The Immersive Learning Collective is an ambitious three year project exploring the application of Punchdrunk Enrichment practice in school settings.

Our techniques offer engaging and transformative experiences for pupils, making them more receptive, motivated, open and engaged with their learning. We want to help teachers to become immersive teaching experts, with the skills and ability to independently plan and create their own extraordinary projects for children. 

Beginning in 2019, the Immersive Learning Collective is a group of teachers from across London, from Primary Schools and a Special Educational Needs school. The Collective meets regularly, works with Punchdrunk Enrichment practitioners to deliver new projects, learns and applies principles in their schools and shares knowledge with peers and the wider sector. The project explores what immersive teaching is, how it can be sustainably embedded in school life, and the impact on teachers’ practice and pupil engagement and achievements. This multi-year project allows for the development of deep longitudinal engagement. 

The Immersive Learning Collective has been developed in partnership with Dr Angela Colvert at Sheffield University, who is exploring the role of the teacher as creative practitioner, building on her research into models of immersive play in Punchdrunk Enrichment’s practice. In this final year of the project, she is joined by co-investigator Dr Lisa Stephenson at Leeds Beckett University. 

The Collective so far:

2019-2020: Part 1: Punchdrunk Enrichment Principles
16 schools explored the principles of Punchdrunk Enrichment’s practice in CPD sessions and were the first to experience a brand new project for Years 5-6.

2020-2021: The Immersive Learning Collective met online to explore immersive learning during the year, including a collection of immersive projects designed for home, hybrid and online learning.

2021-2022: Part 2: Co-Creation
Early years teachers collaborated with Punchdrunk Enrichment creatives to create a new teacher-led adventure for 3-5 year olds, and explored the process of creative co-creating for immersive learning projects in CPD sessions.

2022-2023: Part 3: Independent Design
In this final year, schools will design and launch their own immersive learning experiences for their pupils, supported by mentoring from Punchdrunk Enrichment creatives, conversations with their peers, and access to a programme of skills development workshops.

The Immersive Learning Collective is supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

To find out more about our work with teachers, and to get involved, sign up to our schools mailing list.