As part of a project launched by Rotherham Ready, a local socialenterprise organisation, children in Year 6 at Catcliffe Primary Schoolworked with early years practitioners to develop characters based aroundsix skills that local business leaders had identified as being key tosucceeding in the workplace.
A resource pack that has been sent out to foundation stage units acrossRotherham features the characters Izzy Initiative, Charlie Communicate,Chloe Creativity, Freddie Finance, Pippa Positive, and Tim and Tom theTeamwork Twins. The resource pack contains advice for practitioners onbest practice and planning, and ideas and activities.
The project is an extension of an existing primary school scheme wherepupils are encouraged to develop 13 skills identified with enterprisingpeople. The project aims to encourage them to think about the world ofwork and their own aspirations.
Rotherham Ready is also working with the Family Learning Team to developplans that involve parents in the scheme.
Rebecca Mollart, from Rotherham Ready, said, 'When the project firststarted our remit was to work with primary schools to develop anenterprising approach to learning and we came up with 13 skills thatwere identified as being important. When we extended the project, welooked at the whole approach to learning in the early years and decidedthat developing characters would make the project more accessible toyoung children and more exciting.
'We've seen a brilliant response to the characters so far. Children havebeen very enthusiastic about the characters and quickly becamearticulate at talking about them.'
