Skills scheme to create a buzz about learning
THE University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is supporting enterprise education in 12 south-west Wales primary schools by providing The Bumbles of Honeywood skills programme to each school.
Created by Swansea-based 2B Enterprising Ltd, The Bumbles of Honeywood is a suite of bilingual resources mapped to the national curriculum to help primary schools embed enterprise skills into their day-to-day learning. The participating schools include:
■ Trimsaran Primary School, Trimsaran;
■ Gwyrosydd Primary School, Swansea;
■ Waun Wen Primary School, Swansea;
■ Blaenymaes Primary School, Swansea.
Members of the UWTSD Widening Access team are visiting the schools to introduce pupils to the programme with the help of the 2B Enterprising team.
The Widening Access team is supporting the programme as part of its commitment to create a pathway of learning opportunities from Key Stage 2 all the way through to Key Stage 5 as well as supporting adult learning opportunities. The programme meets department values such as resilience, problem solving, leadership, communication and teamwork.
The Bumbles of Honeywood programme is Wales’s first bilingual enterprise skills programme for schools. It has been developed by entrepreneurial business leaders and experienced educators with input from teachers.
In line with the Welsh curriculum, the programme has a strong environmental message relating to the plight of the honeybee and aims to nurture enterprise skills in pupils from an early age, equipping them for success in the workplace and in business.
The programme and future UWTSD workshops are built around a series of beautifully illustrated books and interactive extension activities alongside workshops that explore the enterprising nature of honeybees and other characters to help children develop skills.
UWTSD is making its contribution as part of 2Benterprising’s Programme, which has enabled 2B Enterprising to support 135 schools, benefiting well over 8,000 young people to date by providing them learning and development programmes and resources which help them think about their education, training, and future life choices much earlier than previously.
Jonathan Batty, director of marketing and communications at UWTSD, said: “The university was grateful for the opportunity to extend our delivery portfolio during lockdown at a time where there were still restrictions in place. This programme offers an opportunity to meet objectives of supporting return to learn and enjoyment of learning and literacy, and is particularly important in the current climate after the disruption to education that has been experienced recently.
“Building on those transferable skills such as resilience, problem solving, leadership, communication and teamwork from an early age, the pupils working on this programme will transition to other workshops and events delivered as part of the institutional commitment to the Reaching Wider programme.
“The schools chosen are linked to Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion which have strong regional links to our campuses. This is one enterprise initiative of many we are proud to be working on and will continue to offer complementary activities with the support of UWTSD departments.”
Mared Anthony, widening access officer at UWTSD, added: “The bee themed project adds fun and enjoyment to learning and pupils have really engaged with the stories and activities so far.
“It has been great to be able to deliver these activities face-to-face in the classroom after such a lengthy period of restrictions and online learning. The pupils are always excited to see us at the school and it has been a joy to meet them.
“To tie in with the theme of the project, on May 20, World Bee Day, the widening access team will be hosting a beethemed day on our Carmarthen campus for 30 Year 2 pupils from Blaenymaes Primary School.
“Pupils will practice all sorts of skills such as problem solving, teamwork and creativity through coding activities with bee-bots, arts and crafts, and nature trails. We look forward to hosting similar events with more schools involved in the project in the future.”
2Benterprising CEO Jayne Brewer added: “This valuable educational programme will have a huge impact on the education of these pupils, helping them to acquire skills that will be vital to them in their lives and future careers.
“We’re very much looking forward to working with UWTSD’S widening access team to bring all the fun and enjoyment of The Bumbles of Honeywood into these schools.”