Creative education. Community impact.
More possibilities for children, young people and their families.
Kent Junior School of Fashion & Arts is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company creating accessible, practical and ambitious creative learning opportunities for children and young people.
We work across fashion, art, design, making, science, technology, engineering, coding and robotics, creating spaces where young creatives can discover their interests, develop real skills and begin to see new possibilities for themselves.
Everything we do is built around impact.
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Why we exist
Kent Junior School of Fashion & Arts was created in response to something we could see happening around us.
Based in a former mining community in Kent, we saw that many children and young people had very limited access to specialist creative opportunities.
There were young people with curiosity.
Young people with ideas.
Young people who wanted to make, design, build and experiment.
But access to specialist teaching, equipment, creative spaces and opportunities was not always available to them.
We believed that where a young person lives, what their family can afford or how they learn should not determine how much opportunity they have to discover what they are capable of.
That belief became KJSF.
Born from the community
The Approach
Not For Profit
KJSF was established to create social and community benefit.
We operate on a not-for-profit basis, with our work focused on impact rather than private gain. This shapes the way we make decisions and this is why we develop funded programmes, why we work with community organisations, schools, councils, charities and creative partners, why we continue to seek grants and investment that allow us to provide free and subsidised opportunities and why accessibility remains central to the way our programmes are designed.
As KJSF grows, the purpose is to create more opportunities for children, young people and their families.
Our Impact
Since KJSF began, we have provided creative learning opportunities to more than 300 children and young people.
Young people have joined us to sew their first garment, design collections, explore art and mixed media, learn photography, build and programme robots, develop engineering projects, work towards recognised creative awards, visit major creative institutions, take part in exhibitions, showcases and collaborative projects,
And, perhaps most importantly, discover things they did not previously know they could do. They have grown confidence, developed social interactions, found representation, dreamt bigger and wider, discovered hidden potential and found a safe space in their creative knowledge.
For us, impact is not only measured by how many young people walk through the door.
It is also measured by what becomes possible afterwards.
A Tool for Change
Creativity can change what a young person believes is possible
A child may begin with a sewing machine.
Another may begin with a pencil.
Another with a robot.
Another with a camera.
The starting point matters far less than what happens next.
Creative learning gives young people opportunities to experiment, solve problems, communicate ideas, build confidence and develop independence.
It allows them to experience the process of starting with an idea and gradually turning that idea into something real.
And sometimes that first experience grows into something much bigger: a skill, a portfolio, a qualification, a future course, or even a career.
Creative learning gives young people opportunities to experiment, solve problems, communicate ideas, build confidence and develop independence.
It allows them to experience the process of starting with an idea and gradually turning that idea into something real.
And sometimes that first experience grows into something much bigger: a skill, a portfolio, a qualification, a future course, or even a career.
Our two creative pathways
Arts, Fashion and Making
Fashion, Sewing, Design, Art & Mixed Media
Our Art and Fashion provision introduces children and young people to the world of creative practice through:
fashion design, sewing, textiles, garment construction, art, drawing, painting, mixed media, surface design, photography, creative media and making.
Young people learn practical skills while developing their own ideas, creative voice and confidence.
Programmes range from introductory creative experiences through to more advanced portfolio and qualification pathways.
Creative Inventors Academy CIA
STEAM, Coding, Robotics & Creative Innovation
Our Creative Inventors Academy brings creativity into science and technology.
Young people explore areas including coding, robotics, engineering, invention, digital making, problem-solving and emerging technologies through practical projects.
Rather than simply consuming technology, we encourage young people to understand it, question it and create with it.
The programme brings together imagination and technical thinking, helping learners recognise that creativity belongs in engineering, science and technology just as much as it belongs in an art studio.
More than Programmes
Creative Inventors Academy offers practical robotics, coding, engineering and STEAM programmes for children, young people, home-educated learners and schools.
Each pathway is designed to help our Young Inventors build confidence with technology, think creatively and use digital skills for future careers, change and impact.
Each pathway is designed to help our Young Inventors build confidence with technology, think creatively and use digital skills for future careers, change and impact.
Different Subjects, One Approach
Whether a young person is sewing a garment, creating artwork or programming a robot, our approach remains consistent.
Young people learn through doing.
They investigate. design, build, test, make, make mistakes, adapt, solve problems and try again.
Our tutors provide expertise, structure and guidance while giving young people room to think independently and develop their own ideas.
We are not interested in producing identical outcomes,
we are interested in developing capable, curious and increasingly independent young people.
Inclusive by Design
Inclusion is a vital part of how we work.
Our learners come with different strengths, experiences, communication styles and ways of learning.
We work with diverse young creatives who may not always thrive in conventional learning environments.
Our teaching uses practical demonstration, visual communication, clear structure, flexibility and individual support. Where appropriate, we also create smaller and more specialist provision for learners who need it.
We want young people to feel that they do not have to change who they are in order to participate in creative education.
Our teaching uses practical demonstration, visual communication, clear structure, flexibility and individual support. Where appropriate, we also create smaller and more specialist provision for learners who need it.
We want young people to feel that they do not have to change who they are in order to participate in creative education.
Access should not depend on circumstance
Specialist creative education can be expensive, from
sewing machines
to robotics equipment.
Software, technology, materials, tools and specialist tuition all create barriers.
That is why access is central to our work.
We work to provide free, subsidised and lower-cost opportunities, access to specialist equipment and resources so that families do not necessarily have to purchase everything themselves before a young person can explore an interest.
Our aim is to keep asking:
What is stopping this young person from taking part and what can we do about it?
Learning that leads somwhere
Not every young person joins KJSF because they want a creative career.
And they do not need to.
Creativity has value in its own right.
But when a learner does want to progress, we believe there should be somewhere for them to go.
Our programmes can support progression from early exploration into increasingly advanced practical work, portfolio development and recognised creative achievement. They can work towards Arts Award qualifications, develop portfolios and prepare for further creative study to support progression into further education, higher education and future careers within the creative and technical industries.
Our programmes can support progression from early exploration into increasingly advanced practical work, portfolio development and recognised creative achievement. They can work towards Arts Award qualifications, develop portfolios and prepare for further creative study to support progression into further education, higher education and future careers within the creative and technical industries.
Beyond The Classroom
Creative education should connect young people with the wider world.
Throughout the year, our learners may take part in industry masterclasses, exhibitions, creative visits, showcases, collaborative projects, community events, research activities and opportunities delivered with external partners.
These experiences allow young people to see creative practice beyond their regular sessions and understand the many places their skills could eventually take them.
These experiences allow young people to see creative practice beyond their regular sessions and understand the many places their skills could eventually take them.
PARTNERSHIPS/ FUNDING/ COLLABORATIONS
Our Work is built through partnership
Meet our team
Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people and bring inspiration and innovation to everyone.
“Online learning and training have become an essential part of our society. LearnWorlds is one of the top platforms to create and sell online courses.”
Jane Moore
Your Stories
#e-learning| #education | #online courses |
"The school has everything that I need for successful study: textbooks, daily assignments, planner, notebooks, music sheets, a staff who are very skilled and experienced, and ready to help at any time."
Sara Parker
"I am most grateful that my son's teacher not only makes learning fun and shares his knowledge, but his passion for studying as well. I could not have found a better place for him to learn."
Josh Stobbard
“I received my certificate, and I would like to thank you for your continuous support. The courses were challenging, but my instructors were always there supporting me and ready to help."
Ann Cooper
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