When I first started writing Better Places, a big thing for me was that the learning didn’t end after the story had been told.
I’d hoped that the story would spark initial interest in the topic of making places better for disabled people and this would be carried on beyond the book and my author visit.
So I was buzzing when St Paul’s Crompton tweeted recently their year 1 class has been looking at how they can make places better for disabled people They’d clearly taken learning from Nicky and Candy’s Street, but went well beyond that coming up with how bollards, buses and ramps could all make places better – and of course picking up your dogs poo had to make an appearance, the most popular part of the book.
This was all off of the schools back might I add, without any influence from me, as part of their work to be ‘change makers.’
But why is this important?
Well, the more this learning is practiced and ingrained for children, the more likely it is transfer into the real world
Whether that be now; in keeping their school corridors and cloakrooms clutter free so people don’t trip over them, understanding what a white cane is so they don’t have to point and stare when they see one in the street or telling their parents to put the bins back on bin day.
As well as in the future when they grow into the people who’ll be building, designing and making decisions, on the things that’ll make a real difference to disabled people with disabled people in mind.
So, again, well done to St Paul Crompton for keeping on learning and helping towards making Better Places. You are well and truly change makers.
If you’d like to see how St Pauls Crompton got on during their Better Places school visit, you can watch students talk about the day and their learning here.
Witten by Ben Andrews on