Hebrew Primary School Big Art Project - 490/2024

As from the end of this academic year the management structure at Hebrew Primary School (HPS) changes, marking the end of an era to the current educational provision offered by the Department of Education.

As HPS closes its doors at the end of the school year (July '24) the fantastic team (industrial staff, ancillary staff, teaching staff and senior leadership) currently working at HPS will have been redeployed, at their request, to other government schools and services.

Mr Lomax, the present Headteacher, who has been serving the school for nearly 10 years, is seeing this change as an opportunity to reflect and showcase the amazing transformation that the school has seen over the years. HPS, is a small community Government school, where originally low pupil numbers meant that children were vertically streamed with children of different ages in one class. However, as pupil numbers grew, school year groups were respected and all children were taught in mixed ability age group settings. Mr Lomax reflected: "Over the years, our provision of mixed ability teaching has evolved into a more holistic practice where personalisation of learning drives and motivates all children to learn in their own individual way with tools and resources to best support their preferred approach to learning."

With support from the Department of Education, there was an investment in digital technology in primary schools. HPS was at the forefront of digital communication between school and home by introducing and piloting Seesaw, a home-school communication application. "After an initial trial, the Seesaw platform proved very successful with parents and teachers at HPS. Subsequently, this became the platform by which Home Learning was successfully delivered by all Primary Government Schools during the Covid-19 lockdowns," shared Mr Lomax.

Building on this, HPS invested heavily in iPad technology in the classroom so as to fully embrace 21st Century Skills, encouraging children to work collaboratively and communicate their real world learning in creative and innovative ways. This became the vehicle by which HPS embarked on Project Based Learning initiatives where children directed and teachers facilitated learning. "With increased iPad provision at HPS, children and teachers were able to showcase learning and achievement with parents on a regular basis in all areas of the curriculum, which has made conversations about pupil progress and achievement more meaningful ahead of reports and parent-teacher meetings," said Mr Lomax.

With coding becoming an important learning focus in the national curriculum, with support from the Department of Education, HPS trialled the first SpheroBOLT robots to develop children's coding skills in preparing them for the future. "We have since been approached to deliver inservice training on SpheroBOLT robots to other schools. There are now three schools using SpheroBOLT robots in their provision of coding in the curriculum," celebrated Mr Lomax. HPS has been working hard to go paperless, "We can say that we are 100% paperless in our communication with parents as all forms, letters, newsletters and pupil reports are sent digitally through Seesaw and we expect parents to communicate with us through the same platform."

As well as embracing digital technology, HPS also adopted a multi-sensory approach to learning. This soon became another key pillar of the school's dynamic approach to learning. At HPS, children regularly engage with hands-on activities in creative ways to support their learning. Mr Lomax said, "All children benefit from multi-sensory learning, not just those with additional needs. This has also helped us to increase opportunities for pupil choice, encouraging children to choose how they wish to showcase their learning."

"So as to inspire creativity in our teachers and bolster confidence in others, we started a Tag-Team-Tuesday initiative." Mr Lomax went on to explain, that with the full support of the SLT, teachers would invite their colleagues into their learning environments to borrow ideas from the array of multi-sensory activities that they had organised in all curriculum subjects, "This was fundamental in celebrating who we were as a school and how we communicated our vision."

Additionally, in their support of the Department of Education's efforts to build a 'Community of Learning', HPS has led on inservice training to other schools in areas such as:

• Personalisation of Learning
• Seesaw for digital communication, teaching & learning, assessment & progress
• Coding using SpheroBOLT robots
• Multi-sensory learning
• iPad use for creative collaborative work (21st century skills)
• Project Based Learning

Big Art Project

Go Big!

Over the years, the school became recognised for its big events such as World Book Day, and Street Parties for the Queen's Jubilee and for the King's Coronation. This served as the inspiration for the current team's Big Art Project as their farewell from HPS at the end of this academic year. Earlier in the year, all schools in Gibraltar were invited to help celebrate HPS and be part of their Big Art Project. Those that have been able to, have contributed art installations and pieces to convert the school into a glorious garden. Secondary Schools have created large flowers with Primary Schools encouraged to create butterflies symbolising transitions, growth, rebirth and new beginnings.

"Bringing all schools together to celebrate the transformation that HPS has grown through has been truly magnificent!" Gibraltar Girls' High School and Gibraltar Boys' Secondary School pupils worked collaboratively with HPS learners to create their big art installations which can be seen on display around the school. The large butterfly mobile was created in collaboration with all Upper Primary schools in Gibraltar and hangs symbolically in the centre of the school building to appreciate and recognise change, transformations and new beginnings.

A new beginning for everyone
A new beginning for the HPS team as they are redeployed to their new schools,
A new beginning for the school as it enters a new era in its evolution,
A new beginning for the children as they are nurtured and taught by a new team,
A new beginning for parents as they support their children to settle into new arrangements.

Mr Lomax said, "With new beginnings comes change. We acknowledge that change can be scary and challenge us to adapt, evolve and emerge from adversity with newfound strength. Like the butterfly, HPS has gone through a metamorphic change over the years. Looking back, Team HPS is very proud to have been able to transform HPS, and look forward to the many exciting opportunities that lie ahead for everyone: staff, learners and their families."

Thank you to those of you who have been part of the HPS journey so far.

Wishing everyone at #TeamHPS all the best for the future!

ENDS

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