Project Based Learning complements further our Education Team’s standalone sessions in schools, colleges, and with community groups on a range of violence reduction themes, such as knife crime, exploitation, county lines, drugs and alcohol awareness and online malicious communications.
It offers the opportunity to work with students over an 8- to 10-week programme, allowing them to feel more engaged, build a rapport with a familiar face, discuss and better understand the information provided to them. This is where Project Based Learning has changed things for the better for learners, their teachers and our Education Team as they form and develop a trusted relationship while discussing challenging issues.
In a successful pilot in a Pupil Referral Unit in Gateshead, students chose to learn about domestic abuse, developing a project, including posters, songs and videos, for a special showcase event to recognise their work.
We now use Project Based Learning as part of our core offer for Alternative Provision and Pupil Referral Units, covering a range of violence reduction themes.
Kerry Leask, from our Education Team, reflected, ‘Most of the students spoke up, shared and answered so many of my questions, which was amazing for both it being the first time I had met these students and for being such a difficult subject matter”.
Sarah Donnison, also from our Education Team, added, ‘When working with students on Project Based Learning, there is a natural engagement which happens and strengthens over the project. A level of trust is built which cannot be achieved in delivering a one-off session. I have finished my projects feeling sad that they have ended. However, there is always a new one to start which feels exciting – who knows where it will go?”
Newcastle University’s evaluation of our Project Based Learning approach in Alternative Provision and Pupil Referral Units is available here: