Recent Projects delivered

Fit & healthy?

Healthy eating is usually seen as getting the recommended amounts of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates as well as the right types of fat and sugars. However there is so much information available that these messages can quickly become confusing. This interactive presentation conveys simple and clear messages about healthy eating and exercise and promotes the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle early in life. This fast paced, engaging presentation really grabs the attention of the young participants delivering memorable information which is age appropriate and totally relevant.

Areas covered:

• Eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables
• The benefits of eating starchy foods and wholegrains
• The health benefits of eating fish
• The right dairy products to eat choosing low-fat alternatives
• Avoiding sugary and high fat content snacks
• Activity and making this fun and enjoyable!

Safe & Secure?

Whether the issue is bullying, anti-social behaviour or personal safety on the internet, our interactive presentations are one of the most effective ways of getting your message across. Allowing young people the opportunity to challenge and express their own thoughts, feelings and concerns in a safe, structured environment will help to embed good practice and challenge peer pressure.

For more information in this area, or for other projects within primary schools, please give Russell Watters or Tim Burton a call on 01484 532967 for an informal discussion.

Our work within secondary education includes....

Transition

Many young people begin to disengage from education as well as some strands of society as a result of an often difficult transition from primary to secondary school.

Our highly entertaining presentation explores the different changes in environments, the range of teaching methods and the level of responsibility that young people will encounter within their new environment. It explores concerns, fears and misconceptions and lays the foundations for a more positive transition from the safety and security of their familiar primary school into what can often be seen as a daunting secondary environment.

Option Choices

Selecting GSCE's and standard grade options can be the first major decision that many young people make about their futures. This significant decision can be influenced by so many external factors which makes it crucial for young people to take the decision process seriously and really consider their longer term desires first and foremost. Our key aim is to help them get the decision right.

We have found that the ideal starting point with our presentation is to focus on different individual's learning styles and raising awareness of the different approaches to learning that may be key to certain option choices and less to others. We also ensure the presentations look at the decision making process and the sometimes negative influence of peer pressure. We reference specialist advice sources such as the Connexions Service and Careers Scotland.

Key areas covered by our motivational Option Choices presentations can include:

• Introduction of learning styles
• Key / core skills
• The benefits of a broad based education
• The full range of qualification types available
• Help, support and advice from the relevant advisory service
• Progression routes
• Challenging peer pressure

Enterprise

This highly entertaining performance uses popular media and cultural references form TV, music and film to convey the importance of developing a culture of enterprise. Lively, informative and highly entertaining, this forty minute dramatic presentation is the perfect way to raise the aspirations of young people and to dispel any myths they hold around being "enterprising".

The performance explains what enterprise is all about and how it can be used in their school-life, at work and in the community. The presentation also looks at the skills young people currently hold and how it can be applied now and in the future.

Areas covered include:

• What Enterprise means in a school, work environment and community context
• The useful skills young people already hold and how these can be further developed
• That Enterprise means so much more than setting up your own business the ability to be enterprising crosses into any career path
• The skills of an entrepreneur
• The skills which are a necessity in the world of work

Bullying, Respect and Anti-social behaviour

A hard hitting and gritty presentation and workshop aimed at addressing the key elements of anti-social behaviour; bullying, underage purchase and consumption of alcohol, the possession of knives and their links with anti-social behaviour not to mention underage drinking, drugs use and the gathering of large groups.

Whilst some young people may say that they carry a knife or blade to protect themselves or so they feel safer, statistically you are more likely to be a victim of crime if you are carrying a knife. It could even be used against the young person by an attacker.

Detailed below is an example of some of the issues covered within our knife crime presentation:

• Knowing the law
• The legalities (or not) of buying or possessing a knife
• The rights of the Police to arrest anyone over 16 if they are caught carrying a knife
• What happens if you are under 16 and are caught carrying a knife
• The penalties for carrying and / or using a knife

Post 16 Choices support with career planning decisions

Our key aim is to help young people find a style of learning that suits their specific needs and helps them with their career decisions. The presentation is designed to help young people recognise the range of possible destinations at the end of compulsory education. This includes Further and Higher Education, work based learning such as NVQ's / SVQ's.

Our presentations are an ideal way of demonstrating to young people that training and education Post 16 is an investment in their future and that no learning is wasted. We also promote where advice can be sought, covering such matters as careers guidance, financial advice and introducing financial support through the EMA.

Not only do our presentations help with careers decisions but they stress the importance of Key / Core skills from an employer's perspective. This becomes even more important in a tough employment-search climate.

Key areas covered by our motivation Option Choice presentations can include:

• Exploration of learning styles
• Key / Core skills
• Help, support and advice from the relevant advisory service
• Routes for progression
• Careers guidance
• Financial support
• Higher and further education
• Work based learning NVQ's, SVQ's
• The Parity of different types of qualification

If you would like to know more about any secondary education projects or to discuss a specific programme you have in mind, please contact Russell Watters or Tim Burton on 01484 532967 or at info@theatreand.com

As parents and guardians, are key influencers in young peoples decision making processes it stands to reason that these crucial stakeholders are given an insight to, and fully understand the breadth of options and financial support available to young people currently.

Our presentations are an ideal way of communicating to parents and guardians information of relevance to young people at key stages throughout their education enabling them to support these important discussions and decisions at home.

We will provide a 25 minute interactive presentation specially tailored to a parental audience exploring and dispelling any concerns they may have about work-based learning for example (Apprenticeships/Modern Apprenticeships), reinforcing the range and parity of qualifications available to young people. The performance will motivate parents to support young people in their decision making process, and help make relevant well informed decisions based on how somebody likes to learn rather than being swayed by peer or parental pressure.

Key areas covered by our motivational Parents Evening presentations can include:

• An introduction and exploration of learning styles and their relevance to option choices
• Option choices and the new Diploma
• Learning routes and environments
• The range of Post 16 Option choices available to young people
• Exploring and exploding the myths around work-based learning
• Where to access relevant financial support for different study options
• An Introduction to EMA (Educational Maintenance Allowance)
• The relevance of Core/Key Skills
• That choices should not be based on gender
• An Introduction of the advisory services available
• The parity of different types of qualifications
• The need to develop a culture of life-long learning

Careers Scotland
/ Skills Development Scotland

Theatre& Learning are pleased to have been able to support the work of Careers Scotland/Skills Development Scotland on the School College Collaboration project; travelling the length and breadth of Scotland delivering workshops and presentations to Skills for Work Students from Stranraer to Shetland. Clips and feedback on this dynamic presentation, from both students and staff, can be found on the Careers Scotland Website.

Aimhigher...

Theatre& Learning were delighted to support the work of Oldham and Rochdale Aimhighers with an innovative Options choice presentation that introduced and explained the new ‘Diploma’ to more than 3000 yr 9 students.

Additionally the highly entertaining performance used relevant media and cultural references to convey the importance of developing an open culture of life-long learning. The performance explored all of the routes open to young people after Year 11 with particular reference to Further and Higher Education. It encouraged all students, regardless of their Learning Style, to think carefully about their option choices and ‘Aimhigher’. It also stresses the help and support available through the Connexions Service.

ECITB

Theatre& Learning were contracted for the second consecutive year by the ECITB to provide Engineering Construction focused theatre based presentations to Year 9 and 10 students in selected areas across the UK during an 18 week tour.

The aim of the presentation was to explore and promote careers in Engineering Construction and challenge gender and ethnic stereotypes. The presentation would additionally portray the 3 main progression routes into the industry and promote the 'goengineer' website.

Feedback from schools:

"I was absolutely delighted by everything from the organisation of the event to the delivery. Students really enjoyed it and we would love to have the presentation again next year".
David , Carmel RC Technology college.

"Many thanks for the presentation which was extremely well delivered and entertaining, as well as highly informative. The S2 presentation went really well and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed it and responded well. We felt that it was an extremely worthwhile event, especially for the S2 pupils."
Valerie Gauld (PT Pupil Support), Renfrew High School.

"A brief note of thanks to you for doing all of the arrangements for the 3 actors to carry out such a brilliant performance today - where do they get all that energy from?? The quick changes they had to do and all that vital information packed into about 45 minutes was unbelievable."
Cath Hartcliffe Engineering Community College (Bridge Learning Campus).

View an extract from the Construct Your Life/Engineer Your Future Roadshow 2008 an 18 week tour to Year 9 and Year 10 students in selected regions, nationwide.