I’ve never seen a child so excited! Creative Health at Hampton College Primary
Hayley Trotman, Pastoral Administrator, has been enthused by the impact Artscaping can have on children at Hampton College Primary School, Peterborough. After participating in training led by Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination and Cambridge Acorn Project as part of the UKRI funded research programme, Branching Out, Hayley has developed in-school training and specific one to one work using the practice.
Here Hayley shares why she feels Artscaping is important, and her ambition that every child should experience arts in nature time for their wellbeing whilst in primary school.
Spearheading creative health at pastoral level
Hayley is passionate about prevention, as she knows that children learn best when their level of wellbeing is high. She sees Artscaping as an ideal preventative tool to support children’s wellbeing:
‘We know if children’s mental health and anxiety go untreated in key stage 1, that things can become very challenging when they get to year 6, so we are keen to look at prevention work lower in the school. Artscaping has been part of this, supporting children who feel lost at points in the classroom, or those we might call ‘hidden children’. I have seen the impact Artscaping can have, so have delivered training internally and really championed the practice as I believe it should be a universal right – every child should experience it.’
When they are outside, everything can change
Hayley has found that some mental health and wellbeing resources feel too outcome-focused for some children. Using Artscaping as a one-to-one intervention has been shown to be a more effective approach:
‘One little boy really couldn’t get along with workbook wellbeing resources – it was all too set, too outcome focused, too much like the classroom environment that currently wasn’t working. I tried Artscaping with him, and his eyes just widened, he immediately calmed down. Being creative out in the fresh air - he could slow down in his time. We now Artscape, rather than work at a table in our nurture room – removing the walls, he’s a different child’
They look lifted
Hayley has so many more success stories like this about the impact of Artscaping and speaks eloquently about the impact Artscaping can have on individual children:
‘Children better regulate their emotions outside,and tend to feel able to show more of themselves, and often feel confident to do this back in the classroom. I hold so many special Artscaping moments – one child didn’t talk in class, was shy and timid – but over 8 sessions, he was talking constantly, talking with peers, asking questions and full of energy and excitement! One child saw a squirrel for the first time; for others it’s just a confidence boost that they might not often get from their lessons. To sum up, they generally look lifted, it’s lifted their mood. Worries that they carry momentarily were alleviated and they could just be children.’