All aboard the Storybus!

Posted Wednesday February 10th 2010
by Katherine Woodfine

Last week, Anthony visited The Wroxham School in Potters Bar to find out more about the school’s outstanding creative learning practice.As a Creative Partnerships School of Creativity, The Wroxham School works with the government’s creative learning programme to further develop teaching and learning practices, form innovative partnerships with other schools, and to help shape further education policy and practice.

Anthony spent a busy day at the school meeting children and finding out about the work they had been doing in preparation from his visit, ranging from reading and reviewing his books, through to writing and illustrating their own.

An important part of the day was visiting the school ‘Storybus’ – a double-decker bus bought from eBay for £2,800, which the school plan to transform in the coming months with help from pupils, staff and parents. The idea for the Storybus, which was developed with input from the children themselves, came out of a wish to extend and improve the school’s existing library facilities, and to make an exciting and engaging learning space to encourage reading.

Alison Peacock, Headteacher, commented: “We want to make reading irresistible and having the Children’s Laureate, Anthony Browne, visit our school will really inspire our pupils. We enjoyed showing him why everything we do here is about creativity and how we have raised standards through creative learning."

Anthony will be heading back to The Wroxham School in the summer to help them celebrate the launch of the completed Storybus.

Visit Creative Partnerships to find out more; or read what pupils thought on The Wroxham School’s Year 5 blog.