Scripts, scenery and soundtracks

Summary

This inner-city primary school is committed to building pupils' self-esteem and motivation through the arts. In this project, key stage 2 pupils worked with a local secondary school, university students and creative professionals to make a short film that was screened at a major youth film festival. Pupils wrote the script, designed and made the scenery and props, composed the soundtrack and acted. In doing so, they developed a good working knowledge of every stage of the film-making process.

The project had a significant impact on many pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning, increasing their enthusiasm for school as a whole. It had a particularly powerful effect on boys, who enjoyed developing literacy skills through scriptwriting and responded well to working with a male director, producer and musician. Some pupils now aspire to jobs in the creative industries and have become involved in arts activities both within and outside school. The exciting, high-quality final film has raised the school's profile and standing among parents and the local community.