Empowering the future: a vision for education in the Junior School

Imagining the future of education

Let’s take a moment to imagine the future of education – a future where learners are empowered to thrive in every way: academically, socially, emotionally and ethically. The 2022 UN summit on the Transformation of Education highlighted how important it is to educate for human flourishing. Simply put, education needs to help students grow into well-rounded individuals who are ready to tackle the challenges of an ever-changing world. In the Junior School, we are well placed to address the learning needs of our students in a perpetually transforming world.

Guided by Reggio Emilia principles

In the Junior School, we are guided by the principles of the Reggio Emilia educational model. It’s all about seeing learners as active protagonists of their growth and development processes.

Key principles include:

• the Hundred Languages: this is a metaphor for the extraordinary potential of learners and the myriad forms with which knowledge is constructed
• listening: an active attitude of listening between adults, learners and the environment
• educational research and documentation
• environment, spaces and relations: spaces are designed to foster interaction, explorations, agency, curiosity and communication.

We combine this approach with evidence-based teaching methods to create a balanced, dynamic and meaningful learning experience.

Responsive teaching practices

We take great pride in being attuned to our students' needs. This means we not only analyse data produced by formal assessments but also what our students know and are able to do each day. It is because of this commitment to a responsive and personalised approach that we also empower our educators to take a nuanced perspective to teaching. We are aware that there is a lot of commentary suggesting there is a right way and a wrong way to teach. For example, the need to implement direct instruction practices all the time in primary schools, especially in phonics. The direct instruction format suggests that we need to treat all learners as if they differ only in age and ability, limiting our ambition for education to retaining knowledge and recalling facts. That, of course, does not align with our strategic priority around personalised learning. To quote renowned learning scientist Guy Claxton, ‘Research feeds our sense of what might be possible; our values determine whether we should do it.’

Intentional instruction

No single method can meet the needs of every learner, and that’s why we empower our teachers to tailor their teaching strategies based on individual contexts, research insights and the unique needs of each student. In the Junior School, we believe in intentional instruction – teaching that’s thoughtful, purposeful and responsive to individual needs. This is how we build strong foundations in literacy and numeracy while encouraging students to think critically and creatively.

Preparing for the future

By blending Reggio Emilia principles with thoughtful teaching practices, we’re preparing our students not just for jobs, but for lives filled with curiosity, empathy and innovation. Our commitment to academic growth ensures that every child is equipped with the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. Thanks for allowing us to be part of this journey with you and your children.

Emma Chiera
Deputy Head of Junior School – Personalised Learning