Hermitage Primary School, Wapping

Topic: Homelessness

Date: 25/03/03

Background

"We would like to help people who have no home and no family because who would hug and kiss them goodnight?" - Aysha aged 10.

Helping homeless people has been voted the top priority by our Year five and six children. The main aim of the project is to prepare children to play an active role as citizens, a theme running through all the Citizenship units which encourages children to "research, discuss and debate topical issues".

The children at Hermitage are used to playing an active role in the school community. School Councilors from Years 1 - 6 have presented their classmates concerns for many years. The issues have been taken seriously and acted on, including playground and toilet improvement programmes. The older children are involved in conflict resolution as Playground Peacemakers.

When I asked the children what they would like to be actively involved with outside the school they decided on homelessness. As I had recently attended an excellent Domex/Mirandanet seminar on homelessness and graphic novels I knew I would want to involve cartoonists. I had also made a very useful contact with Crisis at the seminar.

In one class children will participate in workshops on video production. They will take home palmcorders to record the aspects of their home life which they most value. They will then edit the material into short clips. In the parallel class they will be working with cartoonists and writers to create comics based on the lives of homeless people they meet, interview and read about.

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Reflections

The children have been highly motivated by this project. The high profile for the arts has kept their interest, especially Year 6 children who are approaching SATs. The range of activities- art, writing, drama, role-play, has met the needs of children with a wide range of learning styles. It has also grabbed the attention of some Y6 boys who have been showing some disaffection with school life. The quality of work in literacy- both oral and written- and art has been stunning.

I felt it was important that creativity was at the heart of this project. Drama and role play were essential to develop empathy for homeless people. Film and video diaries provided essential insights and were the basis for excellent oral and written work. They produced thoughtful and imaginative drawings and written work. Children who started the project saying they couldn't draw have produced amazing work.

A crucial turning point emerged as we were drawing up possible interview questions from the children. As suggestions were put forward- where do you wash, have you got family, do you eat out of dustbins?- Conika (Y5) suggested that these might upset homeless people. It has been fascinating watching the children develop empathy for homeless people and witness stereotypes challenged for staff and children.

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