Dance and Numeracy: Rachel Towe and Ghyllside Primary School, Kendal

School/Setting

Ghyllside Primary School, Kendal

Aims

The aims of the project were to:

• Explore ‘how can you enhance learning about numeracy through movement’. This followed a similar theme to work Rachel had undertaken at Hensingham Primary School in Whitehaven earlier in the year.
• Monitor young people more closely in terms of motivation towards learning about numeracy 
• Investigate whether the project pushed the children’s learning forward in terms of academic attainment in numeracy.
• Promote the value of artists and creative practitioners working with schools to a new schools partnership group

Process

Rachel worked with children across the school and more intensively with year 5 children and the numeracy co-ordinator. Year 5 children explored co-ordinates They jointly delivered CPD and INSET sessions for the other staff.

Impact

Young people were given a baseline test which was conducted before any classroom teaching on co-ordinates. A second test was given after the classroom teaching (led by the teacher) and then a final test after the movement project. Below are the results of the 3 tests which has been converted into an average score for the class and a percentage:

Baseline = 45%
After class teaching = 70%
After movement project = 83%

The improvement is obviously more after class teaching but there is still a surprising improvement after the movement project too which was exciting to see. This project could not replace the classroom teaching on co-ordinates entirely but it can clearly enhance and push the learning on.

Motivation levels were higher in the majority of the young people shown through questionnaires pre and post project with children stating that they really enjoyed learning about numeracy in a new, fun and active way. Rachel explained the impact on her own practice: “I have been enriched as an artist through challenging myself to find cross curricular links in a subject I have previously avoided.”

Next steps

CFC staff were recently able to present the findings of the project to the newly formed Kendal Collaborative Partnership at a recent meeting.

Find out more: email Rachel Towe or watch the film featuring Rachel working on a similar project at Hensingham Primary School, Whitehaven