T'riffic Ideas Win Awards

Exciting plans for a documentary film, a cookery book and compendium of poetry, a carnival and a programme of family activities are set to become reality at four Thamesmead primary schools thanks to the Trust's T'riffic Thamesmead schools education project.

This new initiative is based on enterprise and enabling pupils to develop team working and business skills. School Councils were invited to apply for a grant which they would use to fund or support activities which would result in a sustainable project which would benefit all pupils in their school and demonstrate something ‘T'riffic' about Thamesmead and its young people.
Four School Councils applied for funding: Hawksmoor, Heronsgate, Jubilee and Linton Mead.

Linton Mead primary school will be producing a cookery book with recipes provided by the school community, highlighting the cultural and ethnic diversity in Thamesmead, historic family recipes and life in general in and around Thamesmead. There is also talk of a tasting of some of the recipes!

Meanwhile at Jubilee pupils are going to make a film documentary about Thamesmead to promote places of interest, the diverse culture of the area and to build on community cohesion. The children will take on the roles of director, producers, script writers and researchers and these skills will be used to further develop cross-curricular teaching and enhance learning.

Over in West Thamesmead Heronsgate primary school will be working on two projects. The first is a book of poetry about Thamesmead called ‘The United People of Thamesmead', which will be created by the children and parents, family and friends and illustrated with inspirational pictures and photographs of Thamesmead. The second project will bring ‘Carnival' to Heronsgate as part of the school's Summer Fair.

Finally, the Chairperson of Hawksmoor' s School Council, Patrick Etimiri, wrote in to request help supporting the setting up of a family room where parents can stop by before and after school for information on both educational and social programmes going on in Thamesmead  as well as where they can obtain information on affordable recreational activities. 

Part of the money will be spent in getting the room ready as well as running a tuck shop, which will be an on-going project within the school for all social events as well as during special programmes like family mornings.

At the end of the project all four schools will take part in a joint School Council event where they will show each other what they have achieved and share ideas.

Congratulations to all of them. They demonstrate the great creativity going on in our local schools.