Jack's Story
Armathwaite First School’s approach builds on the idea that everyone has expertise: staff, children, parents and the wider community. The school codesigns the curriculum with children, following their interests wherever possible. Through a rolling programme of parents’ evenings, they help their children set targets for literacy, numeracy and learning skills. The school’s virtual learning environment allows children to practise and share their independent learning skills with their peers and parents.
The mother of a participating student had this to say about the project: “Jack has always relished child initiated independent learning and is very self motivated as a result. However, he tended to dominate and when working with others he prefers to lead and direct, often selecting younger children to work with who will fit in with his plans! After identifying this you were able to focus and develop Jack’s team working skills, making him aware of the importance of other people’s ideas and sharing tasks at all stages of the ‘plan, do, review’ process. Above all you taught him to listen to others from adults to the youngest members of the school. This has had many positive benefits, not least in developing different methods of learning, resulting in him leaving Armathwaite with a high level of achievement. Most important he is a much easier person to socialise with, as he can deal with and respond to ideas and criticism from his peers.”
Organisation
Innovation Unit
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Website
innovation-unit.co.uk
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