Lyfta impact: Djanogly Learning Trust

In September 2021, the Trust rolled out Lyfta's immersive, storyworld platform across all its schools, including Djanogly Sherwood Academy. Composed of interactive 360° spaces and soundscapes of real homes, workplaces and environments from around the world, Lyfta features a range of human stories. Students are invited to explore new places, unlock rich media content, and get to know real people through powerful and inspiring short films.

With a "high number of EAL (English as an Additional Language)" KS1 and KS2 students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, it was important for school leaders at Djanogly Sherwood Academy to develop cultural capital, encourage children to celebrate their differences and empower them to make positive changes in their community.

Djanogly Sherwood Academy's curriculum is based upon 5 Conceptual Strands, interlinked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

As a cross curricular tool, Lyfta was the perfect fit for the school. Linked to the SDGs, every storyworld can cover topics from Citizenship to SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development). This allowed teachers to easily integrate Lyfta into lessons and deliver their curriculum in an innovative and impactful way.

Just one year after its implementation, Djanogly Sherwood Academy, noted among its children, sustained improvement in engagement with the curriculum, teamwork, embracing diversity, community involvement, teamwork and leadership skills.

Teachers were able to bring the Curriculum strands to life with Lyfta's storyworlds. Beginning with "Beachcomber", students were introduced to Rob, an artist and environmental activist. Rob, who lives in Cornwall collects ocean plastics, transforming them into eye-catching works of art to raise awareness of plastic pollution.

When describing the impact the storyworld had on children, Curriculum Assessment Lead Michael Brothwood categorised their reactions in three ways:

Students continued to explore more Lyfta worlds every week, getting to know real people and their stories. This allowed international students to meet people who looked like them or came from similar cultural backgrounds and provided a sense of belonging.

These children went on to form a Global Goals group and plan a Global Goals Day, where they would extend an invitation to the wider community to discuss the group's sustainability initiatives and find out ways everyone could work together to protect the environment.

In March students held the Global Goals Day at their school. They sold cakes and hand decorated tote bags to fundraise for their chosen charities. They invited members of the community, Sports for Good Nottingham, local councillors and the Lyfta team!

Fired up by seeing the impact of their Global Goals Days, many students wanted to know how they could do more to support their local community. During an assembly on British values and a discussion on democracy, they reached out to their Local MP, Nadia Whittome, via Twitter and invited her to the school. During her visit, they had the opportunity to talk with the MP about future plans around climate positive behaviour and to find out ways they could take meaningful action in their community.

To empower their children further, school leaders went on to involve students in curriculum changes and future planning, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to make a lasting impact.

The Global Goals group still exists today and has now expanded to regulating the school's green initiatives which includes efficient energy use, litter picking during school breaks and reducing lamination.