Education Group New School Workshops 2012

Primary School Music, Dance, Art and Science Workshops
Education Group has launched several new school workshops over the last 12 months with a specific focus on National Science Week, Black History Month and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Our art education school workshops are mostly suitable for primary/elementary aged children and incorporate many elements of the National Curriculum.

For National Science Week, thousands of children are already booked onto an Education Group Forensic Science Workshop. Using science techniques specially developed for primary school children, each child gains an understanding of forensic science techniques in the real world.

The context of a scientific investigation brings science to life and stimulates interest at a young age. Schools can incorporate our Forensic Science Workshops into a memorable school science week. The workshop allows children to practice Science Key Stage One and Two skills such as observing, exploring and asking questions.

Education Group has launched a Snap Mosaic and commemorative plate workshop to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. With special permission from Buckingham Palace, our Snap Mosaic design uses the Official Emblem of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

In addition, we have launched African Mask Making workshops for primary schools which are proving to be extremely popular during Black History Month.

Education Group’s Mask Making Workshop is a unique celebration of African art. Each child decorates their own wooden mask sculpted in the style of the Dan Tribe from Western Africa. Masks are painted with Adinkra symbols representing values such as leadership, wisdom, creativity, freedom and independence.

This authentic workshop includes a sustainability and eco focus on the materials used to create the mask. Our African Mask Making Workshop is also offered as a package with an African dance day incorporating our specially choreographed African Mask Dance.

Our Follow the Flame Workshops are almost fully booked in the London area during 2012and we have limited availability for an audience with Olympic legend, Derek Redmond.

Education Group’s Story Factory workshop captures the imagination of your children. Children are encouraged to develop characters culminating in dramatic performances delivered by the children. This is an extremely popular workshop during Anti Bullying Week or on World Book Day.

The sessions are designed to engage and inspire children. They are encouraged to fully participate in the experience. Children increase their confidence, imagination and language skills. This workshop meets targets from Key Stages One and Two of the English National Curriculum.

For more information, visit: http://www.educationgroup.co.uk/

Education Group is the UK’s leading provider of music, dance, African drumming, science and art workshops to primary schools. We have delivered our exciting workshops to over 2 million children and continue to set the standards as the market leader.

Extended Services

Education Group are an extended services partner used by many local authorities and school cluster groups and can offer packages of extra curricular activities before school, after school or during school holidays.

We work closely with Extended Services Coordinators creating partnerships with schools and clusters groups in many areas of the country, delivering both short and long term projects. Together with the schools we aim to provide access to services that meet the wider needs of their children, families and communities and help schools to become a hub through which the community can access these provisions.

Our services are flexible and can range from an ongoing weekly dance club in one school to larger community cohesion projects. Many are funded through the Disadvantaged Subsidy Fund.

We are very aware of the burden and extra workload that can be placed on an individual reponsible for organising an event or coordinating extended services and are very happy to discuss how we could help.

Forensic Science Workshop

Education Group have a new Forensic Science Workshop available for Primary Schools for the School year 2010/2011. It is an exciting day designed to enhance the science provision across Key Stage One and Two and adds an element of problem solving and team work for the children.

Hidden within the hills and the heather of the Yorkshire Moors sits a beautifully old manor house named ‘The Yorkshire Pudding Bed and Breakfast’.

Many say that The Yorkshire Pudding is haunted by a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Parkin, who used to own the house before they mysteriously went missing one dark, cold winter’s night.

This new forensic science workshop is a hands-on day that allows the children to take part in a unique mix of "whodunnit" and science. The workshop is designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1 & 2 and covers the following:

Crime Scene Investigation
Forensic Anthropology (Bones)
Forensic Entomology (Insects/Decomposition)
Blood
Documents (handwriting)
Fingerprints
Analysis of Hair & Fibres
Impressions (footprints)

Solve the mystery and have fun with forensics by visiting www.educationgroup.co.uk

After School Club now moves to the holidays!

Education Group currently provide nationwide after school and breakfast dance clubs during term time. However from the October half term we will be delivering holiday dance clubs!
Zoons Dance Camp will be open to all schools and their students; regardless of age and even if they do not currently have a term time club with us.
The camp will include cool freebies that are not available in the term time clubs and will provide a great opportunity for school children from their local town to socialise and make new friends that perhaps don’t come from their own school.

Further details on Zoons Holiday Camp will follow shortly, so watch this space or click here to visit the zoons website

Celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII accession to the throne

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the accession of Henry VIII to the English throne. Why not mark this occasion with a Tudor music workshop?
King Henry himself famously known as a keen musician & composer, and avid follower of the arts. During his reign he wrote many pieces of music and was an ardent collector of musical instruments, notably flutes and recorders.
While our musicians are not exactly royalty, they are professionals and are trained to deliver our workshops to all primary school children, regardless of age or ability. Many of them have appeared in West End shows or belong to one of the London orchestras.

A typical music workshop can start with a school assembly to discuss the instruments in a little detail and outline the day’s proceedings.
Next follows between four to eight sessions of music composition, where the children are allowed to express themselves creatively through music and get hands on with the instruments. The number of sessions required varies on your school’s size and particular requirements. All instruments are provided and we culminate the day with a class performance at the end to showcase the children’s work.

If your students are really hungry to learn more on Tudor music, the British Museum is holding an exhibition dedicated to Henry VIII and the curator of this show is leading historian and Tudor specialist Dr. David Starkey. For further information please visit their website: http://www.britishmuseum.org

Of course we do have over 60 topics to choose from, and each session group can study a different topic if necessary.

Street Dance - It has the WOW factor!

I am certain many of us have seen the footage of this years X Factor dance troupe winners, Diversity, ‘body popping and locking’, not least your students, who if are not familiar with Diversity then have certainly seen Justin Timberlake or numerous boy bands dancing in this energetic and expressive form.

Street dance started life in the back streets of New York in the 1970’s and much like the dance trends that came before it, quickly took the underground clubs by storm. But what makes this dance as popular today as it was nearly thirty years ago?
Street dance or Hip Hop dance origins are varied and incorporate other cultures dance moves, including, Salsa, traditional African dance, the Lindy Hop and many other influences that were prevalent at the time.
The key to Street dance remaining popular is its ability to evolve, adapt and move with the times. This is why we have seen a real increase in schools requesting a Street dance workshop, particularly around the month of October when many schools are studying it as a part of their Black History month studies, alongside African and Indian dance.

Children of all ages continue to enjoy to Street dance, from key stage one through to A-Level and Education Group can provide up to six sessions and a final performance throughout the day during a workshop. For more information on this increasingly popular and vigorous dance style or any other dance workshops we might be able to offer, please feel free to contact us.

Black History Month

With October fast approaching, Black History Month is just around the corner, and we ask schools how they will be commemorating this years growing celebration. Many have week long festivities in place; however for those who are unsure, we offer an insight and some food for thought!

Black History Month began in 1926 in America when Carter G. Woodson, the editor of the Journal of Negro History, established African Caribbean celebrations to honour the role that Black people have played throughout history and their influence on society. It’s wide spread success soon meant that it travelled the Atlantic ocean to London where now over 60’000 music, cultural and political events take place each October.

Education Group is able to offer children a slice of African culture with our dance and drumming workshops.
Children will learn traditional African folk dance, which includes a variety of energetic bounces, clamps and jumps that circle and interweave, and are typically performed during African celebrations.
African drumming workshops also prove an animated and lively day with students each being given a percussive instrument, typically a Djembe drum and invited to learn traditional Diansa (drum rhythms) to perform in a group scenario. The Djembe drum is widely regarded as the most popular Western African drum and is a hand carved instrument that dates back to the 12th Century. The Djembe drum and diansa rhythms accompany the traditional folk dance at many joyous occasions such as weddings, baptisms, harvest time and full moon.
Many schools experience both workshops and half the school perform the Diansa, while the other half accompany the drummers with a dance performance.

We can accommodate up to six sessions in a day, for each type of workshop, depending on your requirements and number of students. Should you wish your facilitator for the day to arrive in costume, we are also able to provide that with sufficient notice.