the different elements of the work that had occurred at the Mews and was talking openly to the class about their experiences. When asked how they had got to the Mews. Did they go on the train? The bus? The tube? No, we went on the laptop!'
Rowena Bernstein - Early Years teacher on the impact of using the LGfL Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace resource with her pupils
The challenge
How can you make the most of a topic that fascinates pupils – princes, princesses and the tale of Cinderella – using it to enhance teaching & learning?
How can you incorporate a major LGfL digital collection into your teaching and make sure it saves colleagues time at the same time as providing engaginglesson material?
How do you bring to life the world of horses, Bentleys and golden carriages?
What did you do?
What did you do?
A half-term project was born: Early Years leader Rowena Bernstein integrated the Royal Mews resource into schemes of work for all six EYFS curriculum areas.
The curriculum materials embedded within the resource were used to offer arange of new ideas. Lesson plans were used as they were, and adapted where necessary.
A selection of the many high-resolution images were explored on the interactive whiteboard with “rub and reveal” to disclose the photo. The quality and clarity ofthe images allowed them to be use as the basis for shape, space and measurement, including discussions about repeating patterns and symmetry investigations, e.g. how to create an arch tall enough for a ‘Royal Beebot Bentley’!
During Cinderella storytelling sessions, videos and relevant photos from the resource bank were used to enhance pupils’ understanding.
The classes studied recurring patterns on the wheels of Royal Coaches; this developed into an activity where they designed new wheels.
What was the impact on learning?
What was the impact on learning?
Interest and engagement in the subject provided many opportunities to developconfidence and vocabulary in speaking and listening, and there was a great deal of naturally-occurring imaginative role-play and storytelling, often on the basis ofa single photograph.
This generated focussed discussions and detailed observations, and generallysupported speaking and listening opportunities.
Thinking about colours used and other details helped build and enrich vocabulary.
Pupils loved getting hands-on building Royal cars, coaches and stables, andwere keen to share new knowledge and stories at home.
Use of HD images generated focussed discussions and detailed observations,and generally supported speaking and listening opportunities.
Staff were also enthused by the depth and breadth of the resource, and nowunderstand more than ever how the LGfL content portfolio can help teachers plan exciting and pedagogically-sound series of lessons. The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is now an integral part of long-term EYFS planning at St Michael’s.
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