PUPILS were taken on a voyage of discovery adding a global perspective to their learning.
Years 6 children from Barnard Castle Preparatory School staged a day-long tourism fair as part of their Achievement Award, an invaluable alternative to SATs.
Children selected a country of their choice before researching every aspect of its culture. They then set up a stall featuring a host of interesting facts, games, artefacts and even food types which they shared with visitors to the event from other year groups.
Headmistress Laura Turner said: “The annual tourism fair is loved by staff and all the children. The Year 6 pupils relish the in depth research that goes into the project and they delight in presenting their findings in a fun and energetic way.
“The younger children learn so much from the experience and it is also aspirational as they look forward to the day when they will be manning the stalls.”
The tourism fair is an important part of the school’s Achievement Award, which replaces the traditional SATs exams in Year 6.
Pupils learn a huge variety of skills throughout their final primary year ranging from basic first aid and culinary skills to an innovative research project which is presented to a panel of teachers and pupils.
“At Prep School mental wellbeing is given the highest priority and we see little value in creating unnecessary stress through formal exams,” Mrs Turner said. “Instead we prepare our children for the tests of life, not a life of tests, which is why our Achievement Award programme in Year 6 is so popular.
“The Achievement Award is as challenging as it is rewarding and the ‘Untitled Project’ gives them free rein to express themselves and learn a host of valuable skills. In the past pupils have produced a soapbox car, discussed the function of the human brain and created a successful amphibious vehicle. One even wrote to Sir David Attenborough about his study of zoos and the conservation of animals, to which he received a reply.
“Our emphasis is on character education and developing the crucial soft skills that young people require as they progress through their studies and into employment. The Year 6 Achievement Award is a major element of this type of education which supports their development through Senior School.”
