A class act

So good to be back at heart of the community

Monty Parrot (pictured) is a year 5 teacher and NEU rep at The Oaks Primary School in Crawley and is passionate about the opportunities that opening up schools to the wider community can offer. Sarah Thompson finds out what makes him a class act.

THERE was a genuine buzz and excitement throughout the school when The Oaks Primary School held its first annual harvest meal for two years back in October, says Monty.

Members of the local community, including staff and residents from a care home, the head of the church, MP Henry Smith, and a representative from a local homeless shelter were all invited to enjoy a meal planned, prepared and cooked by 60 year 5 pupils.

It’s an event that aims to strengthen the school’s relationship with the local community, something which Monty says had been “really lost from our schools during Covid”.

The children were involved at every stage, from deciding the menu – they settled on a main course of pumpkin soup, followed by apple crumble – to decorating the dining hall, laying the tables and serving guests. “Giving the children genuine ownership of the meal inspired passion and curiosity among them,” says Monty. “It started a whole conversation about food, and it was wonderful seeing their excitement. Food is something everyone has an opinion on, so it made everyone feel like what they were saying was valid and valued.

“We decided we would make something that wouldn’t be too challenging, so that all the children could participate,” he says, adding that they were keen to make use of seasonal produce and chose apple crumble – “by far the most popular dessert in our year group”.

An event like this can really empower children, says Monty, as it demonstrates that they have the skills and ability to make a difference to people. “If they get to be part of a project where they can see almost instantly that what they’re doing can have a positive benefit to the community then they can see the benefit of school and education.”

It was also an opportunity for the school to strengthen its relationship with parents.

“We found that by creating communitybased events, such as the harvest celebration, parents have wanted to become more involved in the school and feel like they are a more integral part of their own children’s education,” Monty says.

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Email educate@neu.org.uk Social and emotional skills

Community events like the harvest meal play a key role in children’s personal, social and emotional development too.

“Primary school is such a formative time, where you’re not just teaching a subject, you’re creating a whole child,” he says. “You’re helping mould personalities, helping them with emotional struggles and perseverance, and trying to help them to go on to learn different subjects. Our job as educators is to develop skills which will help them later in life.”

The school also organised a food collection point and a representative from the local homeless shelter led an assembly discussing homelessness and poverty. It really sparked children’s interest and raised their awareness of the challenges faced by many people within the community.

“We had loads of children asking what they could do to help and why something like homelessness is still an issue. It really highlighted the fact that there are many people less fortunate than us, and many that we might not even know about.”

The harvest meal is just one event in a packed calendar of events – such as visiting a local care home to read to the residents – as the school strives to reconnect with the community and give children learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom.

“Schools are places with immense power and by rebuilding community links we have the opportunity to share knowledge, ideas and stories with everyone around us. What could possibly be better than a world in which communities feel more connected and education is more highly valued?”