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16-min watch
West Rise, School by the Marsh
00:00/16:11
West Rise, School by the Marsh
00:00/16:11
00:00/16:11

West Rise, School by the Marsh

A documentary about West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne, which takes a hands-on, outdoors-oriented approach to learning, informed by the school’s location on the site of a Bronze Age settlement.

“West Rise, School by the Marsh” (2016) tells the story of West Rise Junior School, situated on the outskirts of Eastbourne, where then Headteacher, Mike Fairclough, established a curriculum inspired by the Bronze Age, as the school is located next to the site of the second-largest Bronze Age settlement in Europe.

With the help of the pupils, the school has constructed a replica roundhouse and hosts a flock of sheep, a herd of water buffalo and over a million black bees. The school now devotes much of its time to learning outdoors, with the pupils building fires, cooking, constructing tools and even smelting metal.

About the film

“West Rise, School by the Marsh” is part of Freelands Foundation’s series of films documenting and celebrating ambitious approaches to teaching and arts education. 

Director: Henry Ward
Cinematography and editing: Laurence Halstead
Camera assistant: João Rebelo Pinto
Music: Balmorhea
Produced: 2016 

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