How the best curriculums, lessons and teaching achieve the best learning experience.
Since 2012, the teaching profession has absorbed Rosenshine’s 10 Principles of Instruction that centred around a key underlining theme: make learning memorable and progress will be maximised. At the time, it felt like this was nothing ground-breaking and yet it is still referred to at nearly every conference I attend on teaching and learning and this is because it is so very true. Ofsted’s new framework in Autumn 2019 complemented this and set ablaze new buzz phrases such as ‘sticky learning’, implying that children learn by building gradually on what they have already remembered. By making something ‘stick@, a teacher had much more chance of their pupils remembering it a week later, or a month later or even a year later. As time has moved on, and trends come and go, we in the education sector will always understand that the best curriculums, the best lessons and ultimately the best teaching, focuses on achieving just this; a memorable and positive experience for the learner.
St. Francis’ College is launching its new curriculum in September 2024. With this brings the opportunity to build on existing strengths and for teachers to equip young people with the skills and knowledge that they need to flourish in our rapidly changing world. This goes hand in hand with wellbeing. The Independent Schools Inspectorate places wellbeing at the centre of its inspection framework and its judgment of a school’s provision. It is by no coincidence that our new curriculum also has a strong emphasis on this.
The Prep School has always aimed to provide its pupils with excellent nurturing, opportunities and experiences, and staff know to always keep striving. The school’s DREAMS values teach young people to be determined and resilient (Dare), to be motivated and excel (Achieve) and to have ambition (Dream). From 3 months old, as pupils enter our Nursery, the joy of outdoor learning is introduced to them. Indeed it is a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework, and we seek to continue to foster the independence and problem-solving that young children develop from this approach as they progress through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and eventually enter the Senior School. The Education Endowment Foundation discusses how these skills can be applied to a variety of contexts and environments, whether this is a group task in P.E. or an independent investigation in science. Pupils do not necessarily need to be outdoors; when an outstanding curriculum and exceptional teaching work in harmony, learners should be able to apply their skills in a classroom, on a minibus, in a food tech lab, or on a stage.
I am thrilled to be joining the College at such an exciting time and to work with the pupils, teachers and parents as a team in providing a memorable and positive learning experience for our young people. The ‘S’ in DREAMS is for security and nothing enhances a sense of safety in a child like a great team providing excellent provision and wellbeing.
Mr J Emanuel
Head of Prep School (September 2024)