KITE FIESTA

Up up and away at The Grange School & Sports College …

All 180 students from Year 7 at The Grange School & Sports College in Warmley are hard at work organising their very own Kite Fiesta.  The event will take place at the school on Monday 29 March from 8.30am – 10.30am.  On the day the students will be flying kites they have made in workshops with local kite expert Nick James along with displays by members of local kite group Avon Kite Flyers.

The Kite Fiesta is the finale to a two month long kite project at the school through the Learning Challenge programme.  This has provided funding to enable renowned kite maker Nick James and Avril Baker from Bristol International Kite Festival to work every week with Year 7 and their teachers on an extended kite project.  Every student started by making and testing their own small sled kite before moving on to make large hexagonal kites in groups which they are also decorating.  A small group of students have also been involved in publicising and organising the event.

As well as kite-making Year 7 have also been learning about kites in their other lessons and an exhibition of this work will also be shown at the Fiesta.  This includes:

• Writing poems themed around flying kites in English
• How to say ‘kite’ in different languages
• Looking at fitness aspects of kite flying in PE
• Shapes and symmetry in Mathematics
• History of kites through the ages and different ways they are used around the world
• Showing how forces act on a kite, gravity, drag and upward thrust in Science

Nick James, kite maker said “I’ve really enjoyed being able to come into the school and work with Year 7 over a number of weeks.  The students have learned about the different parts of the kite and how to make the shape and the basic structure before going on to have fun decorating them.  We are now all looking forward to the Kite Fiesta and the chance to fly the kites in front of invited guests”.

Teachers, Stacey Robinson and Gina Cristofoli added “Year 7 have all been really enthusiastic about making the kites with Nick James and also learning about kites in other subject areas.  This is the first time we have run such an ambitious project under the Learning Challenge programme and it has been a great experience for the students and teachers”.

Steve Cook, Headteacher said “The kite project has been an excellent example of how linking with creative experts from outside school can bring a whole new dimension to the learning of young people.  We feel the skills-based learning that our Learning Challenge brings to students aids their progress and development across all subjects, and the input from Nick James and Avril Baker has made the Kite Fiesta an amazing experience for our students and staff”.