How did we do it?

Context

Located adjacent to the site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Stratford City is the largest retail-led, mixed-use urban regeneration project ever undertaken in the UK. The development includes 465,000 square metres of offices, approximately 5,000 new homes, 150,500 square metres of retail space and up to 2,000 hotel bedrooms, together with secondary school, primary school, drop-in health centre and primary care centre plus community facilities, including an employment bureau and youth facilities. It will also house most of the 2012 Olympic athletes.
www.stratford-renaissance.co.uk/stratford-city

Partners, management and participants

Listening to Learn is a partnership between four organisations Discover, Carpenter’s Primary School, Stratford City Development Partnership and University of East London (UEL), three of which have an educational focus.

The project was planned and developed in consultation with all four partners. The Deputy Head at Carpenter’s School, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at UEL and Discover’s Director met to discuss the aims and outcomes. The teaching staff at Carpenter’s School brought their expertise in multilingualism, knowledge of learning styles, understanding of the curriculum and needs of the children. Researchers from UEL brought their research and analytical skills and understanding of language development. The artists and team from Discover brought their understanding and knowledge children’s participation and the arts. The developers brought their knowledge of the area, design and planning. Listening to Learn also benefited from a range of participants including children and their families, staff at Carpenter’s School, architects, planners and others involved in regeneration.

Summary

Listening to Learn was delivered as three stages over a three-year period. During the first two years Discover worked with children at Carpenter’s Primary School, consulting with them about the proposed changes happening in their neighbourhood as a result of the Stratford City and 2012 Olympic regeneration process. In particular the project focussed on enabling the children to express their opinions about the changes in their urban environment and how these will impact on their lives.

Read more about each phase

Image of people participating in our project

Image of people participating in our project