Students at Ivanhoe School have been able to take part in some 'thought-provoking and enriching experiences' - thanks to two generous grants from the Ashby Education Fund.

A group of Year 9 students, who will be pursuing GCSE Art next year, were lucky enough to be able to take part in a graffiti workshop with local street artist Tom Goddard. 

Learning about composition, colour and technique they each created an individual piece of artwork. 

One student said: "I thought it would be really hard, but Tom broke it down in his demonstration so I could see easily how the letters came together. 

Tom Goddard guided the students through the graffiti workshop

"I'm really pleased with my piece and want to get some pens to do some more."

Students in Year 8, 9 and 10 were able to watch an enthralling performance from ground-breaking theatre company – Narrative Alchemy. 

They are a specialist education company dedicated to using theatre to address complex social issues. 

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Year 8 watched a performance called 'County Lines' which raises awareness of the County Lines model of Child Criminal Exploitation - and Year 9s and 10s watched a new performance called Unacceptable, looking at the topic of sexism. 

Both of these performances linked with topics covered in the school's PSHRE lessons. 

Ivanhoe School says the use of drama to explore difficult topics can be an excellent way to engage, challenge and inspire change in young people. 

Although topics are taught and discussed with teachers, the school felt the opportunity to see these stories acted out adds gravitas to the seriousness of the topics. 

The shared experience of the year group ensured that discussions and challenges continued among peer groups and could lead to positive action against the topics discussed. 

By sharing details with parents it also opens up the opportunity for conversations at home.

Deputy Headteacher Emma Cresswell said: "We can't thank the Ashby Education Fund enough for their support on these two projects. 

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"In a time when school budgets are so stressed, we are still striving at Ivanhoe to give students those thought-provoking and enriching experiences that help them develop as well-rounded global citizens."