̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

'Lightning McGreen' and 'Sustainable Hulk' lead Cambridge E-bus revolution

plc32 — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:17:29 +0000

Alongside the two famed children's animation and comic book-inspired characters, the names 'Greenhopper', 'Net-Zero Hero', 'Pollution Solution', ' ̽��ֱ��Peregreen Falcon', 'Eco Eddie' and ' ̽��ֱ��Green Clean Machine', were also chosen for the fleet from a selection offered by students from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School in a bus naming competition.

̽��ֱ��competition invited students from the school in the ̽��ֱ��-built neighbourhood of Eddington to unleash their imagination. Participants were encouraged to consider factors such as the sustainability benefits and innovative features of the new buses in their naming choices. This initiative aimed to engage young minds in a fun and educational way, while also contributing to the enhancement of public transport within the local community.

Over the past few weeks, the competition captured the attention and enthusiasm of a large number of Eddington school children, attracting well over 100 entries. Their creativity and thoughtfulness were truly remarkable, making the selection process a challenging yet enjoyable task for the judging panel.

̽��ֱ��final selection was made by a panel of representatives from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Whippet’s parent company, Ascendal Group. ̽��ֱ��panel carefully evaluated each entry and assessed the names based on originality, relevance, and the potential to resonate with the local community.

“We were overwhelmed by the incredible response from the young participants,” said Nicoletta Gennaro, Ascendal’s Group Head of Marketing. “ ̽��ֱ��names suggested by these talented children were not only impressive but also reflected their deep understanding of our community’s values and aspirations. We are thrilled to involve them in shaping the identity of our new electric buses.”

Winners of the competition received special recognition at a dedicated award ceremony at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School, where they received prizes from representatives from Whippet and the ̽��ֱ��.

“We believe that involving the youth in important community projects like this fosters a sense of belonging and ownership,” added Mike Davies, Transport Manager at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. “Through their contribution, we hope to inspire future generations to actively participate in shaping the development of our city and how we move.”

Both Whippet and the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge would like to extend their sincere gratitude to all the participating students and staff at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School for their invaluable contributions to the competition. ̽��ֱ��event marks a significant milestone in promoting creativity, community engagement, and the importance of sustainable public transport.

'Lightning McGreen' and the ' ̽��ֱ��Sustainable Hulk' will lead a new fleet of nine electric buses plying routes travelled by students and staff across the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge on the Universal bus route, scheduled to be put into service later this year by bus operator Whippet.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

We are all 'others': teaching children to celebrate differences

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

At times of dramatic change and conflict, words can become weapons. Europe is transforming: migration, economic crises and Brexit are shaking the continent’s sense of identity, and debate has turned quickly to division and misunderstanding, to angry Twitter exchanges and pumped-up political stand-offs.

Now, a new Europe-wide project led by Cambridge’s Faculty of Education and closely linked to the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School (UCPS) is encouraging better dialogue – by initially removing language altogether.

̽��ֱ��three-year DIALLS project (Dialogue and Argumentation for Cultural Literacy Learning in Schools) will use wordless picturebooks and short films as a stimulus for discussion by children in primary and secondary schools. Exploring their individual and collective responses to the texts within school – and with peers in partner countries from Portugal and Cyprus to Israel and Lithuania – will, researchers believe, help children understand their own cultural identities, while also recognising and respecting those of others in a fast-changing and diverse Europe.

“Our approach is to use the skills of dialogue to promote understanding,” says Dr Fiona Maine, a visual literacy specialist and principal investigator for the €4.4 million project, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme and involving nine universities. “To have an effective dialogue, you need to understand other people’s perspectives and where they are coming from, and perhaps critique your own views.”

Texts without words, needing no translation across borders, are an ideal stimulant for cross-cultural debate, Maine says. “These texts are ambiguous, and so give rich opportunities for discussion.”

A preliminary collection of dozens of materials gathered from across Europe since the project’s launch in May 2018 reflects the fact that many picturebooks have resonance for readers of all ages. ̽��ֱ��Mediterranean, by the Swiss illustrator Armin Greder, is for older readers and tackles themes of displacement and violence, its beautiful charcoal images confronting the tragic reality of refugees lost at sea. Baboon on the Moon, directed by Christopher Duriez, is a quirky animated film in which a baboon is taken from the jungle to top up the moon’s light each day. At first glance, it’s more playful, yet it addresses similarly powerful notions of home and belonging that could be discussed by all ages.

̽��ֱ��next task is to whittle the initial selection down to a core set of 45 texts, likely to include some 30 books, with films and potentially artworks making up the total. It is here that children will themselves get involved in the research, with pupils at UCPS – the UK hub for the project – reviewing and choosing alongside their teachers.

“Student voice is important in the selection,” says Maine. “We’ll ask children which they like, but also which they feel give them real opportunities for discussion.”

̽��ֱ��chosen texts, divided for different age groups where appropriate, will then be used by partner schools in each of the nine participant countries to stimulate discussion over 15 lesson sequences. ̽��ֱ��aim is twofold: children in 300 classes across Europe will explore their responses to the ideas prompted by the books and films, but in doing so will also develop their skills in dialogue and argumentation (the structuring of discussion by hearing and building on others’ points of view). These, in turn, underpin the fundamental goal of the project: to develop children’s “cultural literacy” – not in the sense of knowledge of a defined European culture of art and literature, but in an openness to engage with many different interpretations of it.

“For effective dialogue, in essence, you have to be tolerant, empathetic and inclusive of other positions,” says Maine. “Cultural literacy is not about accessing culture, but about a disposition to engage. Through understanding your own heritage, cultural identity and values and how they are positioned, you are better able to see that actually everybody has a slightly different experience. So it is not about saying ‘us and others’: we are all ‘others’.”

Children’s exploration of this ‘otherness’ will begin in the classroom as they discuss texts with fellow pupils, moving on as the project develops to discussions with children elsewhere in their own country (in England, 30 schools will be involved at first, with more in the third year once resources on using the texts are online).

Children across Europe will be able to share their ideas using a specially created digital platform. One landmark will be a semi-virtual conference in May 2020 bringing together school students to share ideas on the themes explored in the wordless texts, leading to the creation of a “manifesto for cultural literacy for young people in Europe” to sit alongside a set of freely available resources for teachers.

Along the way, children will also develop their own ‘cultural artefacts’ – artwork, stories or short films to be made publicly available in a virtual gallery. In the UK, participating teachers will have access to the Faculty of Education for professional development.

For UCPS, with its close ties to the Faculty and strong research mission, the DIALLS project sits perfectly with its own curriculum priorities. “ ̽��ֱ��real key perhaps to the project is to connect teachers and academics and children, and doing that through different texts,” says UCPS Headteacher Dr James Biddulph. “It fits in with our school’s focus on developing compassionate citizens who are actively involved in their world.”

But with its pan-European scope and ambition to promote understanding, is there a risk the DIALLS initiative could seem unduly idealistic in an era of transition, enormous complexity and debates that can seem so intractable that many in the adult world are tempted to turn away and tune out? How can we expect children to make sense of Europe and its different – and changing – cultures, when even we adults frequently seem unable to do so?

For Maine, the goal is not to find cosy solutions to the world’s problems, but to give children more tools to manage difference positively. “This isn’t about finding answers – we aren’t trying to get people to agree, nor even to seek to agree. This is about listening and understanding. It’s about a way of being.”

Read more about our research on the topic of children in the ̽��ֱ��'s research magazine; download a pdf; view on Issuu.

As the world around us increasingly divides into ‘us and others’, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School is taking part in a new research project to help children discover for themselves that far more unites us than divides us.

This isn’t about finding answers – we aren’t trying to get people to agree, nor even to seek to agree. This is about listening and understanding. It’s about a way of being

Fiona Maine

Linda Culverwell (ARTBASH)

Details from artwork commissioned by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School featuring paintings by the pupils

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Releasing the imagination: the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

fpjl2 — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 10:31:48 +0000

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School is committed to improving education for all primary children, everywhere.

READ THE STORY HERE

Also available: Dr James Biddulph discusses the Primary School's approach and life as a headteacher as part of the 'We are the ̽��ֱ��' podcast series:

Read more about our research on the topic of children in the ̽��ֱ��'s research magazine; download a pdf; view on Issuu.

More than just an outstanding Ofsted rating sets the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School apart: it places research at its heart, informing education practice and furthering research at Cambridge’s Faculty of Education and elsewhere.

We want to be a new voice in the chorus

James Biddulph

ARTBASH/ ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Primary School

Yes