COKETHORPE CONVERSATIONS
Deputy Head of Prep School, Joanna James, discusses the importance of strong foundations for learning in the Prep School, and the benefits of the through school model. What do we mean by the Creative Curriculum? It is a way of teaching traditional learning in subjects within a central theme for the term that can span across all subjects. It demonstrates and teaches the interconnectedness of the pupils’ subjects and aids their comprehension of those connections. The pupils can immerse themselves in that theme and can end up almost learning by stealth, enjoying the creative and fun approach
2
taken which enables the learning to be more memorable and meaningful or purposeful. The termly themes are chosen for the year by me and Nicky Black, Head of Prep School. This year, ‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ tied in with the Prep School play, Alice in Wonderland. This term, we have ‘The Pen is Mightier than the Sword’ as the theme; and next term ‘Onward Bound’, with a nod to preparations for next steps. Within those broader themes, it is up to the class or the year group to teach a classic text which will be the pivot for the theme into the classroom experience. For example, on the
current theme of ‘The Pen is Mightier than the Sword’, Year 5 have chosen to focus on the Second World War in History lessons and we are reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit in English, whilst learning about Judaism in RE and building their own model Anderson Shelters in DT. In Year 4, we are reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; so for instance, in a grammar lesson in English last week when looking at similes, I referenced ‘as furry as a coat in the back of a wardrobe’ rather than something more generic. In Year 4 Art, they are building model wardrobes, in History the Oxford Writers and so on. The whole educational experience
