At the beginning of the summer term, Secretary of State for
Education, Nicky Morgan, introduced the latest in a long line of White
Papers… Educational Excellence Everywhere. It set out the
Government’s plan for the future of education and made clear the
expectations soon to be placed upon state educators. For any school,
striving for educational excellence is an admirable goal but before fee
paying parents are tempted with the thought of ‘excellence’ for
free…think on. With class sizes now referred to as ‘lawfully large’ or
‘supersize’ (the average in key stage 1 somewhere between 30-35
students and no cap at all in key stage 2) the viability of actioning such rhetoric must surely be slim.
Why pretend to package state education (or any school for that matter) as something it can never
be? It is possible of course that I have a completely different understanding as to what constitutes
educational excellence but even claiming that excellent teachers can deliver excellence ‘on mass’ is
fundamentally flawed. It is simply not possible to give every individual pupil the attention they are
entitled to with a broad brush approach to education and an absence of highly personalised and
differentiated planning. That in itself is more significant
than the size of any class.
A few pages in and the edict of ‘putting children
first’ began to rear its head. At this point I could feel
myself getting riled! Historically, the term child centred
(which is what putting children first alludes to) was exclusive
to Montessori education and rightly so. Over the years, it has begun to make a more
frequent appearance in the glossy brochures and websites of many schools and again, I am led to
question my definition of child centred along with my understanding of what it is to ‘put children
first’ in the educational process. How is it that my view (and that of the school) differs so greatly to
my mainstream colleagues? Furthermore, whilst the term itself is admirable, it is clear from visiting
other schools that things appear pretty thin on the ground when it comes
to hard evidence. How can a ‘personalised’ approach to teaching give
limited consideration to children’s individual learning styles? Why do the
faces of students in an apparently ‘inspiring’ and ‘innovative’ lesson look
empty and bored? How can the social segregation of ages and genders
take place in a school that describes itself as ‘community focussed?’ Why
does a teacher graded ‘outstanding’ get away with speaking so
disrespectfully to a pupil who questions his or her authority and what about the well-behaved, quiet
children who pose no concern to teachers because they’re easy (or should that be invisible?) or
those with specific learning difficulties…why aren’t these children encouraged to reach for the stars
and set stretching targets in a school that promotes
‘high expectations?’ Never has mainstream
education (private or state) been so marked by the
use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless
words and phrases and never therefore, have
schools like Meadowbrook been so undermined as
a result.
Child centered
education is not a fad or
a set of strategies. It is a
default and a term that should
not be used lightly
unless there is strong evidence
to back it up. It stems
from the fundamental views
that educators have on
matters of child development,
the psychology of
learning and educational
philosophy and therein
lies the answer to the question of why my views and those of the school, differ so greatly to others.
The other point of interest about putting children first is that when combined with knowledgeable,
like-minded teachers, a varied, stimulating curriculum and detailed knowledge regarding the needs
of individual students, it leads to educational excellence. The two cannot be separated.
There are also the mistakenly termed ‘soft skills’ to take into account. Emotional Intelligence;
Research Skills (knowing HOW to learn not just WHAT to learn); Adaptability; Communication Skills;
Interpersonal Skills; Strong Work Ethic; Initiative; Creativity; Time Management ; Self-Awareness;
Analytical Thinking to name but a few. Once ridiculed as having no place in education yet stretching
far beyond academic value, soft skills have long held pride of place in Meadowbrook’s set of aims
and objectives. Amongst many mainstream
settings however, their popularity is more
recent and they are now being peddled as
‘key priorities’. Perhaps this has something
to do with reports such as the one issued
from the Institute of Directors, claiming that
schools who focussed too heavily on
academic performance risked failing to
prepare children for work (where the ability to recall information will become less important than a
strong work ethos.) This report also called on schools to emphasise teamwork and collaboration and
quoted a survey by UK university admissions officers (2015) which found that two-thirds of
university applicants lacked the ability to think independently, found it hard to motivate themselves
and had limited understanding of their own learning styles. No surprise then that along with
educational excellence and putting children first, soft skills are now appearing top of the list when it
comes to educational claims and pedagogic vision. How many hours a week are these schools
dedicating to the development of such skills and how much of this is embodies the very core of the
school? Can all soft skills really be ‘taught’ or are they by-products of a truly child centred
education? Whatever the answer, my call is for those using these terms to do so with care. To
consider their true meaning so as not to undermine schools like Meadowbrook whose approach to
child centred education is genuine, all-encompassing and respected as fundamental to our
methodology. Words can be twisted into any shape but if schools like ours are to be recognised for
what they are …distinctive, unique and irreplaceable, it is essential to look beyond the label and
delve deep into the content.
On that note, I will leave you to enjoy the pages of this term’s newsletter and look forward to seeing
you all again in September. Fingers crossed that the sun keeps shining!
[email protected]
Where pictures speak louder than words…
As the final term of this academic year comes to an end we reflect on the summer term,
which has been busy and rewarding. Although the weather has been soggy much of the time, spirits
have not been dampened! We managed a full day at Bucklebury
Farm without a drop of rain during
our visit, and although the tractor
ride was a bit chilly we did see the
sun trying it’s hardest to peep
through the clouds!
We also had a lovely Sports Day organised by Alex, where even the grass felt
dry under our feet and we managed to have a truly English picnic outside for
the Queen’s
90th Birthday!
Fathers’ Day celebration
was a lovely event with
children confidently singing
songs of love and appreciation to their dads.
Another highlight has been to receive the Montessori Schools Accreditation for a third time;
recognising us as an excellent Montessori School. The Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation
Board (MEAB) the UK’s leading Montessori accreditation body, evaluated us after two days of
rigorous assessment and awarded us with a new certificate (on display in the hallway). We included
Parent & Toddler in the accreditation this year. P&T received high praise as being….. “a major
strength and a wonderful opportunity for a smooth transition into
pre-primary” other comments in the report include…. “one of the
outstanding features of this setting is the way staff allow children
to resolve their own problems by giving them opportunities to
make their own decisions. “…. the school is enthusiastic and
knowledgeable about Montessori philosophy and practice. This is
clearly reflected in the prepared environment; the outstanding
partnership with parents
and the positive educational outcomes
for all children”…… A hard copy is available to read on site
or you can access it through the web at
www.montessori.org.uk.
Topics this tem included
‘Pets’….we feel responsible
for at least one family having to get a pet dog as a result of this topic!
We also hear that others of you are being pleaded with to get
hamsters and rabbits to name a few. ‘The Vets’ home corner of the
classroom was very popular. We had a visit from a lady from the Blue
Cross dog charity. She was very impressed with information our children shared with her about
keeping a pet dog.
Our second topic was a study of the country of ‘Brazil’. Your
children will be able to show you Brazil on the map and tell you
the meaning of the flag and I hope they have demonstrated to
you how to dance in the Carnival, thanks to our Brazilian visitor
who gave a detailed presentation and talk of her country and
people. The wildlife garden came in very useful when learning
about the rainforests, as due to all the rain, we were able to
liken it to a mini rainforest minus the creatures, but it was easy to imagine the ‘the forest floor;
‘understorey’; ‘emergent layer’ and ‘canopy’ !
We wish you all a lovely summer holiday; we thank you for all your support as always and for those
of you leaving us…please keep in touch. We look forward to seeing all children moving on to the next
year. Remember Summer Club is running for three weeks, you are welcome to join us for a day at a
time or for the full weeks.
Wow! What a busy term.
Year 1 and 2 have been whizzing through their curriculum and
have enjoyed lots of lots of happy, sunny days, despite the flooding!
Year 1 continued to study fractions and moved beyond half of shapes,
quantities and objects to look more closely at quarters. Understanding a
quarter as ‘half, then half again’ has been a key focus, and children have
practised a number of ways to consolidate their understanding. This skill
can be carried on at home over the summer, with the quartering of
carrots, cakes and pizzas. Children must
recognise that quarters are 4 EXACTLY equal
pieces, not just something cut into 4.
Year 2 studied equivalency in fractions, and have
advanced their understanding of concepts such
as 2/4 = 1/2. The Montessori fraction circles
helped them explore this concept concretely
and presented a visual representation of why
some fractions, such as 1/4 and 1/3 are not equivalent.
Using the interactive whiteboard allowed children to easily
change any mistakes they made and to correct their
understanding of fractions with an easy delete!
They also enjoyed inviting their dads in for our annual
Fathers’ Day celebrations. Children sang some of their
favourite songs, then invited their dads into the
classroom to look through their books. I hope dads were
impressed with the beautiful simile poems the children
composed and the lovely newspaper articles that some of the children
wrote.
KS1 have successfully grown carrots, onions, beetroot, tomatoes and
sweetcorn as part of our ‘Growing Plants’ topic. Understanding where
food comes from and which part of the plants we eat are important
concepts for young children to know about and watching the plants
grow, change, flower and fruit have formed key concepts in both
Maths and Science this term. This too is another topic that can be
continued at home; when eating and cooking fruits and vegetables,
ask your children if they are using the root,
stem, leaf or fruit.
To end our Plants topic, children participated in
food-tasting groups, which involved trying a variety of fruits and
vegetables. Explaining the taste, texture and appearance with
appropriate adjectives called on their literacy skills, and by recording
their data in a detailed table, children were also able to utilise their
growing Maths skills.
In Geography and Science, Key Stage 1 studied Building Materials and
Buildings Round the World. Children were set the homework task of
selecting an Asian country to research, with a particular focus on traditional or typical buildings of
the country. I was most impressed with the efforts of the
children (and their mums and das of course!); their presentation
boards were beautiful, colourful and clear. Children stood up in
front of the class to share their findings and were asked to talk
about how buildings differed between city and village, tourist
and residential and rich and poor areas of the country.
Their understanding of how locally sourced building materials
and living requirements influence the style and design of a
building were put to the test when they were asked to explain
why yurts make a suitable home in Mongolia, why stilted wooden huts can be readily found along a
river bank or beach front in Thailand and why traditional Japanese homes might be light, cool and
simply designed with natural materials.
At the time of writing, the children are throwing themselves into their
rehearsals for Meadowbrook’s annual Academic Evening. As you will have
seen by now, significant figures in British
history featured heavily in this year’s
performance and children have researched
‘clues’ about different figures in history that
lead them to ask their parents ‘Who am I’?
From Henry 8th to David Cameron, children
have really gone the extra mile this year
with their costumes and in-built sense of
humour. I hope you all enjoyed the show, and I can imagine how proud you must have felt of your
confident youngsters that performed to a big crowd. A big thank you to all the mums and dads for
your behind-the-scenes efforts with
costumes; your contribution really
elevated your child’s sense of
achievement and added a special
element to their performance.
Year 3 has been very immersed in
computing and programming, using
the Scratch program. They have
learnt to create a scenario, using a sequence of instructions, trying it
and debugging it. Then added movement, dialogue and sound. All very
exciting! One of the last lessons was to create a racing game with a
‘variable’ and letting other people play it. Alongside IT learning, they
also had to work in pairs, discuss, compromise, and brainstorm simple scenarios.
Another hands on activity, linked with the science topic on
light and shadow, was to study how images are reflected and
try to do simple daily tasks, by looking at the mirror only. It was
not easy! Still studying light and
shadow, they carried
experiments to measure
shadow’s length, and what creates a shadow, using precise
vocabulary like opaque, translucent and transparent. The second
theme was plant study, we focused on each part (roots, stem,
leaves, seeds) they had the opportunity to dig for roots in the
garden. An on-going experiment allowed them to discover that
vinegar is too acid to water plants with, but cola seems to work
fine!
In the geography department, map skills were developed using
O.S. maps, learning to recognise key symbols and navigate on a map.
Maths wise, they were able to put their knowledge into practise, by estimating, comparing
weights as well as precisely measuring them and capacities while cooking.
Linking history and computing, the students researched Viking Longships, created a power point
presentation and presented it to the rest of the class. They also evaluated each other by giving 2
stars and a wish.
Upper Primary have learnt more about British Values this term and the strands of
democracy, liberty, freedom of religious practise and tolerance which
underpin our society and our school rule (to treat everyone and everything
with respect – as you would want to be treated). Please encourage your child
to continue expanding their knowledge base of current affairs; watch
Newsround and perhaps routinely buy Newsweek to keep them up to date.
Year 4 have explored the intricacies of World War 2, with a focus on how
life in Britain changed over the course of the war. We looked at rationing,
preparation for evacuation, and how Britain preserved its Dunkirk Spirit
through The Battle of Britain. Our trip to The Imperial War Museum helped us all too truly
understand the ‘tools’ of war and
how troops from all of over the world fought to
preserve our freedom.
Our writing has been further developed through using
mind-mapping and story mapping as a tool for
planning our extended writing
and Poetry. We have explored
shape poetry and free verse,
with a focus on using elevated
vocabulary and poetic devices,
such as Onomatopoeia and
alliteration.
We created three-dimensional
shapes using Midget-gems and toothpicks, in order to help us explore
them properties of Polyhedron. Being able to see, do, discuss and then
consume our Geometry was great fun.
Science for KS 2 has been an exploration of
electronics and electricity. Our extensive workshops helped to
support and develop our knowledge of this complex area of
Physics. Working in groups and
individually, we have further
deepened our interest and
understanding, allowing for
complex hypotheses to develop.
Years 5 & 6 had an introductory
session at the Ure Gallery at
Reading University that began the
ancient Greece study. This study
encompassed: the opposing city
states of Sparta and Athens,
educational system, democracy, the
Olympics and Greek personalities. We
have read many Greek myths and discussed the
relationships of the Gods and semi-gods. We composed our own
myths and created our own Gods in creative writing.
We also immersed ourselves in
tales from other cultures and
had daily instalments of 1001
Arabian Nights.
Our visit to Tate Britain inspired the children
to rethink their own abilities and to think big! The Bread Bed
by Antony Gormley confused and interested the children as
did the Turner exhibits.
We have had a busy time in art classes too this term highlighted by the visit to Tate Britain. We
studied Turner, Antony Gormley and David Hockney in preparation for our tour and were delighted
to see the works ‘for real’. Seurat and Mondrian were also explored. Mondrian particularly inspired
the children and we emulated his work in the canvases now displayed in the atrium.
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