Wirral's City Learning Centres
“CLCs will enhance learning across the whole curriculum by providing
courses and opportunities for individual pupils ; deliver services and
outreach support for a wider network of local schools, including
providing extension activities for Gifted and Talented pupils and study
support; act as test beds for innovation and new ways of teaching and
learning; cascade best practice amongst the local network of schools,
and link with other facilities including other learning centres, the
network of specialist and beacon schools, and other centres of learning
(e.g. libraries). They will also offer opportunities to the local community
to utilise the power of ICT”
Department for Education and Science: 2005.
Wirral City Learning Centres: Contact Details:
Discovery CLC
Manager:
Vicki Wilson
Address:
Noctorum Avenue
Prenton
Wirral
CH43 9EE
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
0151 641 8480
0151 641 8483
enquiries@discoveryclc.co.uk
Learning Lighthouse CLC
Manager:
Brian Wilshaw
Address:
Birket Avenue
Moreton
Wirral
CH461RB
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
0151 678 2509
0151 677 1904
b.wilshaw@thelearninglighthouse.org.uk
WestWirralWorks CLC
Manager:
Graham Clegg
Address:
Frankby Road
West Kirby
Wirral
CH48 6EQ
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
0151 929 6211
0151 625 7826
graham.clegg@westwirralworks.co.uk
Discovery City Learning Centre
The Discovery City Learning Centre is a large
state of the art building based at Noctorum, near
Prenton, Wirral. Our centre has extensive IT
facilities that are available for use by students
and teachers from Primary and Secondary
schools, and Sixth form colleges on the Wirral,
by members of the community, and indeed by
companies and businesses that are looking for a
professional venue for meetings, conferences
and training events. We have a wonderful
Conference Theatre to accommodate 150
people offering a perfect venue for business visitors.
We share a site with Ridgeway High School, however we are completely independent
with our own facilities and our own team of people who make sure that the centre
operates smoothly and professionally. We are open over and beyond normal “school
hours” and we remain open during school holiday periods.
Our centre offers activities and projects across all subject
areas, however we do offer Science as a specialism, and
to support this specialism we have a dual level Science
Laboratory which caters for Primary school children and
adults alike. We are able to offer Primary pupils their very
first experience of working in a Science Lab! We also have
a “Starlab” which is a state of the art mobile planetarium to
accommodate 40 students. This offers us a fantastic
opportunity to develop cutting edge astronomy projects for
our visitors of all ages.
We have developed effective links with business and industry, further and higher
education institutions, public service providers and with manufacturers and suppliers
of cutting edge technology, and this offers us many opportunities to develop exciting
projects at the centre.
Discovery Supported Projects
‘Star of Bethlehem’ workshop
This workshop has a strong science focus with inclusion of investigation into material
changes (Year 2 curriculum) and use of the Star Lab. There is also a strong ICT
content to the workshop, e.g., emailing Santa, completion of an online Christmas card
and online Christmas games. This workshop attracts Year 2 classes into the centre at
a time when schools are otherwise busy with many school events.
Earth, Sun, Moon and Solar System day workshop.
A full day of activity is provided to
participants – Star Lab show, NSO
website, internet use, science song and
practical to reinforce the Year 5 Wirral
Science Study Unit, ‘Earth and Beyond’.
Nine one day workshops were delivered
to nine classes of pupils involving 249
pupils, 12 teachers and 3 parents. The
teachers were involved in an in-service
twilight meeting beforehand to share in
the teaching.
Specimens rocks and meteorites are
also ordered so that use of the Explorer
Lab can be incorporated into future
workshops. This workshop is partnered
with Mike Simcoe, Director of the National Schools Observatory.
StarLab in Special Schools
2 members of staff from Foxfield Special School are to receive training on using the
Star Lab and thereafter we will take the Star Lab out to them so that they can deliver
their own sessions during February 2005. This teacher training will represent the pilot
for a Star Lab teacher training programme which Discovery intends to offer to all
interested teachers in the LEA next year.
Indoor rocket workshop
This practical workshop uses Alka-Seltzers in empty fill canisters to power the rockets
(we have over 200 canisters provided by camera shops in stock). This rocket
workshop is being advertised to school in November.
Digital Sound Workshop
A partnership project with Liverpool Musical Youth involving developing skills in young
people in digital sound processing and computer based music recording. Groups of
students will be working with specialist digital sound processing software on our
wireless laptops to create their own music. Liverpool Musical Youth have expressed
an interest in developing other projects for delivery at
Discovery in the future.
Saturday Schools: GCSE Support
Discovery opened on a Saturday in October to facilitate the
completion of GCSE coursework by year 11 students from
St. Mary’s College in Wallasey. The students used 3 IT
suites to complete coursework and feedback revealed that the day had motivated and
engaged students to make a real difference to coursework results.
Healthy Living
Wirral Healthy Communities launched their 6 week Healthy Living programme in
October at Discovery. The course was designed to give a broad view of all the
different aspects of health and lifestyle. Wirral Healthy Communities have now said
that they would like to run more specific courses at Discovery to cater for people who
are interested in healthy eating and/or exercise.
Psychology AS project.
Students from Upton Hall and St. Anselms are to attend a talk given by a guest
speaker in the Conference Theatre followed by a brain dissection. Again, the intention
is to roll out this session to other interested secondary schools in 2005.
Preparation for Pasco datalogging training for teachers. Discovery intends to launch a
programme of datalogging training for teachers in January 2005.
Creche
The crèche continues to provide child care for Adult
Education students and this takes up 7 of the available 10
sessions per week. The “Stay and Play” session remains a
popular community facility. 20 Foundation stage children
from Prenton Preparatory school attended the crèche for a
successful session and a further session is planned for
later in the year. Ridgeway GCSE Health & Social Care
students have visited the crèche to discuss child care
related issues and to help with craft activities. The crèche
has received notification that Ofsted will inspect the crèche in 2005.
Planned Spring term workshops
Fit for life. An exercise workshop using interesting equipment to exercise on, e.g.,
an exercise bike, an indoor trampoline. The workshop will use a variety of data
logging equipment to assess the effect of exercise on the body.
Fit for life. An exploration into diet. Pupils explore different aspects of diet. The
workshop supports the Healthy Schools
Fit for life. Discussions are being held with Mike Grant from the Wirral Healthy
Community project to create an event involving parents and pupils.
The SAM learning project piloted in spring 2004 to support KS2 science SATs
revision is to be repeated from January 2005 in partnership with the LEA.
The Learning Lighthouse
The Learning Lighthouse runs courses and activities for all
areas of the curriculum but we specialise in Multimedia,
Digital Imaging, Music Technology and in particular Video
Production. We offer extensive curriculum and technical
support to CLC users and have a broad range of facilities
ranging from fast powerful computers, Internet access, and
video conferencing through to virtual reality, advanced
chroma-keying and live video projection with a wealth of
stuff in between.
Learning Lighthouse Supported Projects
The Learning Lighthouse was the first City
Learning Centre (CLC) to open on Wirral and
specialises in “multimedia for education” in the
broadest sense. We support all pupils, in all
schools on the Wirral, using technology to
advance their education, particularly through
performance and the moving image. We work
with advisory staff, teachers and pupils to
develop and deliver projects utilising the
innovative technology accessible at the CLC.
Much of our work involves the use of film, animation, music and digital images to
enhance and enrich the curriculum. Below are some recent examples of the type of
work we do.
Introduction to Kar2ouche
This role play software engages children in highly visual
environments which they can direct and experience for
themselves including storyboarding, animation and movie
making. Visiting schools have used this software for literacy
work, modern foreign languages and SATs revision.
Participating schools - Sandbrook, Castleway, Christchurch
(Moreton), Christchurch (Birkenhead), Bidston Avenue,
Woodchurch (C of E), Eastway, St Peter & Paul Primary
Schools and West Kirby Grammar School for Girls.
Interactive Mapping Skills
Using
MapInfo
Professional,
a
Geographic
Information System (GIS). Pupils traced different
routes from their school to Leasowe Recreation
Centre using images and video at each junction on
the map as a guide. Participating school - Lingham
Primary.
Future projects include a detailed analysis of New
Brighton as a revamped tourist resort and the regeneration of Liverpool City Centre.
Participating schools – St Mary’s College and Wallasey School.
MapInfo Professional has been researched and used at the Learning Lighthouse for
the last two years and the Local Education Authority, having realised its potential,
have now purchased the software for installation in all schools on Wirral. INSET for
teachers, ‘an introduction to MapInfo Professional’ will be held in February 2005 at the
Learning Lighthouse.
Virtual Reality
Healthy Eating and World War 2 Virtual Reality Projects
were produced using innovative Creative VR software.
This allows for the development of linked virtual
knowledge spaces containing images, web pages,
video, voiceover and documents. Pupils can wander
around a virtual museum to view their own work in five
different galleries.
Blue Screen Technology
Using new advances in blue screen technology, pupils can be digitally transported to
any time, any place, anywhere e.g. Germany, Paris or Ancient Egypt. This was
achieved using a downstream key which allows for the replacement of the blue
background with images and video
Online, interactive learning experiences
Using the Actis Project Box Scenario ‘Smash!’, pupils are encouraged to work in
teams as accident investigators to collect witness statements from the scene of a
bicycle accident. Using their skills of inference and deduction, they pieced together the
true version of events. This investigation was supported by an interactive map using
the GIS software MapInfo Professional to allow the pupils to position cars and people
as developments unfolded.
Film Production and Digital Art
Film production continues to be the core business at the Learning Lighthouse CLC. A
diverse number of projects have taken place, including the UK Youth Parliament,
where student candidates campaigning for election created short promotional videos
covering their promises to voters; Talking Heads – interview techniques; France 2004
(Thinking Corner) and the Wirral Coastal Survey
Art work created by adapting digital images using Adobe Photoshop is a core feature
of our projects. Dorrie Halliday, a digital artist, spent two days with teachers from
Wirral, learning the art of image manipulation. Advisory Teachers on Wirral have now
experienced two full day training sessions in Digital Photography and Video Editing to
encourage the capture of ‘best practice’ in teaching and learning . INSET for art
departments in digital photography and Photoshop has also taken place
Students have researched the styles of OpArt and PopArt recreating the technique of
artists such as Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely and Andy Warhol
As part of the Liverpool Biennial 2004 celebrations, a number of students from Wirral
Schools worked with the artist Lara Almarcequi. Pupils digitally changed and adapted
photographs taken whilst visiting wasteland sites around Liverpool,. These were then
used to create a film screened during an exhibition of their work at Liverpool
Community College.
Workshops
A wide variety of very successful workshops were organised for one teacher and up to
4 students. These included Practical Projects for PhotoShop Elements, Filming for a
documentary - the five shots, Dilemmas (Steal It! From Actis Project Boxes), GCSE
dance (in the style of Lea Anderson), Music for the moving image and blue screen
technology.
Audio-visual support
The Learning Lighthouse has recently invested in a substantial amount of audio-visual
equipment to support school productions and local education authority events. At the
recent opening of the new performing arts block of St Mary’s College, staff from the
Learning Lighthouse set up 2 remotely controlled cameras mixing their images with
DVD footage and a collection of digital photographs. This montage of visual imagery
was projected on to a wall behind the students as they performed. The VIP guest,
Cherie Blair, was very impressed by the students’ thought provoking approach to
dance and drama.
Video conferencing
Twelve video conferencing events have taken place
involving over 100 students and teachers from primary
and secondary schools and over 8 hours of links during
this term only, including conferencing with an actor
playing the part of a World War 1 ‘Tommy’. We
continue to promote the benefits of video conferencing
within the curriculum and are currently working with
advisory teachers from science and maths exploring its
use in numeracy and the new Wirral science scheme of
work.
Film Partnership
Lighthouse Productions, based at the Learning Lighthouse, was formed to produce
four films, sponsored by a First Light Movies studio grant. First Light provides lottery
funding to organisations engaging young people in film production and providing them
with an opportunity to work alongside professional filmmakers. Lighthouse Productions
is proud of its engaging approach to filmmaking. The superior facilities at the Learning
Lighthouse, coupled with our experience in working with young people, has resulted in
the production of four quite different and exciting films and a further two years of
funding from First Light. Over the next two years we intend to make a further four films
plus a number of filmmaking related activities for young people, such as a guest
speaker programme, a film club, family fun days, research and development into
aspects of film production and a series of film-based workshops for schools.
We lead the authority in film production and through First Light now represent the
North West in filmmaking with young people. We continue to network, establishing
new contacts, building beneficial partnerships and actively involving professionals in
working alongside students. We are renowned for our ambitious research and
development programme and will continue to source and trial innovative technologies
evaluating their effectiveness in enriching and enhancing the curriculum.
We hope these projects provide you with a flavour of the work we do at The Learning
Lighthouse.
WestWirralWorks
WestWirralWorks is one of three purpose built
City Learning Centres based on the Wirral.
The centre is open to local schools, community
groups
and
local
business
alike.
WestWirralWorks specialises in Computer
Aided Design (CAD) and Manufacture (CAM),
but also supports all subjects across the
curriculum through the innovative use of
Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The centres high tech facilities inspire a
blended approach to learning, offering a wide
range of practical, multimedia and traditional
teaching resources, aimed at stimulating and enriching the overall learning
experience, with the goal of raising pupil attainment.
Specialised equipment at the centre includes:







Laser Cutter - that will engrave and cut materials ranging from cloth to wood.
Solid Object Printer – a 3D printer that is able to print prototypes in plastic
CNC Routers – for cutting and carving wood and plastics.
Digital Embroidery – embroiders patterns designed in up to 15 colours onto
clothing and hats.
CNC Miller – to engrave and cut hard materials such as steel.
Vinyl Printer/Cutter - prints and cuts in full colour onto sticky vinyl and
clothing.
Sublimation Printer/Press - for creating permanent graphics on fabrics and
ceramics.
Thermoforming Centre – allows vacuum forming, dome blowing, extrusion,
powder dip coating, injection moulding and welding of plastics.
WestWirralWorks is a resource that is available to all Wirral schools. The centre will
provide assistance with transport arrangements and costs.
WestWirralWorks Supported Projects
Primary/Secondary Transition through the application of CAD/CAM
Children from local primary schools were introduced to CAD/CAM technology when
they made their own personalise mugs. Pupils used CAD software to produce their
designs and then cut them out using the CLC’s CAM vinyl cutters, before finally
applying their designs to ceramic mugs.
Every single youngster went home with their own high quality product made by them,
using their own efforts. Not bad for just one mornings work!
All pupils had an insight into CAD/CAM, and realise the importance it plays in industry.
Pupils have also had a taste of what to expect when they reach secondary school. The
CLC gave teachers access to CAD/CAM technology and empowered them to deliver
the required programme of study to meet the national curriculum.
Systems and Control
This area of the curriculum is one that many schools find challenging due to the use of
expensive equipment which may be difficult to set up.Schools were asked to release
two staff for half a days training at the CLC. Once trained the teachers commited to
bring 30 Yr 4 or 5 pupils to the CLC on agreed date and take the class.
CLC staff and advisors were on hand to guide and
support the teachers through the project. The
project allowed children to explore systems and
control from simple beginnings and rudimentary
flowcharts, through to complex feedback loops and
sub-routines, culminating in the programming of a
control box linked to a 3D model of a burglar alarm
system designed and made by the children
themselves.
The project has provided teachers with the
confidence and the ability to teach this area of the curriculum. Pupils have had an
insight into what systems and control is, how it affects our daily lives and its
importance to industry. They also met or exceeded level 4 of the national curriculum in
this area. So far, at least 20 schools have gone through the programme.
Skate Project
WestWirralWorks ran an extra curricular KS2/3 transition project to support the
interests of local children in skateboarding, BMX and Rollerblading. The project
successfully engaged student interest by tasking them to design and make T-Shirts
with Skate logos using the CAD/CAM technologies available at the centre.
During the project pupils were introduced to a variety of CAD applications as they
worked in the relaxed CLC environment. They also had chance to make lots new
friends from with a common
interest from different schools
(some of whom they would meet
again soon when they start
secondary school). The project
provided a great opportunity for
WestWirralWorks to engage and
support children in activities that
stimulate them as well as linking
in ICT and DT activities and
assisting the transfer process
between yrs 6,7 and 8.
Altogether, 60 students (from 7
out of 8 of the local schools)
signed up to after school
activities. The sessions also
involved children from local community groups including the youth club and the scouts.
Teachers from both the primary and secondary sector were also present to observe
and help out.
Freedom 2 Teach
The centre has now been fitted with a Freedom 2 Teach box. This technology will
eventually be rolled out to other schools and CLC’s across the borough and will
eventually allow pupils to access their accounts from the CLC and vice versa. The
technology will also allow greater control of web resources including caching.
www.f1inschools.co.uk: Model Formula 1 Racing
Since WestWirralWorks became registered as an authorised manufacturing centre for
Formula 1 model racing cars in schools it has been able to prove its remote
manufacturing capability by making cars for a school in Hampshire.
The centre also ran a local qualifying race to decide which local teams would progress
forward to the regional challenge to be held in Preston in December.
BMX
A pro BMX rider has agreed to support an extra curricular project at the CLC. Pupils
will learn how to use digital imaging software to design a poster promoting a
forthcoming BMX event at the CLC which will involve a talk by the pro rider and a
special screening of the latest BMX videos.
More projects in collaboration with Rampworx Skate Park are already in the planning
stage for the future.
ArtCam
After attending training on Artcam, representatives from Delcam (the manufacturers)
visited the centre and were so impressed they have agreed to make WestWirralWorks
a centre of expertise. The have also provided us with professional versions of their
software worth £5K at no charge.
Sefton CLC visit
Meetings have been arranged with the managers of both the Sefton CLC’s (our peer
review partners). As a result we will be engaging on a number of collaborative projects
and sharing elements of good practice. This is particularly beneficial to us as South
Sefton CLC has a CAD/CAM focus like WestWirralWorks. Further meetings will focus
on collaborative projects and sharing best practice.
Laser Cutter
The centre took delivery of a new CAD/CAM Technologies laser cutter
The new machine features a bigger bed, which supports bigger projects and allows an
entire classes work to be nested and produced in one go. The machine will be used to
support a number of Primary and secondary projects including CAD/CAM Christmas
and textile design and will be used to manufacture primary electronics kits for schools.
Video Studio
Centre staff attended further training on video editing at the Learning Lighthouse. Inset
will soon be available at WestWirralWorks CLC. Video will also play an important part
in capturing elements of good practice at the CLC and will also be used for compiling a
video database of DT projects.
Young Enterprise
Six secondary school shave been using the centres facilities to support their Young
Enterprise businesses.
Primary Electronics
A project has been launched with the LEA, that gives primary teachers a chance to
design and make their own electronics kits using the CAD/CAM equipment available at
the centre.
Not only will this give primary teachers experience of CAD/CAM and introduce them to
electronic principles, but schools will benefit as they will obtain electronics kits as a
teaching resource.
K’Nex Challenge
This years K’Nex challenge starts soon and focuses on
building a moon buggy. We are hoping to involve twice as
many primary schools than usual. Local finals will be held at
the centre.