Our staff have been working as RIBA Architectural Ambassadors with Allens Croft Primary School in Kings Heath, Birmingham. They have been busy exploring aspects of architecture with 126 Year 1 and Year 2 pupils (5-7 year olds), including:
- Assemblies training up the pupils to become architects using themes from the Three Little Pigs;
- The variety of different buildings and how their design gives us clues about them, becoming architecture detectives;
- Year 2’s each designed and made a cereal box house for a different fictitious character, embedding clues about its ‘client’;
- Year 1’s explored mapping their school building, and how cities and how different buildings are pieced together in neighbourhoods.
We worked with the school to devise the project in order to support their own curriculum topics and learning aims. We were joined by Katy Wade, Schools Programme Co-ordinator for RIBA.
RIBA Architecture Ambassadors are architectural professionals who volunteer to partner with schools to inspire one or more classes about the potential of the built environment. Ambassadors empower children and young people to have an opinion on architecture and make their voice heard in the debate.
Dan Jones, Creative Arts Leader at Allens Croft Primary School said:
“It certainly has been a fantastic project so far and a really valuable experience for the children so a big thank you to you and all your colleagues!”
To find out more about the RIBA Architectural Ambassador Programme click here.
