ROUND UP What’s In My Tray? An Introduction by Dr Katherine Forsey
Dr Katherine Forsey is an acclaimed educationalist who works with individual schools, local authorities and independent charities to support and develop education provision. She is also a consultant to Gratnells Learning Rooms.
G
iving a child their own named tray when they join your setting is often the first milestone in
their educational journey. How could you use it to support them every step of the way? Could you bring it out each parent’s evening to share the progress the child is making? When the end of term or the school year comes, what happens to that tray? Does the child take it home with them to share their best pieces of work with their parents? The tray is often a child’s first personal item in
school, one they can take ownership of. For the teacher, the tray also has an essential role in storing and organising resources. It serves as a place to carry out experiments and conduct outdoor learning activities, its uses are almost limitless. Gratnells Learning Rooms has created an
exciting range of over 100 practical activities for you to try with your children. The one thing they have in common is that they all start with the humble, yet incredibly versatile, tray. You have hundreds of trays at your school, are you getting full use out of them? What’s In My Tray was created by teachers,
technicians, education consultants and outdoor learning specialists who use Gratnells trays as part of their teaching and it has exploded on social media. What’s In My Tray ideas are now shared
September 2019
across all Gratnells’ social media channels and through national education conference workshops to inspire and support teachers and technicians to incorporate trays into daily lessons and practical classes. But don’t worry if you’ve missed them, Learning Rooms is where you will find all our What’s In My Tray resources in one place. Activities are organised by subject area so
whether it’s science, art, maths or outdoor activities you’re after, we have a What’s In My Tray suggestion for you and your learners. Each of the curriculum-based activities comes with an equipment list and a clear set of instructions for set-up and running, we are currently adding learning objectives and there is always a list of other things you could try to expand the activity. We’ve kept things simple, using readily available and reusable equipment to keep consumables low and no specialist facilities are required. What’s In My Tray activities provide a range of
benefits for your class. They encourage investigation, promote collaboration and help to develop both resource and time management skills. They can make practical experiences fun and memorable whilst encouraging tidiness within a dedicated workspace. What’s In My Tray activities are free to access
and download from the Gratnells Learning Rooms site.
www.learning-rooms.com
www.education-today.co.uk 45
uwww.gratnells.com
uwww.learning-rooms.com
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