Inspiring children through the world of film

At Glebe School, Bromley, a large foundation secondary, special school for children aged 11-19, Kevin Parrett, assistant head teacher writes on how Filmclub has had a positive experience for the students.

“The hugely successful film club has had a major impact on helping students to share beliefs, cultures and information about their religions and experiences”

This sentence in our recent Ofsted report can be seen as recognition of the importance of the evolution of our film club over the last eighteen months. Yet as a school we had already recognised the uniquely valuable and surprising impact of this most successful ever of our extra curricula activities.

The journey started with the attendance at a free launch day in London attended by over thirty schools. The principles of Filmclub – a scheme, free to all state schools, to inspire children through the world of film - were outlined and materials to promote the school’s film club collected. These included an inspirational DVD about film, launch posters and desirable membership cards on lanyards.

We launched the club in assembly using the promotional materials and the impact was immediate. From the outset it was clear that the club appealed to students across the year groups and that it was not friendship group determined. The first few films were attended by more students than any other after school activity we had ever undertaken.

Since then the club has gone from strength to strength and some of the benefits could never have been foreseen. These include, in no particular order:

• The engagement of students previously thought to be disaffected. One girl wrote a profound review of Billion Dollar Baby which was agreed by staff to be the best work from her they had ever seen.
• The extensive use of the Filmclub website. This allows students to post reviews, browse the thousands of films available and read news stories. The ICT department have written the use of the website into their schemes of work. This has allowed students to recommend future screenings.
• The attendance at three Filmclub ‘Close Encounters’ events – a programme enabling students to interact with film industry experts at in-school Q and A sessions. Our students have been invited to attend events in mainstream schools. We have attended Encounters with a costume designer, a special effects expert and Imelda Staunton!
• An exciting link with another film club during our enterprise week. This was with Kobi Nazrul school in Whitechapel and included mutual visits to see films and complete a film project.
• A link with our local cinema who have been fantastic in supplying guided tours, promotions and special events
• A link, through one of teaching assistants, to a school in Bangladesh. We have made a film comparing the two schools and enhanced this through the use of the Rafi.ki website
• The incentive for some students to learn to travel independently
• Family and extended family attendance at special events
• The participation of some of our students in the Filmclub Young Ambassador project. This required them to make an audition video interviewing others about their favourite films. One of these students was then invited to attend an audition in London.
• Filmclub member trips to the iMax and 3D screenings.

We have tried to show as wide a variety of films as possible and have had some interesting and sometimes surprising feedback and follow-up. Popular screenings have ranged from Kes to Whale Ride, The Incredibles to Rabbit Proof Fence, Billion Dollar Baby to Buster Keaton. The popularity of the studio Ghibli output has been a revelation to staff and resulted in a re-evaluation of using these stories in the curriculum

The group of students that regularly attend Filmclub are not representative of any other group. They range from the most able to the least, from those who exhibit the best behaviour to their opposite and from the most engaged to the most disaffected. Staff agree that they can think of no other event that would voluntarily put such a disparate group together as an audience

However, the main purpose of Filmclub has from the start been having fun through the mutual enjoyment of film. It is a simple idea – stay behind after school and watch a film together. Our experience has been that this initiative offers a unique variety of possibilities for students and Ofsted’s recognition of this has been the icing on the cake.

To set up a free film club at your school visit www.filmclub.org or call 0207 288 4520