Beech Lodge School Circus Experience Report

Lunar Circus at Beech Lodge School May 2019

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Contents Introduction

Page 3

Lunar Circus

Page 5

Structure of the 2 weeks

Pages 10-24

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Saturday 4th – Monday 6th May (Setting Up) Tuesday 7th May (Introductions) Wednesday 8th May (Learning new skills) Thursday 9th May (Learning new skills) Friday 10th May (Lunar Circus Show) Saturday 11th May (Mayhem Family Festival, Show & Party) Sunday 12th May (Rest Day) Monday 13th May (Rest Day) Tuesday 14th May (Honing skills) Wednesday 15th May (Rehearsals) Thursday 16th May (Rehearsals) Friday 17th May (The Greatest Show on Earth!)

Feedback • • •

Pages 27 - 38

Pupil Questionnaire Parent Questionnaire Staff Questionnaire

Conclusion

Page 39

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Introduction Between 7th and 17th May 2019 Beech Lodge School hosted 9 performer/trainers from Lunar Circus Australia to work with our pupils to teach them circus skills and introduce them to their world. This was the first time that the school had engaged in an immersive experience of this sort and it was both exciting and rewarding for a variety of reasons.

We chose to bring circus to Beech Lodge as it is a non-competitive activity that encompasses physical exercise, creativity, self-discipline, teamwork and fun. The impact on our pupils and staff was phenomenal – in a good way!

Why Lunar Circus?

Funding and support for the project Funding for the project came from both the Shanly Foundation and Shanly Homes who contributed towards the costs by holding two circus team building afternoons for their staff which took place after school hours. We also held a public circus festival – The Mayhem Family Circus Festival, and an evening event which comprised a circus show and afterparty to which we sold tickets to cover our costs and to contribute towards funding the circus visit.

Child Development and Circus Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are often linked to developmental stages having been missed, uncompleted, repressed or associated with Trauma. Most of our pupils have social & emotional difficulties and very many have gaps in their development due to Developmental and Relational Trauma. As we are all too aware, it is important for healthy development that these stages are not missed (see Fagus and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).

“By offering the circus experience to children and teenagers, it can provide them with an opportunity to make good those deficits, giving them more chance to advance into adulthood without gaping holes in their psycho-social personae” 3

Reg Bolton “Why Circus Works” 2004)

Research conducted by the University of South Australia examining the experiences of 55 participants (aged 8-14yrs) in Cirkidz Tweenz programme, showed young people’s engagement in the circus art resulted in significant improvements in four areas of mental wellbeing: stress relief, self-esteem, confidence and socialisation.

Six Elements of Childhood and Circus • • • • • •

Self: Individuality, Identity, Image Fun: Humour, Happiness, Laughter Risk: Adventure, Courage, Defiance Dreams: Aspiration, Imagination, Symbolism Trust: Touch, Co-operation, Sharing Hard Work: Persistence, Resilience, Process

(Reg Bolton – “Why Circus Works” 2004)

Why Circus?

• • • • • •

A team sport that is not competitive Structuring each step as a plateau for further achievement Providing self-esteem for those struggling academically Bringing outsiders in Difficult, therefore teaching good work habits Authentic in a world becoming ever more virtual

Robert Sugarman “Circus For Everyone” (2001)

There is no doubt there was a risk bringing in a crew of international circus performers and trainers into the school for two weeks, and I believe many people thought we were crazy. However, the Senior Leadership Team agreed that if at any time they believed it was going to be detrimental to the welfare of our pupils and staff, we would pull it immediately. Fortunately, our instincts proved to be correct and it was an invaluable experience.

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The Lunar Circus Fatt Matt (aka Matt Yates) The Lunar Circus is a circus training project based in Australia. It is the brainchild of Englishman Matt Yates who started his circus career performing tricks out of a suitcase. Matt has worked in circus for 30 years and has taught and performed all over the world. He created the Lunar Circus teaching project and the Western Australian Circus Festival in 2007 which has grown into one of the largest teaching projects and circus festivals in the circus world.

Matt and his partner Louise brought together performers from around the world to take part in our immersive experience.

Louise Moss Director and Performer Lou is the person who gets things done – chief organiser and director of Lunar Circus.

Following a career as a squash coach she too found her calling in the circus!

Matt and Lou are old schoolfriends of Beech Lodge School’s proprietor Daniela Shanly who all attended Oakham School in Rutland in the early ‘80’s. Matt and Lou wanted to bring the Lunar Circus training concept to the UK to so the idea was hatched to bring it to the school.

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Performers/Trainers Rogerio Piva – “Piva” Unicycle and Juggling Piva was born and lives in a very poor area of São Paulo, a favela and a social circus project rescued him from the streets. He works in many circuses around the world, but he mostly enjoys making his art come alive in isolated places, for people who have no contact with the circus. He has performed for the Pope and does a lot of work in the favelas of Brazil and Latin America. Without any education, he believes in circus and art as a tool of transformation.

Georgia Trapeze, Hula- Hoops Growing up in the isolated coastal town of Broome in Australia, there wasn’t much to do apart from join the local circus!

She began training at Theatre Kimberley’s Sandfly Circus at the age of 11 and hasn’t stopped since.

Georgia is Director of all-female acrobatic group YUCK Circus and 2018 graduate of NICA.

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Karla Trapeze, Tumbling, Mini Tramp Karla was 5 when recruited for Gymnastics squad training.

She trained at a high level and represented QLG in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, to then go on to take up circus at NICA. There was no circus in her hometown and she is excited to bring her lifetime of acrobatic knowledge to the circus world. Karla recently completed a season in Australia performing with the award winning YUCK circus.

Brooke Silks, tumbling. Mini tramp, Diablo, Brooke is a dance and circus artist. She has vast experience teaching and performing dance and is head trainer at Little Devils Circus teaching the next generation of acrobats. Brooke recently completed a season in Australia performing with the award winning YUCK circus.

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Elke Trapeze, Silks and Cyr wheel Elke is a contemporary circus performer, currently based in Berlin, Germany.

Elke grew up in a small town on the coast of Western Australia and was heavily immersed in dance, theatre and circus from a young age having started at Lunar Circus. At age 17, Elke made the decision to further her artistic passion in circus by entering the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). Here she discovered a thriving passion for Dance trapeze and Cyr wheel. Elke graduated in November 2015, and has been working throughout Australia, America and Europe in the years since.

Löric & Peter Acrobatics, Tumbling, Human Pyramids

Frenchman Löric and Peter from Australia are an artistic acrobatic double act with Löric being the ‘flyer’ and Peter the ‘base’. They met in Paris at Circus School and have performed all over the world together. Peter is proud to say he has never dropped Löric – yet!

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“Wee” John Clowning, Magic, Rigging Wee John hails from Belfast N.I. After a long career as an engineer, John decided to change direction and join the circus as a rigger/creator.

Over the years he has picked up lots of circus tricks – particularly clowning – and is definitely the joker in the team!

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Structure of the 2 weeks Saturday 4th - Monday 6th May (Bank Holiday Weekend) Set Up – “Surprise and Awe” We wanted this experience to kick off as a welcome surprise for the children when they arrived back at school after the Bank Holiday weekend.

Teaching Assistants Bev and Jackie gave up their Saturday morning to hang bunting kindly made by one of our parents Rachel Harrison – and didn’t it look beautiful!

The Pink Flamingo Tent On Monday the Lunar Circus crew arrived to set up their (small) big top – the Pink Flamingo Tent in our garden – it was all hands to the pumps (and mallets, and ropes)!

The tent gave us additional space for children to learn in rotation.

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Decorating the Hall We wanted this experience to be truly immersive and so transformed our school hall into a circus tent by draping 200m of fire-retardant dark pink and white casement fabric over the beams. We think the result was very effective!

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Day 1. Tuesday 7th May Introductions The children arrived at school almost unable to contain their excitiment when they saw the tent in the garden and the hall transfomed. It was arranged that the pupils would have their regular lessons each morning in order to keep them regulated and would enjoy the circus experience each day from 12-3pm with a short break for lunch.

On the first day, we held a welcome assembly where Fatt Matt and the Lunar Circus team introduced themselves, explained the format of the two weeks and showed off some of their acrobatic circus skills – much to the delight and wonder of the children!

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We also showed them some of our circus skills!

Mr Gillespie couldn’t resist getting in on the act showing off his 3 ball juggling skills!

Whilst Tom wrapped his leg around his head in his eye-watering contortion act.

In the afternoon the children were introduced to the equipment; juggling balls, diabolos, spinning plates, hoops, unicycle, trapeze, silks and minitrampoline. After a wobbly start, they soon surprised themselves with their talent.

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Day 2. Wednesday 8th May Learning new tricks, bravery, courage, The pupils were very excited to have their first full day of circus training.

We circulated pupils in groups over different disciplines which took place outside, in the main hall and the tent.

Many of our pupils struggle with being able to trust others and this was a good opportunity to help them begin to overcome their fears and work collaboratively together.

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Day 3. Thursday 9th May Developing skills Whilst the children were gaining confidence in their new skills we were visited by our local paper – The Maidenhead Advertiser who came to take photos for an article about our circus event. See article here

After school hours we hosted a teambuilding session with staff from local housebuilding company Shanly Homes.

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Day 4. Friday 10th May Lunar Circus Performance It was a day off from circus training for our pupils as following a morning of rehearsals, they were treated to a special performance by the Lunar Circus crew!

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Day 5. Saturday 11th May Mayhem Family Festival, Show and Party During the day we held a circus festival that was open to the public.

Organised by our PTA we had a variety of stalls, drop-in workshops, refreshments and the Fatt Matt Show for everyone to enjoy. Over 100 people attended this very successful event.

Earlier in the day a presenter from Radio Berkshire came to interview us live on the Andrew Peach show’s Peach Quest.

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Evening Show and After-Party That evening (if the daytime festival wasn’t enough) we held a Lunar Circus show and after-party for the Beech Lodge School community of parents and staff.

Day 6. Sunday 12th May Rest day (phew!)

Day 7. Monday 13th May Rest day for the circus – normal school day for us 20

Day 8. Tuesday 14th May Honing Skills This week was focused on preparing for the pupils show on Friday.

Everyone worked extremely hard rehearsing their acts

Staff Workshop That evening we held a fantastic teambuilding circus workshop and BBQ for all the staff – everyone got in on the act!

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Day 9. Wednesday 15th May Rehearsals The next two afternoons were spent rehearsing and preparing for the show on Friday.

Day 10. Thursday 16th May Rehearsals all day Dolphin School After school hours we had members of Year 4 at local school Dolphin School come for a 2 hour workshop session.

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Final Day. Friday 17th May The Greatest Show on Earth!

About 100 parents and friends came to watch the pupils in an absolutely incredible show. The pupils excelled themselves! Children who we could never imagine performing in front of a crowd shone. We were so proud of their achievements there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Truly a memorable event.

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And there ended the two week experience‌.

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Feedback We circulated questionnaires to pupils, parents/carers and staff to guage feedback, to ascertain the effectiveness and to determine whether this is something we would do again.

Pupils Pupil feedback was overwhelmingly positive with two of pupils reporting that they didn’t enjoy the experience. The assumption is that this was mainly due to individual dislike of physical activity and the impact of the noise. The pupils generally liked the circus trainers very much and it was a positive experience for them to interact with new people. Most pupils tried every activity, Trapeze and Silks being the clear favourite.

The children’s show was a positive experience for those who were involved in it, with none reporting that they didn’t enjoy it.

What did you think of circus lessons?

Fantastic

OK

Would you like to do circus 2 wks again?

Definitely

Didn't Enjoy

27

Maybe

No

Pupil Questionnaire Responses received: 25

Fantastic

General What did you think of the Circus lessons?

How did you like the circus trainers?

Which skills did you learn?

Juggling Diabolo Spinning Plate Hula Hoops Silks Unicycle Human Pyramids Tumbling/Mini Tramp Trapeze Magic Tricks Other

18 20

12 13 15 15 14 7 18 17 16 9 9

Favourite 1 1 2 2 6

More Circus?

Would you like to do 2wk circus again?

Would you like regular circus lessons?

Would you like an after-school club?

5 5 Least 3 1 1

Fantastic

Improved 1 3 1 4 1 2 5 7

1 2 3 Didn't enjoy

OK

13 16 Definitely 16 14 14

2

2 1 5

1 5 8 1

School Show If you were in it did you enjoy it?

Did you enjoy watching the show?

Didn't enjoy

OK

3 6 Maybe

No 6 5 6

3 6 5

Pupil Feedback: Positive: “Wow! It was such fun!”

“I LOVED IT!” “I really liked the circus performers, they were so helpful. I learnt you can do anything if you put your mind to it” “Amazing!”

“I love Fatt Matt!”

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“I really enjoyed them coming to Beech Lodge school and their company, it was really nice to be able to do this because in most schools you don’t have circus coming to schools so we are very lucky to have them. I definitely want them to come back” “It was really cool. They were really kind. It was really fabulous. Thank you for coming!”

“Best two weeks at Beech Lodge!”

“I loved it sooooo much!”

“It was fabulous, I loved it and I’m going to practice for when they come back again” “It was interesting”

Negative: “The hats smelled!”

“It was very loud. 2 weeks was too long. Maybe people who don’t like it could do their enrichment or watch a film” “I have a phobia of going upside down”

Other Observations “I think you could do set times for each (activity)” “There could have been another time to meet them (the circus) on the last Saturday”

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Parents/Carers

Of the events that parents/carers attended, all gave very positive feedback. We had tremendous support and help from parents/carers at both the Mayhem Circus Festival day and the evening event which created a lovely atmostphere of family and community. The vast majority of respondents reported that overall the circus two weeks had a positive impact on their child and their family and were keen to continue circus training at the school.

Negative responses acknowledged the wider benefits to the majority of the pupils and school but reported that it proved dysregulating and difficult for their child. One respondent who didn’t attend any event gave very negative feedback and was unhappy with the initiative and the impact it had on their child.

Would you like us to do 2wks circus again?

Overall what impact did the circus have on your child?

Positive

OK

Definitely

Negative

30

Maybe

No

Parent/Carer Questionnaire Responses: 15 Which events did you attend/were involved in?

Mayhem Family Circus Festival Circus Show and Party Children's Show

14 9 11

Of the events that you attended, please give us your experience Mayhem Family Circus Festival Circus Show and Party Children's Show

Positive 14 9 11

OK

Negative

Impact on your child Overall, what impact do you think the circus experience had on your child?

Did your child give you any feedback? If so, what was it?

Overall, what impact do you think the circus experience had on you and your family?

Positive

OK

Negative

13 12

2 3

13

2

Yes Has your child expressed any interest in continuing circus training?

Would you like us to include circus training in our curriculum?

Would you like us to do an after-school circus club?

Would you like us to do 2 weeks circus again next year?

No 11

4

Definitely 11 10 12

Maybe 3 4 2

No

Feedback Mayhem Family Circus Festival “A wonderful experience. Non-Commercial. A feeling of altruism. Community. The children were safe to explore the day – a huge bonus for parents and fantastic for them. Supportive, fun, innovative and imaginative” “The festival was wonderful and had a great sense of community and inclusiveness”.

“The kindness, patience, skills and approach by all of the performers made the festival very rewarding; a lot of fun and O loved being a part of it”.

“The Mayhem day was absolutely brilliant. We brought 6 children (our three and three cousins aged 6 to 15) and they had a fantastic time. The site is small enough that they could wonder around and be safe. There were a good number of people there which gave a good atmosphere but not long queues. All the circus staff were kind, enthusiastic and proactive in offering help. Every ability level was catered for. I 31

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love the ethos of keeping parents involved with our children and this was something we could all do together, have fun, and still enjoy a few moments of my sister’s adult company! The only thing I would love to have seen is some of the circus skills by the circus. Could they have done 5 mins demonstrations of their ‘act’ to give us a feel for what they do and what the children were aspiring to?”

“All events were a great fun day out and the evening event was fantastic. It was also great to see ‘non school regulars’ at the family festival on the Saturday as I think this helped to raise the profile of the school in the local community”.

“Bonding experience for B - he loved meeting up with peers outside of school and spending time with them. He struggled to sit still long enough to watch the whole of the actual circus performance and was too excited about being with his friends”.

“The Festival was a wonderful day and we really enjoyed the day both helping out and joining in with the fun”.

Circus Show and Party “It was great to experience the show and party which was hugely fun and entertaining and very welcoming”.

“The evening circus show was fab!! Lovely evening”.

“Fantastic!”

“Absolutely brilliant. Very well organised and a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together.”

Children’s Show “Rehearsals were well supported by staff/circus – amazing performers and that was key to keeping the energy stable. The fact that (my daughter) managed this, in fact she relished it, was incredible.”

“They were all amazing in the show and had really all developed some truly incredible skills”.

“The children’s show was simply amazing, showcasing their talent and hard work and giving them a stage to display what they had learnt was fantastic. What I also found fantastic was the genuine joy and support the parent audience had for all the children. There was a real atmosphere I have not experienced elsewhere at a children’s show before” “Unfortunately, we couldn’t come to the show, however N was really enthusiastic about the children’s show. It sounds like good bonds were made between the circus staff and the pupils. It built his confidence and he loves performing, but doesn’t often get the opportunity”.

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“B absolutely loved this and was very excited that he could show his newly acquired skills off. It really helped with his confidence and I noticed that he’d formed new and positive friendships with other children in his group. It was lovely to see him looking so happy and relaxed”.

“It was great to see the children’s joy on their faces as they performed their new skills in front of an audience. ‘A’ was very proud of his performance” “An absolute tear-jerker! I sobbed throughout knowing what a milestone this was for many of our children. So proud” “We were really impressed with everyone who took part and were very proud of M. While the show was fantastic it did bring with it some problems at home with the build-up to the show, triggered by fear of failure in front of others, anxiety and not knowing what to expect. Whilst we appreciate the show was hard for the children, we feel it was the right thing to do as it is sometimes beneficial to supportively push them outside of their comfort zone. In our case they were, we believe, outweighed by the positives of working in a team, co-operation, self-belief and resilience to keep on going to master the skill”.

“The children’s show was excellent and a wonderful opportunity for them to showcase their new found talents and for us as parents to see what they had learned”

General Comments and Observations “Circus” was an opportunity, or I would say a gift, to allow my child the chance to feel special, talented, strong, brave, able, part of a team and so much more. I’m not sure that we would have found out those skills and qualities with our norm of swimming club, brownies etc Above all, very few schools/children get the chance to be part of something magical. This I think was the star ingredient in the whole experience. To suspend reality, even for a moment, to dare to dream (thank you for pointing our that element of child development), which may be so hard for our children, is probably the greatest give that the circus gave to my child. With thanks and heaps of gratitude, and a new perspective on circus” “Off the scale positive! I loved it all and H was in his element! All the kids were fantastic and it was a joy to witness. Watching the performers was so inspiring too of ocurse. They fitted in perfectly at BL and we were sorry to see them go. Thank you so much for organising it. H absolutely loved the circus – as I knew he would!”

“It would appear inappropriate to have a whole school initiative based around an activity that is only applicable / relevant to specific children….He regularly asked us whether he was required to participate in the day’s activities – anxiety levels went up.

We feel that time would have been better spent on activities that benefit the majority of learning stiles and needs. We are not against the idea of incorporating an activity that might stimulate particular aspects of the brain, motor skills etc, however, the timing (in the middle of a very short half of term) as well as the 33

significant amount of time dedicated to this activity seems to have taken over from more basic skills learning/development. An afternoon or two at the end of the term would be a far a less disruptive time to implement something like this” “As well as teaching the children new skills and team building, the whole school family was brought together socially”.

“Put simply, O’s self-esteem received a much-needed boost and he was very excited to tell me all that he had learned”.

“I thought the experience was amazing and the children seemed to really enjoy it and react positively to it. Even those of us with grumpy teenagers are convinced they secretly really enjoyed it (despite early outward negativity!) I think it had a really positive effect on self esteem and confidence and gave everyone a chance to find something different they could ‘shine’ in and discover hidden talents”.

“It has allowed him to be ‘good’ at something. N is quite agile but climbing trees doesn’t get the recognition that the silks does! It built his confidence and he felt rightly proud that he had achieved something. The experience allowed him to be himself – witty, humorous, and a bit of a show-off but in an appropriate way. It felt OK for him to be himself. However unlikely that it may be that he joins a circus, he has found something that he can do and he can see a future for himself” “Although we think that the circus was a fun event and a good alternative activity to get the children involved in, ... we think a week would probably be a more appropriate amount of time…..In future we’d prefer to see the circus activity as the last week of term to maximise the opportunity for regular learning and give the children something to look forward to in the last week”.

“S found the circus event really stressful and her anxiety was high. Despite staff and circus team help. Interestingly, I think Self, Trust, Risk elements of the circus were an issue for S. She did not like the change to the routine and the worry of doing the activities and making sure staff knew about her tremor/anxiety/fear of being upside down and so on. I can understand how much fun the circus was for some kids. However, for S it was very stressful”.

“B said “I was able to make some good connections with the boys in my group and I made a really good bond with the circus performers”. They were all very nurturing, encouraging and made B feel confident in his abilities. He was very sad to see them leave. B has always loved somersaulting on our trampoline; the circus has given him new fun skills which he now practices at home. This really helps with his sensory difficulties and helps regulate his emotions at home, making everyone a lot happier. B would absolutely love to continue circus training – It raised his selfesteem and working as a team. It also really helps to keep him emotionally regulated. Absolutely amazing that you were able to bring the circus into school, we’d love to see them again!”

“M really thrives on learning new skills and this was a great outlet for him. He has been left with a very positive view of the experience and is really keen to continue to develop his circus skills. He was very pleased that the equipment has been left at 34

school and that the circus will be visiting again next year. So, in summary it has been a very positive experience for him” “J absolutely loved the experience and looked forward to learning more each day.

He was upset when they left but enjoyed every moment and is hoping they will return next year”

Staff The staff response was overwhelmingly positive with 100% of respondents reporting that the circus was a positive experience for them and the pupils. Particular stand-out moments were the children’s show, community spirit, team building and bonding. Smaller workshops and staff breaks were highlighted as something that could be improved as well as more circus curriculum input.

An initial concern that the timing of the circus co-incided with GCSE’s was negated as in fact it proved to be very beneficial to those students sitting exams as they were able to de-stress by engaging in circus activities after revision and exams.

What impact do you think circus had on your pupils?

Positive

OK

Would you like to do 2wk circus again?

Negative

Definitely

35

Maybe

No

Staff Questionnaire Responses: 14 Positive Overall, what impact do you think circus had on pupils you work with?

Overall, what impact do you think circus had on you and your work?

None

Negative

Maybe

No

14 14 Definitely 14

Would you like to do circus again?

This questionnaire asked for written feedback answering the following questions: A) What were the ‘stand out’ moments for you?

B) What can we do differently next time?

Responses What were the ‘stand out’ moments for you?

“Seeing the children trying new things, not giving and then succeeding in it. There was so many moments, but seeing L perform in the show was fab. He has such nerves beforehand and still did it!” “the courage, perserverence and teamwork shown by all, seeing the smiles on the students and adults faces and everybody having fun” “L’s juggling act, B’s trapeze act, M’s Silks act, B’s involvement. Seeing children put themselves outside of their comfort zone. Positive interaction of staff and chance to work with all children”.

“The circus helped me connect to the children on a different level and in a different way to how I relate to them in the classroom. ‘A’ faced her fear of heights on the trapeze” “Seeing children achieve things they didn’t know they were capable of, and how much joy and happiness it gave them. The end of the 2 week show; the children were phenomenal – I cried! The children’s thirst for fun and getting stuck-in trying new things, even things though some were apprehensive at first”.

“Seeing students who are usually extremely anxious come out of themselves, play and be able to express themselves with a lot more confidence! Having Oak Class (and me) relieve exam pressure by practicing our circus skills, having fun and forcing us to chill out! It was the most helpful and heartening experience” “That the school (staff and students) came together as a team – everyone supported each other and you got to spend time with all students and develop new 36

relationships. ‘S’ asking Georgia to ‘hang out’ was pretty special! It showed a new level of confidence!

“The childrens’ performance. A proper community feel on the Saturday festival day” “Friday’s performance. ‘AM’ participating in trampolining session. Seeing ‘JA’ doing physical activities and enjoying them. MH allowing appropriate touch and involving himself fully in a performance with peers he doesn’t see all the time”.

“The performance, seeing all the children so happy and involved. The excitement every day to start the activities. Hearing the enthusiasm from staff as well as pupils – it was great fun!”

“The show for the parents – good turnout and very well received. How the performers put most of the nervous/reluctant children at ease so quickly and getting them on-board – seeing the transformation. The party (and show)! Family Circus Day”

What can we do differently next time?

“Less activities – smaller groups in the tent. A back up plan for children that didn’t want to do it the whole afternoon” “Staff breaks. The tent was a bit of a sensory overload so could be re-thought” “Have smaller workshops for those who cannot cope with lengthy sessions (especially the ones hanging around waiting)” “Have a classroom available with activities if children are unable to cope or don’t want to participate. Have a go-to member of staff if they need to talk/tell you if they are finding the change tricky. Assign set members of staff to set groups. Give certain children enough notice for the change in routine, meeting new people etc” “Have some back-up plans of what students can do if not participating. Have a built up scheme for teachers to use pre-circus and after-circus – a bank of ideas that teachers can access easily. By the second week have a bit more of a roll-in, roll-out approach with groups so that some of them can have more rest” “Smaller workshops to help all children engage. More structured break-out rooms where children can go for some timeout and manned by a rota of staff. A creative curriculum planned in advance for the entire half term would embed the practices of the circus”.

“Potentially have party and festival on different days. Alternative lessons planned with performers ie history of circus, shared experience, art.

“Staff allocation – so that all staff know where to be and maybe have 1 or 2 afternoons not involved. Not necessarily a break but a change”.

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“Staff get designated breaks as everyone was exhausted by the end! Potentially 2 weeks was a bit too long. Doing designated days for different groups to break this up”.

“Streamline ticket distribution. Alternative for children who didn’t want to participate.

More stalls at festival day”.

Other observations: “As a member of staff, I feel I benefitted greatly in addition to the children having the circus here. It gave me the opportunity to find some things tricky and show the children it’s OK to make a mistake/find things hard. For example it took 6 attempts to get up the trapeze but I felt elated when I did it. I was able to show the children that with perseverance you can achieve anything!”

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Conclusion It is hard to find the words that truly express the emotional and social impact that having the circus had on all of us, staff and pupils alike.

There is no doubt that following this two-week immersive experience, circus is now very much a part of Beech Lodge School. Whilst the trainers and performers may have gone on to other things, they have left us with a very large hole and big impression on all of us. Circus gave our children opportunities and challenges they had never before faced, and they rose to the occasion. They had to navigate new relationships, learn new skills, expand their personal horizons - be daring and be inventive.

They were exposed to individuals who have followed a creative and unconventional path in life and are happy well-rounded people. They showed to our pupils that there are alternative employment pathways and that finding one’s element, your thing that makes you happy is vitally important. Everyone came together whether it was performing or behind the scenes. We all laughed together more than we had ever laughed and cried floods of happy tears at the show.

Fatt Matt and his Lunar Circus crew changed our school and the spirit of circus now lives firmly within us.

In practical terms, this circus experience will become a bi-annual event and we will be introducing circus skills into our curriculum.

Fortunately, this time no child ran off and left us to join the circus, but in future years you just never know‌.

Daniela Shanly

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