Newham’s glittering reputation for educational achievement, both in London and nationally, will be given a boost in September with the opening of a pioneering new primary school where the focus is on ‘the whole child’, helping the first intake of reception year children to bounce back from the negative impact of lockdown.

School 360 is an impressive, multi-million-pound building, located on Sugar House Island off Stratford High Street. It features a roof-top playground for sports and lessons, spacious well lit classrooms and a designated space for art, design, woodwork and science, as well as a community room with a kitchen for parents to run events.

Big Education Trust is the mastermind behind School 360. Sarah Seleznyov, one of the school’s co-head teachers, explained: “It’s an organisation that is interested in a more expansive, value led education system and is also the operating wheel behind its sister school, School 21. It shows our commitment to working with and for the community in preparing children for the 21^st Century”.

According to Andrea Silvain, the other co-head teacher, “the name gives a good visual representation of the school’s ethos: Head, Heart and Hand – the whole child”.

Between them, their experience in education spans more than 30 years. Andrea was a Deputy Head of School 21, also located in Stratford. She said: “Some of my passions are creativity and wellbeing which is why the ethos really appeals to me.” Sarah has experience of working across several diverse schools in London in teaching, professional development and school improvement.

They are keen to recruit people from the local community who represent the diversity of Newham. Sarah said: “Having Andrea and I in these senior roles is a very visible representation of that diversity”.

Discussing their plans to help children and families bounce back from the negative impacts of Covid- 19, Sarah said: “We are focusing on community. We plan to help them form support networks by having social events such as family picnics”. There will be a strong focus on emotional wellbeing with “daily check-ins, mindfulness and meditation, including hansei; a technique that comes from Japan”. This is a process of collective reflection where at the end of the day or week, the class and wider school community reflects on what went well and how improvements can be made. According to Andrea: “Staff will be trained to be mindful practitioners”. Plans are in the pipeline for the school to gain trauma informed status.

Sarah added:“There are plans to actively promote outdoor learning and engagement with nature through our play based curriculum and design of our site. There will be a small forest area to grow plants so children will know where food comes from and how it grows”.

The school’s chef will educate children on the importance of food, where it comes from and how to cook. Andrea said: “Students will see food going from plant to plate and everyone will eat as a family”.

Spaces available: A few spaces are available for reception children and it is also possible for local charities and social enterprises to hire rooms. For further details email: info@school360.org.uk or phone: 020 87063 360.

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