“Is our neighbourhood a happy place?” was the enquiry question that Year 6 set out to investigate as part of an exciting three-session project with British Land.
The project began with a workshop in school, where the children learnt about the Canada Water Masterplan, one of the largest regeneration projects currently taking place in London. They explored how urban development can affect the lives of local residents and considered what makes a community a happy and successful place to live.
The children then travelled to Canada Water to carry out their own geographical fieldwork. Working in groups, they interviewed members of the public, using a range of question types including open-ended, multiple-choice, binary and scale questions. Their surveys focused on six key themes: our homes, nature and parks, play and fun, gathering places, getting around, and working and creating.
Following their fieldwork, the children visited Dock Shed, where they analysed their survey responses and began preparing presentations to share their findings. They carefully considered the views of local people and started to draw conclusions about how happy the neighbourhood is and what could make it even better.
Throughout the project, the children represented the school exceptionally well. Members of the public and the British Land organisers were highly complimentary about the children’s focus, confidence and excellent manners during the sessions.
The next stage of the project will see Year 6 presenting their findings and recommendations to VIPs from British Land. We wish them the very best as they prepare to share their important work and demonstrate the valuable insights they have gained through this real-world investigation.
