Our Friends From Around The World!

Evenlode is very lucky to be developing relationships with schools around the world. We are currently working with partners across Europe on an Erasmus+ Well-being project, where we are sharing best practise across our schools to help pupils deal with well-being issues. 

Training Visit to Evenlode Primary School, Wales

In November 2019, partners from schools in Spain, Italy, Finland and England came to visit Evenlode to receive training in Wellbeing good practises that were being used within the school. Delegates joined us for the following sessions: Apple and Zippy , Wellbeing in the forest, Facts4Life, Tis approach and Mindfulness in the classroom.  We also spent time discussing how trauma is effecting pupils and how 'Mental Health First Aid' training has supported all teachers in adapting their approach. 

All schools in the project have linked their classes, so that the pupils can work collaboratively together through the life of the project. 

Classes exchanged Christmas cards and introduction letters about their class. Classes will continue to exchange cards and letters throughout the life of the project. 

Teaching, Learning and Training Visit to Finland March 2020

Miss Mainwaring, Mr Francis and Mrs Thomas visited our Finnish partners in Tohmajärvi. Their school is a through school, where pupils start school at 7 and leave at 18 to go to University. All three teachers found the training visit very interesting and gained lots of insight into how the school supports their pupils mental health and wellbeing. These ideas will be shared with the staff at Evenlode and we will look to see what lessons we can learn from them in improving our curriculum. 

Pupils from each school created information leaflets for their partners, to introduce them to the local area. 

Whilst we were all staying at home during Covid to stay safe, Miss Mainwaring had regular contact with our European partners. We would talk about what we are doing to support our pupils mental health and wellbeing from home as well as how and when we might be able to start are project again. 

What Covid Means To Me Book

With our main project on hold due to Covid 19, we as lead partners decided to allow our pupils to work together to allow them to see if their peers across Europe were experiencing the same feelings and thoughts. All schools asked their pupils to create a piece of work (a drawing, a poster, a poem or a story) to show what Covid meant to them. 

Each country then selected a number of pieces of work that were made into a book. Each school now has a copy of the book and the pupils work is up on display. 

Learning, Teaching and Training Visit Spain 2022

At the end of February, Miss Mainwaing, Mrs Willis and Miss Bieri went to visit our Spanish partners at their school in Ejea de Los Caballeros. During our three day training visit we learnt about how the Spanish curriculum supported pupils wellbeing and mental health. We spent a lot of time learning about the many ways this school uses music to support pupils and their wellbeing. One of these ways is every morning a piece of music chosen by pupils is played to welcome pupils as they start their day. All pupils in the school in years 5 and 6 learn a different musical instruments. The school was recently involved in a 'Sing for Equality' project. Miss Mainwaring, Mrs Willis and Miss Bieri will now share their training with the rest of the Evenlode teachers and together we will decided what elements of their good practise we will take forward at Evenlode. 

Teaching, Learning and Training Visit Italy 2022

Mrs Shields, Miss Jones and Mrs Hoddinott travelled to Osimo in Italy to learn all about their best practises in supporting pupils Wellbeing and Mental Health. They received training in three different schools over the three days. They found each school was very different in their approach and gained many ideas to share with the staff back at Evenlode. 

Playground Games

During April and May Evenlode pupils took part in a project where they created an instructional video for their European Partners. The video showed peers in the other countries how to play Welsh traditional playground games. Our video and some of our partners videos are on our project Youtube channel. Click the links below to see them.  

Learning, Teaching and Training Visit to England May 2022

Miss Mainwaring, Mr Barton, Mrs Almond and Mrs Rawlinson spent three days training with our English partners, learning all about the schemes and resources they use to teach pupils about mental health and wellbeing. They gained lots of ideas but especially liked that the whole school had Yoga sessions and that all pupils had a separate available space in which pupils could receive nurture provision. 

Teaching, Learning and Training Visit Wales June 2022

In June all our partners came back to visit Evenlode for the final training visit. As it had been 3 years since their last visit. They learnt about all the changes we have put in place and the new strategies in Wellbeing and Mental Health that we are doing. They also shared with us the changes they had made. They were also very excited to meet Maise.