Innovators of Teaching and Learning
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” Steve Jobs
We are certainly not followers! The staff at our school are highly skilled facilitators of learning, for the children’s benefit, as well as their own. Our professional knowledge base and experience is vast, middle and senior leaders being highly skilled. Our intentional curriculum design is built upon research. We bring many elements together, for a reason... everything comes back to our vision... our why. At Stephenson we believe in creating leaders, leaders in everyone.
Our first round of research brought us:
The Thrive Approach, is the moral purpose and belief that all children need our support, some more than others. We will go to any length to make children feel safe and happy in our school. Research shows that when childhood trauma occurs, schools are very often the safe place children seek for.
Technology was introduced, and showed immediate gains in children’s academic progress and attainment. All children have a 1-1 device, classrooms have become transformed and lessons are now collaborative, teachers have become facilitators of learning. The transformation is incredible!
Forest School - research shows that when children have the freedom of an outdoor learning environment, struggles they may have had indoors disappear. Our children access Forest School all day, everyday, with a specialist teacher - who links their indoor learning to the real world outside.
Children spend far too much time indoors. Our quest is to break this norm and spark children’s competitive spirits whilst giving them the daily essential exercise their body needs. Promoting a love of sport is a big part of Stephenson.
Our second round of research brought systematic changes to school improvement:
Staff were given the year to work in groups to research a question that was of interest to their individual practise. Time was given for reading, observing, testing and presenting findings and a cycle of implementation was established for evidence based consistency.
Talk to our teachers about what they have personally learnt from their research groups and how it has directly impacted on their own practise and the thinking of others.
