Inspirations: GrangetonTown
0001 10:00:14:10 10:00:16:18
(narrator)
This is His Worship the mayor,
0002 10:00:16:18 10:00:20:01
preparing to face
the people he represents.
0003 10:00:20:01 10:00:23:13
They should be happy -
their town is thriving.
0004 10:00:23:13 10:00:27:03
It has a profitable shop,
a vibrant media centre...
0005 10:00:27:03 10:00:29:07
Hi. This is Grangeton Radio.
0006 10:00:29:07 10:00:31:11
..an exciting newspaper,
0007 10:00:32:08 10:00:34:04
a fascinating museum,
0008 10:00:34:04 10:00:36:10
and a new French cafe.
0009 10:00:36:10 10:00:38:17
It's even got a television unit,
0010 10:00:38:17 10:00:42:02
which can be used
to uncover hidden talents.
0011 10:00:43:06 10:00:46:01
Welcome to the town of Grangeton,
0012 10:00:46:01 10:00:49:17
a community run for the pupils
by the pupils.
0013 10:00:49:17 10:00:53:04
For official purposes, it's also
known as The Grange Primary School
0014 10:00:53:04 10:00:55:05
in Long Eaton in Derbyshire.
0015 10:00:55:05 10:00:57:15
The headteacher is Richard Gerver.
0016 10:00:57:15 10:01:01:11
The first thing I did was to talk
to the staff and the children
0017 10:01:01:11 10:01:03:15
about what they wanted Grange to be,
0018 10:01:03:15 10:01:07:07
what they aspired for the school.
0019 10:01:07:07 10:01:11:17
The same common themes came through
from the staff and the children,
0020 10:01:11:17 10:01:13:17
although expressed differently.
0021 10:01:13:17 10:01:18:06
They wanted the place to be fun and
to be vibrant and to be exciting.
0022 10:01:18:06 10:01:22:02
(narrator) The effect of injecting
enjoyment and engaging pupils
0023 10:01:22:02 10:01:23:12
has been dramatic.
0024 10:01:23:12 10:01:26:17
A spiral of decline
has turned into soaring success.
0025 10:01:26:17 10:01:29:11
Three and a half years ago,
when this journey started,
0026 10:01:29:11 10:01:32:13
our SATs results
were all around the 50% mark,
0027 10:01:32:13 10:01:35:00
and our PANDA grades
were all in the E category.
0028 10:01:35:00 10:01:38:09
Three and a half years later,
our SATs results have doubled,
0029 10:01:38:09 10:01:42:04
and we're now consistently scoring
in the high 80s and 90%s.
0030 10:01:42:04 10:01:44:23
Our PANDA grades
have risen to As and A*s.
0031 10:01:44:23 10:01:48:10
That isn't as a result
of some crude cramming process.
0032 10:01:48:10 10:01:50:23
(narrator) The mayor is called Jake.
He won the job
0033 10:01:50:23 10:01:54:22
after a closely fought election
battle against deputy mayor, Connor.
0034 10:01:54:22 10:01:59:02
We have all these councillors, and
they get issues from their classes.
0035 10:01:59:02 10:02:03:01
They bring it into council meetings
and we try to do something about it.
0036 10:02:03:01 10:02:05:17
(interviewer)
Are you plotting against Jake?
0037 10:02:05:17 10:02:10:11
Have you come to an agreement over
the dinner table in the canteen?
0038 10:02:10:11 10:02:13:07
So you take over
after a couple of terms, perhaps?
0039 10:02:13:07 10:02:17:10
If, like, Jake's not here,
then I stand in his place.
0040 10:02:17:10 10:02:20:23
But he's not promising to
stand down, or anything like that?
0041 10:02:20:23 10:02:23:16
Not that I know of.
0042 10:02:23:16 10:02:28:13
- Good morning.
- (all) Good morning, Jake.
0043 10:02:28:13 10:02:31:16
(narrator) Whether Jake
becomes a politician or not,
0044 10:02:31:16 10:02:34:13
he's learned that
a high profile is all-important,
0045 10:02:34:13 10:02:37:21
as you'll discover
during the course of this programme.
0046 10:02:37:21 10:02:41:13
Question time happens once a week
with the mayor and his cabinet,
0047 10:02:41:13 10:02:45:03
but you can't please
all of the pupils all of the time.
0048 10:02:45:03 10:02:51:11
I think we should have a bell for
the beginning and end of playtime.
0049 10:02:51:11 10:02:54:19
You'll just have to put up with it.
0050 10:02:54:19 10:02:57:02
(narrator) When Grangeton
was just a school,
0051 10:02:57:02 10:02:59:02
it was one of the worst
in Derbyshire,
0052 10:02:59:02 10:03:01:16
and had the achievement levels
to prove it.
0053 10:03:01:16 10:03:04:20
The new headteacher immediately
embarked on a mission
0054 10:03:04:20 10:03:07:10
to bring all the fun of the fair
into school.
0055 10:03:07:10 10:03:10:02
One of the first questions
I asked the staff here,
0056 10:03:10:02 10:03:13:18
which, looking back on it now, seems
a bit daft, but people went with me,
0057 10:03:13:18 10:03:16:09
was, "Why can't school
be more like Disneyland?"
0058 10:03:16:09 10:03:19:05
In other words, why,
on a cold February morning,
0059 10:03:19:05 10:03:21:14
if a child wakes up
with a sore throat,
0060 10:03:21:14 10:03:24:03
do they cough and splutter
and look to the heavens
0061 10:03:24:03 10:03:27:05
and thank God that they're too ill
to come to school that day,
0062 10:03:27:05 10:03:30:12
but if they woke up on the same
cold February morning in Paris,
0063 10:03:30:12 10:03:33:05
they would move heaven and earth
to go to Disneyland?
0064 10:03:33:05 10:03:38:01
What was the fundamental difference?
Why shouldn't school feel like that?
0065 10:03:38:01 10:03:40:16
(narrator) The school
couldn't recreate Disney,
0066 10:03:40:16 10:03:43:08
but it could turn itself
into a town.
0067 10:03:43:08 10:03:45:04
Not so much the Magic Kingdom
0068 10:03:45:04 10:03:48:05
as the magic municipality
of Grangeton.
0069 10:03:48:05 10:03:52:05
The shop was already in place,
but now it's the Grangeton shop,
0070 10:03:52:05 10:03:55:13
run by pupils who decide
when to open and what to sell -
0071 10:03:55:13 10:03:58:07
everything healthy, of course.
0072 10:03:58:07 10:04:01:15
(interviewer) Have you got anything
really unhealthy?
0073 10:04:01:15 10:04:06:03
- Not really, no.
- Anything with a lot of sugar?
0074 10:04:06:03 10:04:08:16
- No.
- Anything with a lot of salt?
0075 10:04:08:16 10:04:11:07
- (girls) No.
- So what do you sell?
0076 10:04:11:07 10:04:12:23
Healthy stuff.
0077 10:04:13:17 10:04:16:13
(narrator) Next to open
was Grangeton media centre.
0078 10:04:16:13 10:04:19:03
We will also have
our very own Grangeton top ten
0079 10:04:19:03 10:04:22:03
and special birthday announcements
to all of you out there.
0080 10:04:22:03 10:04:26:04
- First let's play our first song.
- (pop music)
0081 10:04:28:14 10:04:31:20
On the first Tuesday
after half term,
0082 10:04:31:20 10:04:34:01
the Language Cafe is reopening.
0083 10:04:34:01 10:04:38:11
Year 2 are having a cake stall at
their tuck shop on Friday afternoon.
0084 10:04:38:11 10:04:40:07
Prices start from 10p.
0085 10:04:40:07 10:04:44:02
(narrator) Radio Grangeton goes
on air three lunchtimes every week,
0086 10:04:44:02 10:04:46:15
with a programme of pop and features
0087 10:04:46:15 10:04:49:06
that accurately reflects
local radio stations.
0088 10:04:49:06 10:04:51:05
- What's your job?
- A producer.
0089 10:04:51:05 10:04:56:08
- What do you have to do?
- Put songs on and do voice checks.
0090 10:04:56:08 10:04:59:00
- Do your stars do as they're told?
- Yeah.
0091 10:04:59:00 10:05:03:13
- They do? What if they don't?
- Then they get sacked.
0092 10:05:03:13 10:05:06:08
(interviewer) Reading the script,
is that difficult?
0093 10:05:06:08 10:05:10:08
Sometimes it can be, because
if the other presenter writes it,
0094 10:05:10:08 10:05:14:11
sometimes you can't read
other people's writing sometimes.
0095 10:05:14:11 10:05:18:00
So what's the trick? What must
you always do before you go on air?
0096 10:05:18:00 10:05:19:11
Have a run through it.
0097 10:05:19:11 10:05:22:16
Have you got a fan club yet?
0098 10:05:22:16 10:05:26:21
Well, we always walk out the door
and everyone just cheers and that.
0099 10:05:26:21 10:05:29:16
Cheers? Do they? What do they say?
0100 10:05:29:16 10:05:31:16
Like, "Yay!"
0101 10:05:31:16 10:05:34:13
Oh, so you have got a fan club!
0102 10:05:34:13 10:05:36:13
(pop music)
0103 10:05:39:07 10:05:42:19
You've got to have kids confident
enough to put the shows out.
0104 10:05:42:19 10:05:47:15
They all go through an interviewing
process. They're all interviewed.
0105 10:05:47:15 10:05:52:05
If they get it, they get it. We've
got spare ones, if others are off.
0106 10:05:52:05 10:05:54:22
But, at the moment...
It depends who wants to do what.
0107 10:05:54:22 10:05:58:02
There are so many things,
they volunteer for different things.
0108 10:05:58:02 10:06:01:23
Not everybody's choice
would be to do radio or media.
0109 10:06:01:23 10:06:04:02
So the shy and retiring
don't miss out?
0110 10:06:04:02 10:06:09:01
Not at all. There aren't any shy and
retiring children in this school.
0111 10:06:10:21 10:06:12:19
(narrator) The programme is live,
0112 10:06:12:19 10:06:15:19
but features are pre-recorded
by the station's reporters.
0113 10:06:15:19 10:06:18:12
This interview - and, yes,
that is Jake, the mayor -
0114 10:06:18:12 10:06:21:07
concerns the latest enterprise
that's coming to town -
0115 10:06:21:07 10:06:22:20
the Language Cafe.
0116 10:06:22:20 10:06:27:02
Have you had to learn any skills
to be in the Language Cafe?
0117 10:06:27:02 10:06:29:07
Yes. Speaking French.
0118 10:06:30:14 10:06:33:09
Yes. How to deal
with customer issues.
0119 10:06:33:09 10:06:37:22
If you give children the
opportunities, they will amaze you.
0120 10:06:37:22 10:06:42:03
An example being the ability of some
of our editors in the radio station,
0121 10:06:42:03 10:06:46:21
who apparently are working towards
AS level in media studies.
0122 10:06:46:21 10:06:50:23
If you said that of an average
ten-year-old, people would laugh.
0123 10:06:50:23 10:06:54:09
But I think it's very important
for us to understand
0124 10:06:54:09 10:06:57:21
that we shouldn't precensure what
we think children are capable of
0125 10:06:57:21 10:07:01:09
because we're actually thinking
about what our limitations are.
0126 10:07:01:09 10:07:05:00
(narrator) The media centre
is also used to produce films.
0127 10:07:05:00 10:07:07:20
This latest production
ties in with classroom work -
0128 10:07:07:20 10:07:11:08
a modern-day version
of "Romeo and Juliet".
0129 10:07:11:08 10:07:14:21
What does the camera allow us to do
that we can't do with our eyes?
0130 10:07:14:21 10:07:16:24
- Zoom in and out.
- Zoom in and out.
0131 10:07:16:24 10:07:20:03
We can get close-up shots,
we can get long shots,
0132 10:07:20:03 10:07:22:00
we can get big, open shots.
0133 10:07:22:00 10:07:25:18
- (boy) Action.
- No. No!
0134 10:07:25:18 10:07:27:05
(boy) Cut.
0135 10:07:27:05 10:07:30:12
(narrator) Pupils are responsible
for all of the production,
0136 10:07:30:12 10:07:34:07
from the scripting to the editing -
watch out for Jake.
0137 10:07:34:07 10:07:37:14
It's quite cool cos, like,
you get to play with...
0138 10:07:37:14 10:07:43:08
well, not play, but do things
what not many people can do.
0139 10:07:43:08 10:07:45:24
(Jake) Yeah, you get an opportunity.
0140 10:07:47:03 10:07:49:18
(interviewer) Better than
sitting behind a desk?
0141 10:07:49:18 10:07:51:14
Loads better.
0142 10:07:53:03 10:07:56:07
(narrator) Pupils make
their own television programmes.
0143 10:07:56:07 10:07:59:21
This is Grangeton TV's
"Pop Idol" contest.
0144 10:07:59:21 10:08:04:01
And this is the headteacher, drawing
on his first career in the theatre.
0145 10:08:04:01 10:08:08:20
And demonstrating why he gave it up
to go into teaching.
0146 10:08:12:10 10:08:16:08
The latest enterprise to open
in Grangeton is a museum.
0147 10:08:16:08 10:08:18:17
It came as a bit of a shock
to one teacher,
0148 10:08:18:17 10:08:21:15
who found he was an exhibit.
0149 10:08:21:15 10:08:24:10
This is my 32nd year.
0150 10:08:24:10 10:08:27:13
(interviewer) So you've seen
some changes over the years.
0151 10:08:27:13 10:08:32:02
I've seen a fair number of changes
over the years, yes.
0152 10:08:32:02 10:08:35:21
From the total freedom
that we had in the early '70s,
0153 10:08:35:21 10:08:39:03
to obviously
much more prescription,
0154 10:08:39:03 10:08:41:22
and now the wheel
is starting to turn again.
0155 10:08:41:22 10:08:44:10
Is it turning back to how it was
in the '60s and '70s?
0156 10:08:44:10 10:08:48:02
It's not turning back to how it was,
but there are elements coming in,
0157 10:08:48:02 10:08:52:22
inside a more formal structure,
which allows us to develop.
0158 10:08:52:22 10:08:56:18
(narrator) The museum tells
the history of The Grange School,
0159 10:08:56:18 10:09:00:14
which started as a combined
secondary and primary in the 1940s.
0160 10:09:00:14 10:09:03:18
It's already attracted a lot
of interest from former pupils,
0161 10:09:03:18 10:09:06:01
and it's planning
to open up to the public.
0162 10:09:06:01 10:09:08:17
At the centre of the museum
is a time tunnel.
0163 10:09:08:17 10:09:11:03
Well, we haven't really
finished it yet,
0164 10:09:11:03 10:09:13:17
but we're going to.
0165 10:09:13:17 10:09:16:20
Here's a bird's-eye view
of the school in the 1970s.
0166 10:09:16:20 10:09:19:11
Here's the secondary department.
0167 10:09:19:11 10:09:24:07
The infants had to fit in here, and
the juniors were crammed in here.
0168 10:09:24:07 10:09:30:00
Here's how many children had to be
crammed into the playground.
0169 10:09:30:00 10:09:32:23
These are what the desks were like.
0170 10:09:32:23 10:09:35:10
I wouldn't like
to have a desk like that.
0171 10:09:35:10 10:09:37:22
- Why? What's wrong with it?
- It's not very nice.
0172 10:09:37:22 10:09:43:02
If someone was bullying you, then
they could trap your fingers in it.
0173 10:09:43:02 10:09:45:24
Why don't you need
desks like that today?
0174 10:09:45:24 10:09:49:19
Is it because... It might be
because they've got the ink hole,
0175 10:09:49:19 10:09:52:10
and we use pencils now, not ink.
0176 10:09:52:10 10:09:55:16
(narrator) The Grangeton
goings-on are reported twice termly
0177 10:09:55:16 10:09:57:13
in the town's newspaper.
0178 10:09:57:13 10:10:00:06
This editorial meeting
discusses the latest issue.
0179 10:10:00:06 10:10:03:23
Some pupils are displaying
definite tabloid tendencies.
0180 10:10:03:23 10:10:08:23
Look at the front cover. Anything
you want to change on the front?
0181 10:10:08:23 10:10:13:18
- We could have a big picture.
- A bigger picture. Good idea.
0182 10:10:13:18 10:10:17:14
(interviewer) Why do you think
there should be a big picture?
0183 10:10:17:14 10:10:19:21
(girl) Because it's a bit plain.
0184 10:10:19:21 10:10:22:23
What do you think
a big picture would do?
0185 10:10:22:23 10:10:26:04
Make it a bit more exciting.
0186 10:10:26:04 10:10:29:14
- What's your job?
- I'm a journalist.
0187 10:10:29:14 10:10:31:19
- Is that a good job?
- Yeah, I think so.
0188 10:10:31:19 10:10:35:22
- What do you have to do?
- Um, write stories.
0189 10:10:35:22 10:10:40:13
(interviewer) I thought journalists
were just very nosy people.
0190 10:10:40:13 10:10:44:16
- Kind of.
- Yeah? Or are they very important?
0191 10:10:44:16 10:10:47:17
They're quite important.
Because you need a story.
0192 10:10:47:17 10:10:51:04
What do you think pupils
get out of producing a newspaper?
0193 10:10:51:04 10:10:52:18
Confidence, really.
0194 10:10:52:18 10:10:57:07
To see their stories actually
in the newspaper is a real boost.
0195 10:10:57:07 10:11:00:00
(interviewer) What does it do
for you, as a teacher?
0196 10:11:00:00 10:11:04:23
To actually see the children
writing for a purpose
0197 10:11:04:23 10:11:07:09
and the enjoyment
they get out of interviewing
0198 10:11:07:09 10:11:09:12
and taking the photographs,
0199 10:11:09:12 10:11:11:24
using the ICT suite as well -
0200 10:11:11:24 10:11:15:10
putting the skills they've learned
in the classroom into practice.
0201 10:11:16:03 10:11:20:10
Grangeton's Language Cafe is
due to open in the next few weeks.
0202 10:11:20:10 10:11:23:23
The idea is that all orders and
transactions take place in French.
0203 10:11:23:23 10:11:27:05
- Well, most of them, anyway.
- Bonjour. Ca va?
0204 10:11:27:05 10:11:30:02
- Ca va mal.
- What's the matter?
0205 10:11:30:02 10:11:32:22
(narrator) Customer relations
is being taught here,
0206 10:11:32:22 10:11:35:18
with help from
a locally based finance company.
0207 10:11:35:18 10:11:38:16
This is a lesson
in how to handle complaints.
0208 10:11:38:16 10:11:40:22
And Jake's back in the picture.
0209 10:11:40:22 10:11:44:02
Yeah? What do you want?
Come on, spit it out, woman.
0210 10:11:44:02 10:11:47:07
I've got what I want,
but there's a fly in my milk shake.
0211 10:11:47:07 10:11:50:05
A fly? That is lovely.
0212 10:11:50:05 10:11:52:05
Mm. That's lovely!
0213 10:11:52:05 10:11:54:10
How did you feel
when you were a customer
0214 10:11:54:10 10:11:59:11
and you were being treated
quite badly by one of the waiters?
0215 10:11:59:11 10:12:01:21
- Hannah.
- A bit upset.
0216 10:12:01:21 10:12:04:22
You don't expect
to go out somewhere for dinner,
0217 10:12:04:22 10:12:08:05
and expect people to be, like,
that nasty to you.
0218 10:12:08:05 10:12:11:15
You just wouldn't expect it.
You'd expect them to be nice to you.
0219 10:12:11:15 10:12:14:14
It's how to deal
with difficult customers -
0220 10:12:14:14 10:12:17:03
we wanted to make sure
they were prepared for that.
0221 10:12:17:03 10:12:19:23
If people are giving feedback
when they're not happy,
0222 10:12:19:23 10:12:23:04
it's a good opportunity to
look at how we can make it better.
0223 10:12:23:04 10:12:27:11
But it also focused
on what was good customer service -
0224 10:12:27:11 10:12:31:20
what were they aiming for,
and how to actually do that.
0225 10:12:31:20 10:12:33:15
With a lot of those enterprises,
0226 10:12:33:15 10:12:37:10
there was nobody on the staff
with any expertise in those areas.
0227 10:12:37:10 10:12:41:01
So we got on the phone to people who
knew what they were talking about
0228 10:12:41:01 10:12:43:04
and just said, "Help."
0229 10:12:43:04 10:12:45:21
And then it was amazing to us
how quickly
0230 10:12:45:21 10:12:49:12
people from outside of education,
in local industry, got on board.
0231 10:12:49:12 10:12:52:10
(narrator) Others who have been
brought into school
0232 10:12:52:10 10:12:55:04
include Radio Derby,
the "Derby Evening Telegraph"
0233 10:12:55:04 10:12:57:04
and Erewash Borough Council.
0234 10:12:57:04 10:13:00:24
Pupils, apart from finding fun
in running their own town,
0235 10:13:00:24 10:13:03:07
are also gaining
vocational experience
0236 10:13:03:07 10:13:05:09
long before secondary school.
0237 10:13:05:09 10:13:08:09
What we need to be doing
is giving them a currency of skills
0238 10:13:08:09 10:13:11:10
which they can apply in all kinds
of contexts and situations,
0239 10:13:11:10 10:13:15:05
so that they themselves become
more innovative, more investigative,
0240 10:13:15:05 10:13:20:00
more confident about developing and
evolving flexibly in their futures.
0241 10:13:20:00 10:13:22:20
People are gobsmacked
when we talk about the idea
0242 10:13:22:20 10:13:25:04
that we've got
eight, nine, ten-year-olds
0243 10:13:25:04 10:13:28:08
running some of the enterprises
that you've seen here today.
0244 10:13:28:08 10:13:31:04
People are amazed
and can't believe it's happening.
0245 10:13:31:24 10:13:34:16
(narrator) There are big plans
for the future.
0246 10:13:34:16 10:13:37:11
The radio station
is going live online,
0247 10:13:37:11 10:13:40:04
the newspaper
is starting to sell advertising,
0248 10:13:40:04 10:13:43:00
and the town's opening up
its own marketing department.
0249 10:13:43:00 10:13:46:14
At this rate, and with East Midlands
Airport just down the road,
0250 10:13:46:14 10:13:49:13
who knows where
Grangeton may end up?
0251 10:13:49:13 10:13:51:18
Or indeed, Jake.
0252 10:13:58:24 10:14:01:24
Visiontext Subtitles:
Joanna Wilkinson
0253 10:14:01:24 10:14:03:24