We welcomed the teaching staff from William Ford C. of E. Junior school to a CPD session exploring how to effectively incorporate LEGO into the curriculum. Leading the session was our LEGO practitioner Shafina alongside year 13 learners Izzy, Alpona, Maria and Gabriel. These learners are a part of the LEGO innovation programme, which is an initiative to inspire and develop meaningful learning experiences through LEGO.     

Across the college, LEGO has been used in amazing ways to unlock the potential of our learners through curricular, extra-curricular and employer engagement projects. One of the standout branches of our LEGO innovation programme is the primary lab which gives learners the opportunity to design, develop and teach workshops to primary school students. These workshops are focused on tackling global issues such as plastic pollution and deforestation.  

Having previously attended our college to take part in LEGO workshops, William Ford students have firsthand experience of all the exciting ways to learn through LEGO. Now, it was the teachers’ turns! The CPD day was filled with discussion, as the group explored how LEGO could be used to support with the articulation and scaffolding of ideas. With the support of our LEGO learners, William Ford staff came up with innovative ways to deliver key curriculum topics through hands-on LEGO activities.   

“Today has been really informative. I am excited to take what I have learnt back to my classroom and see my students learning through LEGO! Thanks to the enthusiastic helpers from LDE who facilitated the workshop brilliantly,” shared year 5 teacher, Janet. 
  
For our LEGO learners, helping to facilitate this inset day was an entirely new and exciting experience. Reflecting on this CPD session, learner Gabriel shared, “A lot of what we’ve done has been very impactful on ourselves as well as others – It’s very inspiring knowing that we are making a difference in how children learn. As we teach others about LEGO, we also can develop ourselves. I feel an improvement in my confidence, leadership and public speaking especially. Being able to be a part of this program also enables a lot of creative thinking and inspires me to think about how to present important issues in a digestible way for younger pupils.”  
  
We are excited to see what’s next for LEGO innovation programme as it continues to develop and grow, stretching even beyond our college and into the local community. We look forward to all the places LEGO will take our learners and all the exciting opportunities it will provide!