A NEW children's hub has been created to take learning outside of school hours in an innovative scheme to make a difference to the lives of young people - and play a key role in helping them recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Blackrod Primary School is driving force behind the the creation of BYB@Blackrod, which stands for Be Your Best, which provides young people from four to 18-years-old with activities outside school hours to develop their skills, health and well being and fulfil their potential as well as engaging with their community and environment.

Children at the Ofsted rated outstanding school came up with the name and logo for the new hub, which has linked up with a number of arts and culture organisations, including the Octagon Theatre, Bolton Libraries and Museums, Bolton Play and Youth Services and even a PYO Fruit farm in Kent through a collaboration brought together via Leaf Education an organisation set up to bring farming into the classroom.

As part of the programme, the village school has been awarded £30,138 funding from the Ragdoll Foundation, to launch 'Into the Woods' which encourages children to look at their surroundings in a different way and bring it to life through storytelling with folklore, writing and outdoor performance.

BYB@Blackrod is supported by volunteers dedicated to providing children with opportunities, which is more crucial than ever given the impact of lockdown on children.

Ian Dryburgh, head of Blackrod Primary School said:“We place children at the very heart of all that we do, supporting children to become confident, brave and ready for the world which they will inherit and inhabit.

"Through taking a holistic approach to the curriculum, broad and balanced in its truest meaning, we embrace new opportunities and recognise our ability to take education beyond that of the traditional school day.

" Our aim is to support our children to become active citizens of our community and world. The challenges associated with the pandemic have only gone to reinforce the importance of this way of working with wellbeing, the environment, intergenerational work and the development of skills increasingly highlighted to help our children in their future. We know the long term benefit of children engaging in culture, the arts, outdoor play, volunteering and intergenerational activities and whilst we are just one individual primary school, we are seeking to make such a difference to the lives of our children and families in a meaningful way.”

Bolton Council’s Director of Children’s Services, Bernie Brown, said: “As a council, one of our key priorities is to support every child in Bolton to get the best possible start in life. During a challenging year, this project is an excellent example of how schools in Bolton have gone above and beyond to engage and inspire young people.”  
 

Stuart Dunne, Chair of the BYB@Blackrod committee said, “BYB@Blackrod will impact on children, young people and the wider community for years to come. This unique opportunity to bring people together whilst placing children and young people at the centre is not only key to the covid recovery but is key to the future sustainability of everything in life. ”

Head of Creative Engagement at the Octagon Theatre, Imogen Woolrich said: “We are delighted to partner with Blackrod Primary School through the development of BYB@Blackrod and work with their learners to deliver the exciting ‘Into the Woods’ project, which has been made possible thanks to the generous funding from the Ragdoll Foundation.
"The Octagon believes that all young people should have access to the arts and this project will give the pupils at Blackrod Primary School an opportunity to develop new skills through the creative art of storytelling; engaging in filmmaking, script writing and performance.

"It’s especially important at the moment that children can access opportunities to explore their creativity and learn collaboratively, after such a turbulent year for schools.”