A Culture of Learning Excellence
LEARNING EXCELLENCE
CONTENTS
4-5 CHALLENGE
6-7 TASKS 8-9 NACE CHALLENGE AWARD 12-13 DIGITAL PROVISION 14-17 BALANCE OF STUDIES 18-19 11+ PREPARATION 10-11 ENQUIRY •
20-21
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
AFourDimensi onal Curriculum
An enquiry mindset
A culture of thinking
Skills & attributes for life
Academic Success
Engagement with others, ideas and action
Deep understanding
An attitude of awareness
Knowledge. Skills . Character .Metacognition
Active & agile
learners
CHALLENGE
Children Here Always Love Learning, Embracing New Goals Enthusiastically
At Thomas’s Kensington, the word ‘Challenge’ permeates all of the classrooms. Not only do the children relish the challenges that they are presented with daily in their learning, but the teachers also thrive on the challenges that they set the children through their open-ended questioning, creative tasks and exciting investigations, which further facilitates innovation and intellectual discussion in the classrooms.
As outlined in our Learning Excellence Jigsaw opposite, through our four dimensional enquiry mindset curriculum (the four dimensions of which are meta-learning, skills, character and knowledge), we nurture active and agile learners, who develop deep understanding, skills and attributes for life.
‘Challenge’ at Thomas’s Kensington is multifaceted. We use ‘hooks’ to ignite pupils’ interest in a topic; we encourage metacognition; offer opportunities for independence and self-direction; and allow pupils to engage with risktaking within their lessons, helping to build confidence and resilience.
Tasks which teachers set offer opportunities to:
• Formulate and reflect on personal knowledge and viewpoints.
• Explore and debate diverse viewpoints in a safe environment.
• Consider difficult questions.
• Problem solve and enquire.
• Make connections between past and present learning.
• Regularly engage in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation and reasoning).
• Take part in independent thinking and learning.
Teachers at Thomas’s Kensington exceed the national curriculum requirements, enhancing pupils’ learning, offering extensive challenge and enrichment. This is an integral part of allowing pupils to be independent, responsible and resilient learners. Pupils are taught to become more creative and critical thinkers - key skills which are needed to perform well in exams and interviews.
‘Challenge’ embodies new ways of addressing and resolving problems, extending understanding and enjoyment, and at Thomas’s Kensington we develop original thinkers with a genuine passion for learning and a thirst for challenge.
NACE CHALLENGE AWARD
National Association for Able Children in Education
In June 2023, the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) accredited Thomas’s Kensington with the NACE Challenge Award. The award is given in recognition of school-wide commitment to high-quality provision for more able learners, within the context of challenge for all. The assessment process includes an examination of school data and key documents; lesson observations across a range of subjects and Year Groups; and interviews with school leaders, learners, parents and governors.
“Thomas’s Kensington has shown itself to be committed to developing an environment in which all learners are both challenged and supported to be the best they can be.” (NACE CEO - Rob Lightfoot)
“Staff maintain close communication with parents to ensure that they are constantly up to date with their children’s attainment and overall development. Parents are effusive in their praise for the school. They characterised the experiences of their children as being about happiness, confidence, growth, challenge, nurture and teamwork…The importance of every child being known to every teacher is prioritised alongside the close relationship with parents … Academic data is excellent and provides clear evidence of the high attainment and progress of more able pupils”. (NACE Assessor)
We are very proud of all of our staff for their continued hard work, dedication to all pupils, outstanding teaching, and the opportunities that they provide for children both inside and outside of the classroom, which has led to our success in being accredited with the Challenge Award.
ENQUIRY
Our ‘Four Dimensional Enquiry Mindset Curriculum’ begins with an attitude of awareness that learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom. It is therefore imperative that we equip our pupils with the necessary skills and competencies that will enable them to navigate problems and manipulate information: building meaning, creating understanding, sharing learning, finding relevance, and engaging with others’ ideas and actions. These are all our success criteria driving a four dimensional curriculum with enquiry at the heart.
A significant part of our enquiry mindset curriculum is focused on thinking deeply, asking big questions and making connections to other areas of learning; all whilst developing a resilience that enables our learners to delve deeper into the unknown and learn from mistakes.
At Thomas’s Kensington, we personify these characteristics as four Learning Habit animals: The Questioning Monkey, The Thinking Owl, The Linking Spider and The Resilient Chameleon.
QUESTIONING LINKING
THINKING RESILIENT
DIGITAL PROVISION
Collaborative and innovative learning experiences
Our vision is to see all pupils and teachers integrate technology productively and transformatively to support the development of thinking, questioning and applying in an Enquiry Mindset Curriculum. Pupils build on their digital literacy skills and choose the best way to show their learning, encouraging independent pupil agency and developing higher-order thinking skills. Through technology, collaborative and innovative learning experiences are created in an accessible learning environment for all, preparing our pupils for the future.
Digital provision at Thomas’s Kensington goes hand in hand with every other aspect of our curriculum. We believe strongly that effective digital learning is intrinsic to creating successful 21st Century learners both in school and beyond the world of education. Our digital strategy ensures that all pupils have access to an iPad to create, share and invent within and beyond their classroom environment. Pupils from Year 3 onwards are provided with a personal iPad to enhance, rather than replace, traditional resources. Our younger learners utilise a shared iPad programme to introduce digital skills.
In September 2022, Thomas’s Kensington was announced as an Apple Distinguished School. This status is a rare and prestigious accolade only granted to schools that are centres of innovation, leadership and educational excellence when it comes to the meaningful use of technology.
Effective and meaningful use of iPads across the Enquiry Mindset Curriculum has allowed us to take teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls, develop higher-order thinking skills and design and deliver authentic learning experiences whilst ensuring the learning is accessible for all.
BALANCE OF STUDIES
Our curriculum is organised in the following Balance of Studies:
Reception
Learning through play allows our pupils to question, be resilient, to make links and to reflect on everything that they do as active learners. Children have a high degree of autonomy over their learning, whilst being supported and challenged. They can make choices, be creative, solve problems, form good relationships with their peers and teachers and develop their own personalities.
Prime Areas
Specific Areas
Years 1-6 - Core Subjects
English Maths Science
English - literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening are fundamental to the educational, social and personal progress of our pupils and are taught explicitly and systematically. Learning is pupil-centred, thoughtprovoking and purposeful.
Maths - our teaching of Mathematics builds a secure foundation of understanding, an ability to apply and reason mathematically and a sense of excitement and curiosity about the subject, which develops our pupils’ ability to tackle complex problems.
Science - children naturally have many questions and great excitement, both about the world they live in and beyond it. We believe that investigations are the driving force behind the teaching and learning of Science. Pupils develop skills of hypothesising, planning, designing, observing, recording, classifying, grouping and drawing conclusions from evidence.
Understanding the World
Religious Studies History Geography
Religious Studies - pupils explore the beliefs and practices of the world’s religions and learn to link these with their own identity, experiences and reactions. In addition, thought-provoking discussions address philosophical, moral and spiritual questions.
History - learning focuses on social, political, economic and cultural aspects so that our pupils understand how the past has shaped the present and so that they grow as informed, global citizens.
Geography - pupils learn to explore landscapes, people, places and the environment as well as the interaction between them, in order to gain understanding from a local to a global scale.
Creating and Inventing
Art and Design Computing
Art and Design – pupils investigate a broad range of materials, techniques and artists as well as the use of technology. Design focuses on making things and on solving problems in the process. Pupils learn to take risks whilst becoming resourceful, innovative and enterprising.
Computing – pupils learn how to interact with technology and how to manipulate the unfamiliar. Our curriculum includes computer science, including programming and coding, and using various technological hardware Pupils of all ages are taught strategies for keeping safe when using technology in and out of school.
Language and Culture
Language Appreciation
Inherently beneficial, languages also play a significant role in teaching children to understand the cultures of countries other than their own. In addition to teaching language skills, we prepare children for a world of increasing globalisation by equipping them with an understanding of global compassion, empathy and interest.
Language Acquisition
Learning languages also helps pupils to develop their skills of creative problem solving and lateral thinking.
From Reception to Year 6 at Thomas’s Kensington, pupils are taught French. In Year 5 and Year 6, pupils also receive Latin lessons.
Drama Music Dance
Drama - teaching is designed to nurture our pupils’ physical and imaginative lives, enrich their natural capacity for empathy, develop practical theatre skills and encourage their ability to work generously with others.
Music - lessons include improvisation, composition, performance, listening and movement. Children are encouraged to get involved in extracurricular musical activity in order to learn how to work together and gain confidence in their own abilities.
Physical Education
Dance - including ballet, dance is introduced using choreographed movement and physical exercise, with classes to enhance children’s natural creativity and develop their self-confidence.
All year groups are taught in all disciplines by specialist PE staff. They learn age-appropriate sports including football, rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, team games, cross-country, tennis and lacrosse, along with a full programme of fixtures, competitions and tournaments both inter-school and against external schools.
PSHE
We believe that inspiring every child will establish a culture of excellence at every level, supporting and enriching our pupils by developing a positive approach to wellbeing through our school’s focus on personal, social, health and economic education. We aim to support wellbeing, build character and teach life skills, preparing our pupils for tomorrow’s world.
13+
11+
11+ PREPARATION
At Thomas’s Kensington we are keen to ensure that families are supported in preparing for the next steps of their school journey. We hold regular meetings to navigate the options and decisions in considering future schooling for your son or daughter at both 11+ and 13+. We aim to provide a tailored approach to inform and guide parents through the wide-ranging options from day schools to boarding, and co-ed to single sex schools in order to find the very best fit for your child.
Preparations for the 11+ process include:
• Individual pupil reference interviews and regular parent meetings with the Assistant Head (Head of Future Schools)
• Group interview practice sessions with members of the Senior Leadership Team from Thomas’s Kensington and Thomas’s Battersea
• Individual practice interviews with members of the Senior Leadership Team
• Reasoning lessons from Y4 onwards
• Study skills workshops
• Focused extension Maths and English groups
• 11+ coffee mornings for parents
• Future School presentations
• Mock examinations
• A range of practice papers, ensuring that pupils are prepared for online and traditional written exam papers
To view our recent leavers’ offers and destinations, please scan this QR code.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Thomas’s Kensington is proud to provide copious clubs across the school, which effectively build the children’s communication, teamwork, problemsolving, leadership and organisation skills further. Below is a selection of some of the clubs that we offer:
• Ballet
• Gymnastics
• Orchestra
• Chamber Choir
• Mtech
• Parkour
• Jazz and Tap
• Mini Minecraft
• Sports Development
• Animation Club
• Coding
• Art
• Judo
• Table Tennis
• Touch Typing
• Trinity Drama
• Chess
• Skateboarding
• Swimming
• Netball
• Cookery
• Football
• Fencing
• Science
• Street Dance
• Young Voices
• Board Games