The Oxfordshire Hospital School is such a special place, with such special young people attending its classes. Caron Houchen, a teacher at the Oxfordshire Hospital School has kindly written our post for this week letting us know about the project from their perspective.
“At the Hospital School we feel that the pupils have hugely benefitted from their involvement in the Manet project. It has been wonderful to be part of a multi-agency project: interacting with Nicola from the Ashmolean, musicians, actors and Dionne our artist in residence.
The social and emotional development of our pupils is high priority in the Hospital School and this project inspired many children, enabling them to explore creative ideas and work collaboratively with others. Even those who lacked confidence were able to experience success and enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate their work with fellow pupils and with the wider community. Having their work displayed in public arenas has reinforced this sense of achievement. The project has far-reaching benefits, for example some pupils have had their contributions acknowledged in their home schools through assemblies and newsletters.
The Manet project has embodied the Hospital School ethos of education being accessible for all: catering for all ages, abilities and medical conditions. Both Nicola and Dionne are adept at engaging pupils – adapting their teaching styles to accommodate the young people either in the classroom or by the bedside.
We would like to thank Dionne and Nicola for this great opportunity and look forward to working collaboratively on future projects.”