Principles and Practice
Teaching and Learning
Children are active agents in their own learning but they need adults ho are informed advocates who enable childrento take control, take risks, overcome failure, consolidate skills and understanding, think creatively and imaginatively and, above all, learn positive attitudes about themselves as learners
Children only get one chance to experience childhood and they have an absolute right to the highest quality of education
Principles into practice – our repertoire of teaching strategies:
Timing
Time is organised flexibly to cater for the children’s changing interests, levels of concentration and energy during the day. Children should have to ‘be’, to persist and to sustain high levels of involvement
The environment
Children are entitled to an irresistible, rich, well-organised environment – one that provides for independence, choice and a wealth of sensory experiences
Collaboration
Adults and children are equally responsible for leading learning. Learning is designed to provoke dialogue, active listening and sustained shared thinking between all participants
Planning
Planning is responsive to the children’s interests and fascinations and is targeted to identify gaps in skills and understanding. Planning connects curriculum areas holistically, ensuring learning contexts are authentic with an appropriate balance of comfort and challenge
Problem solving
Meaningful experiences enable children to find answers to puzzles, dilemmas, issues and quandaries through a process of creative thinking and enquiry
Feedback
Feedback is continuous, specific, relevant and provides clear pathways to future success learning
Documentation
Documentation makes visible the knowledge of the children, their journey of discovery and through mutual interpretation informs planning for next steps in learning
Questioning
Questioning promotes discussion, intellectual curiosity and thought, encouraging children to hypothesise, create new lines of enquiry and predict outcomes
Modelling
All teaching encounters involve adults modelling specific skills and learning behaviours to encourage children to recognise, understand and emulate
Grouping
Children are organised in ways that best facilitate their learning and maximise their wellbeing