Hockwold Primary School

Our work at Hockwold took as its starting point an amazing collection of countryside objects brought in by the children. These were related to objects from the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, looking for connections and associations. In the afternoon, we set up an outdoor classroom. Pupils made 'flags' using mark-making techniques on fabric, working with natural materials and natural dyes made by the artist. Pupil evaluation of the first day informed planning for the return visit. There was more indepth discussion of objects brought in by pupils, and storymaking initiated by further objects from Papua New Guinea. A parent who was also a local farmer joined the team to tell them about his perspective on farming in the Breckland area, and the day was completed by including many of the ideas discussed in the making and decorating of clay pots.

From a starting theme of 'Into the Landscape', this developed as we learnt about pupils' actual experience of the countryside. Rather than 'into the landscape', the landscape came into the classroom - through the extraordinary range of objects pupils brought in, comparisons made to rural life in Papua New Guinea, and conversations about the immediate landscape facilitated by a local farmer.