Education project to set new standards
1:58pm Thursday 15th May 2008
MORE than 3,000 children and their families are set to take part will take part in a ground-breaking local project that will be filmed and used to develop education and children's services in the Tiverton area.
Organisers say Tiverton Talks will set new standards for children's services locally and nationally.
"This will be a real feather in our cap," said Gary Chown, Chair of the Tiverton Learning Community and Head Teacher at Wilcombe Primary School in Lazenby Road, Tiverton.
Part of the project is entitled The Tiverton Cloth Place which will run in New Hall, Barrington Street.
The Cloth Place will provide an opportunity to see children as they really are: exploring, discovering, and learning - by themselves and with their friends.
They will have shops, a farmyard, a café, a launderette, a kitchen and a beauty parlour, all stocked with real and cloth things.
The children will take part with their families and the people who work with them in schools and nurseries across the Tiverton learning community.
Every session will be filmed. Edited footage will then be used as the basis for discussion and debate between parents and professionals about the children, their skills, capacities and needs.
This dialogue and the film footage will then be used to create stories and movies documenting Tiverton children's everyday lives.
The project is a joint venture between Tiverton Learning Community, Tiverton Children's Centre, Devon County Council, Mid Devon District Council and education charity Big Wide Talk.
Ann Jamieson, Chief Executive of Big Wide Talk said: "Government are seeking to make the UK the best place in the world to grow up. Tiverton is making a real commitment to help achieve this ideal."