Finstock C E Primary School

Jane Bowley writes

At Finstock I talked to the children about the specific wildlife habitats and species that give a special character to Finstock with a strong focus on the woodland species that are still found locally. They completed a school wildlife survey form for homework and revealed a good knowledge of species in their locality. Amanda showed them photographs and maps of Finstock that illustrated changes in the village over the centuries.

The children were particularly entranced by the maps from the 18th and 19th centuries as there were so many changes that they could relate to. They were particularly fascinated that the housing estate that many now live on was not shown on the maps at all. The children were also interested in the glove making that at one time employed most of the women in the village.

Between the initial presentations and the art sessions the children and some of their parents were able to help a local landowner plant trees in a field near the school and a well used footpath, so they will be able to watch the progress of their work over the years to come. This opportunity arose out of discussions around the art project with the school and the local community.

Sally and Tom prepared an audio-visual tour of the village to stimulate the children into thinking about how they were going to translate their knowledge about the village into artistic work. The presentation also shows some of the Bayeux tapestry to show the children what we think the final piece might resemble. The art work reflected the interest in the maps and their completed pieces evolved into a style reminiscent of the aerial photographs giving a very clear view of the village as if from the air.

The key features for the children were the things with which they are familiar, especially the very distinctive and unusual playground and the football field but their representations of the forest and the wildlife are visually stunning and the detail of the completed art work is remarkable. The children worked together in a very focussed way which was quite remarkable to see as their ages crossed three year groups so there was a wide variation in ability and aptitude. It was very interesting to see the older children helping the younger children in a way that encouraged their ideas and contributions.

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