Design competition for new Children’s Hospital
Calling all young patients, families, artists, budding architects and designers! Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is going to build a brand-new Leeds Children’s Hospital and we need your help to design it.

Draw a picture, paint, make a model, write a poem, make it in Minecraft or Lego, make a short video- anything you like, it’s up to you! For a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher, take a picture of your creation in good lighting (you don’t have to do this for a video) and share it at: https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/daring-designers-competition.

Entries are open to anyone under 18 years old and the deadline is Friday 12 June 2020 – good luck!

Young People encouraged to share their Covid experiences
Across the city, the lives of children and young people have been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are having to come to terms with a whole new normal way of living and finding different and innovative ways to cope. The COVID Diaries project run by CEG (a national business) and Leeds City Council offers a way to capture their experience and will provide a valuable historical snapshot of Leeds for future generations.

People of all ages across Leeds are being invited to share their stories, experiences and thoughts about the coronavirus pandemic, but they are particularly keen to hear from children, young people and families.

You can submit your entry, absolutely anything you want, in any format! It can be hand-written, typed, drawn, painted, recorded etc. and can be a blog, video diary, song, piece of music, social media post, a photo, a poem, a piece of artwork … it doesn’t have to be a diary entry!

For more info & to submit entries, visit: www.coviddiaries.co.uk , Instagram,  , Twitter or Facebook

Storytelling and drama from Polka Theatre
Watch a story and have a go at some of the related activities: suitable for younger children.

Leeds Children’s Mayor 2020 – Schools invited to enter
Despite the Coronavirus outbreak, the city will still be holding elections for the next Leeds Children’s Mayor (LCM) this year. The LCM team have adapted and tailored the programme to enable year 5 children to participate even if they’re in a home learning setting. Primary schools in the city, who would like their year 5 cohort to participate, can now download a teacher information pack and home entry pack from the Leeds Children’s Mayor portal.

The deadline to submit entrants is Wednesday 17th June Here is a short video from Wania the current Children’s Mayor who explains what she likes about the programme.

Here are some suggestions to keep pupils busy, whether they are at school or home:

• The top picks from Leeds Libraries weekly newsletter include storytelling for KS1 children and Radio Blogging for KS2 children.
• Follow Leeds Art Gallery on Facebook!  They are posting regular features each week, so you can still access some of their amazing collection and expertise:
  – Art Class from Home
  – Art Homework Questions answered
  – Art for Museum From Home (this links to the objects being shared daily by Leeds Discovery Centre)
• Pyramid of Arts have created a range of accessible art activities all based on things you might find around the home.
• Write your own animal tale, inspired by The Tiger Who Came to Tea and, continuing with the cooking / eating theme, create your own cookbook.

Bookings are live on Leeds for Learning. A login is required to book online, if you – or your school business manager – are new to Leeds for Learning, please email the team at leedsforlearning@leeds.gov.uk to request that they set you up with an account.

For more information about what Music Connect can do for you and your school please contact Paula.Brookes@leeds.gov.uk

Storytelling, story listening and oracy have a vital role in the development of children’s reading and writing skills as they progress through school.   We are delighted to be working with storyteller, writer and teacher, Patrick Ryan, to deliver this day.

The training will include:

• sharing research in cognitive and neurological sciences
• a study of storytelling practice in education,
• explore how storytelling is a practical aspect of oracy
• how story listening experiences impact on reading and writing
• an ideas bank of activities to implement storytelling in the classroom

The session will combine theory and research with practical activities, allowing delegates the opportunity to identify the connections between oral storytelling, literacy and creative writing.   Delegates will develop a bank of activities, the skills and confidence to deliver story telling back in school.

Current research into the impact of storytelling on children’s attainment in reading and writing indicates that it has a number of added value outcomes, beyond what shared story book activity provides.   Besides attainment in literacy, evidence suggests story listening experience contributes to the development of self regulation and critical thinking, as well as empathy and a sense of community.

For further information, please see the More Than A Story flyer.  To book, please visit Leeds for Learning.

The Leeds Young Filmmakers Golden Owls Awards 2017!

We are now accepting entries for the next Golden Owls awards so if you have a film that has been made by young people since January 2016 or if you are planning to make one before February 2017 then you can enter it!

For more information and enter your film please head to the Leeds Young Film Website

To see last years winners please see here.

Using film in the classroom can be an effective way of engaging your pupils and enhancing subjects across the curriculum. This hands on session is designed to provide you with the practical skills and confidence to support your pupils to make films, using an iPad and iMovie. Suitable for KS1 and KS2 teachers. This session will be led by Craig Lawson, an Independent Film Producer with over twenty years’ experience of the media industries and is supported by Into Film.

For more information please see the First Steps Filmmaking CPD Flyer