Rolls-Royce

Entrant's address and contact details

School name:	Pontygof Primary School
School/college address:	Pontygof EBBW VALE Gwent NP23 5AZ Wales

School phone number:	01495 303210
Number of pupils in school(s) - male:	74
Number of pupils in school(s) - female:	83
Number of staff in school(s):	7

Our team leader and our team

Name	Position (e.g. Headteacher, parent, etc.)	Organisation
Mr DEWI OWEN	DEPUTY HEADTEACHER	PONTYGOF PRIMARY SCHOOL
Miss GILLIAN CLIST	SENIOR TEACHER	PONTYGOF PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dr WYNNE EVANS	HEAD OF CHEMISTRY	UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN
Dr STUART BASKERVILLE	HEAD OF GEOLOGY	UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN
Ms LOUISE HOWELLS	COMMUNITY PROJECT LIAISON OFFICER	COMMUNITIES FIRST
Mr ANDREW McGRAW	TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR	ALAN DAVIES SKILLS CENTRE

The key skills, strengths and roles of each team member are: (200 words)

Dewi Owen
Deputy Headteacher and ESTYN outstanding practitioner. Dewi is Science co-ordinator and Key Stage 2 specialist. He has been involved in many scientific and environmentally based projects, most recently having work published in â€˜Primary Scienceâ€™ (Jan/Feb 2008).

Gillian Clist
Senior Teacher and project manager for Foundation Phase, a music specialist with a keen interest in developing music from environmental sources. She will ensure that the project enables all pupils to access the key skills encompassed by the Science Deck Development.

Dr Wynne Evans
Wynne, a former school science teacher, now leads the chemistry team at the University of Glamorgan. She will bring professional science expertise, and make available university resources.

Dr Stuart Baskerville
Head of Environmental Geography at the University of Glamorgan, has a background in environmental management. Stuart has recently collaborated with the school on the Ebbw River Research Project, bringing with him vast experience of environmental change and enhancement.

Miss Louise Howells
Community Liaison Officer with Communities First, having highly developed organisational skills and recently having completed the construction of a wildlife meadow.

Mr Andrew McGraw
Technical Instructor at the Skills Centre. Andrew will be in charge of construction for the project.

Our proposal

Topic area of proposal: Processes and Living Things - Ecology/environment

Briefly, the aim of our proposal is: (50 words)

The Deck will be a core feature of science teaching in our school. The Deck will allow children to observe and measure climate change, using digital sources. With the help of the RSPB, the Deck will serve as an observation platform to view birdlife in the local area. The sensory and musical area of the Deck will allow our youngest children to explore creative and physical developmental skills. The Deck will also demonstrate sustainable energy resources using a wind turbine to power small lights. Similarly, solar panels will be used to power a central water feature. Finally, the Deck will provide a sustainable teaching resource to benefit future generations.

Pupil type to benefit: All

Age range to benefit from proposal: 3-11

Learning outcomes from our proposal: (50 words)

To digitally measure climate change.
To improve ICT skills in science.
To demonstrate and use sustainable energy forms.
To enhance development in areas of creativity and outdoor discovery.
To actively manage a man-made environment.
To add enjoyment to science learning.

Our reasons for developing this particular proposal: (100 words)

Recently, our school has been involved in developing a wildlife meadow within a derelict area of a local housing estate. After a consultation exercise involving staff, children and stakeholders, it was felt that our school grounds are under-developed to meet the demands of the new forthcoming science curriculum. It is important that the Deck will provide a practical resource to assist the development of all our children, irrespective of age or ability. Consequently, the children will be actively involved in all aspects of its construction and operation.

Detailed description of our proposal: (300 words)

With the help of unemployed trainees from the Alan Davies Skills Centre, we will construct a raised decking area - The Science Deck. The Science Deck will be divided into a number of sections that will include an area where environmentally powered musical instruments will provide atmosphere and stimulation for all ages. A sensory section where children will grow aromatic plants and herbs will also be provided. The wall against which the Deck will be constructed will be a platform for digital weather indicators such as a rain gauge, hygrometer, thermometer, anemometer and a barometer. These instruments will be linked to computers in the classroom to store and present evidence of changing weather, and to predict weather patterns. A wind turbine connected to the Deck will provide the means to power trickle feed lights. A solar powered central water feature will demonstrate to the children the importance of sustainable energy forms, while a selection of trees growing through the Deck, will give a visual record of the changing seasons. One area of the Deck will be used for observation, as the children, in conjunction with the RSPB and Communities First, will develop a bird-friendly environment in which it is hoped to study life cycles and prey-predator relationships. The Deck will facilitate practical science learning for all of our children regardless of age and ability. It will be a sustainable resource to be used by current and future students at our school.

Putting our proposal into practice

Outline of how our team would implement our proposal over a period of not more than 24 weeks: (300 words, bulleted lists accepted)

It has been agreed by all team members that we will meet formally every three weeks to review and reflect upon the progress of the project. It has also been decided that meetings will be held as and when necessary to address any unforseen issues.

Weeks 1-4

the children will begin a black and white photographic diary with pictures being developed in our class darkroom
children involved in the project to give a PowerPoint presentation in assembly
inform all stakeholders that our project is beginning
review plans in readiness for construction
Alan Davies trainees to begin construction of the Deck
visits by university staff to discuss the logistics of the project
by week 4, the basic structure of the science Deck will be completed

Weeks 5-8

children to submit their designs of the musical area
order musical instruments
order digital equipment
seek advice for appropriate wind turbine
contact RSPB and Communities First with a view to beginning the bird-friendly environment
liaise with LEA

Weeks 8-12

begin construction of musical and sensory area
RSPB and Communities First to lead birdbox building
take delivery of digital weather reading equipment
visit University of Glamorgan to review progress on project

Weeks 12-16

invite Rolls-Royce area representatives to view the project
install digital weather reading equipment
install classroom-based computer monitors
invite Governing Body to a project meeting to discuss progress with the children

Weeks 16-20

use university expertise to:

install central water feature
install wind turbine and trickle feed lights
begin to integrate the Science Deck into our science curriculum

Weeks 20-24

train all staff in the use of the science Deck
invite interested parties to view the project
the Deck will now be fully functional - invite the press to the grand opening.

Monitoring and evaluation

The monitoring procedures we will use during the project are: (200 words, bulleted lists accepted)

Andrew McGraw of the Alan Davies Skills Centre will project manage the construction to ensure that the Deck is delivered on time and on budget
Meetings every three weeks will be convened to review and reflect upon the project's progress
Science coordinator in conjunction with the university staff, will write schemes of work to integrate the Science Deck into our science curriculum
Monthly bulletins to the Governing Body and the community at large, will report upon the progress of the project
The children involved will publish a fortnightly magazine â€˜The Crew's Newsâ€™ to update the school and surrounding areas concerning our build
The LEA has agreed to provide external monitoring and evaluation to ensure our targets are met
Staff members will be consulted to assess whether the project has fullfilled their expectations and how they would like it to move forward.

The evaluation procedures we will use at the end of the 25 weeks to check the effectiveness of our project are: (200 words, bulleted lists accepted)

The LEA will evaluate this project at each stage of development.
Through observation and evaluation of individual pupilsâ€™ work, the staff will determine the impact the project has upon our pupils.
Our professional scientists will monitor the impact the project has on raising standards and enthusing children in the areas of scientific research.
At the end of the 24 weeks, the team will reflect upon any strengths and weaknesses the project has highlighted, thus providing us with a framework for future development.
We will canvass the local community via Louise Howells and her team, to ascertain their views, and their thoughts on how to move the project forward - as they provided the original stimulation for the project.

The children:

- Did they enjoy the project?
- Do they feel more confident when attempting research?
- Has the project enhanced the creative and physical development of the younger children?

- Through personal reflection and experiences, the staff will evaluate their professional development and highlight any areas they would like to see incorporated within the school development plan.

Budget

Itemised costs of putting your proposal into practice within a maximum budget of £5,000 or equivalent in Euros: