Developing the whole child

From their first day at our school children will be taught about values such as:

thoughtfulness               honesty                   respect                         humility

responsibility                  tolerance                 co-operation                courage

fairness                            caring                     empathy                       self-awareness

We feel that this is fundamental to children’s relationships with themselves (their self-esteem) and with others in the school and wider community.  We emphasise these values in lessons, in assemblies and in the way we treat each other on a daily basis. We recognise that it is important to get this right if children are going to learn and flourish at Merton Park.

The teaching of ‘the basic skills’ (reading, writing & maths) is an essential aspect of each child’s time at our school and we are committed to ensuring that all learners are confident and competent in Literacy and Maths.  Their progress in these areas is very carefully monitored and parents receive regular updates about their child.

Although Merton Park Primary works within the framework of a National Curriculum we also feel it is important for our children to have a broad range of experiences that will enrich their learning and inspire them to develop interests in as many areas as possible.

Children learn best when they are motivated and interested in their learning and we aim to provide a rich learning experience for all children by:

• Teaching a wide range of subjects, using the expertise of specialists where appropriate
• Striving to ensure lessons are varied and interesting
• Using cross-curricular links to help children make connections between different subjects
• Using the outdoor environment to make learning more exciting and meaningful
• Inviting visitors or taking the children on educational visits
• Organising special theme days or weeks for the whole school
• Giving the children opportunities to communicate their learning in a variety of ways        

At Merton Park we help children to understand the importance of perseverance, practise and hard work.  Having the confidence to experiment, take risks and make mistakes are important life skills and we want our school to be a place where children feel safe and supported to do this.

Finally, we teach children the skills they will need to be more effective learners.  You will have heard commentators say that we are currently educating our children for jobs that do not yet exist, because this is a rapidly changing world.  It is therefore essential that children develop skills that they can adapt to new situations, such as being able to solve problems, work in a team, think creatively and reflect on their learning.

At Merton Park we do not believe that any of these areas of learning can be seen in isolation and we are committed to developing ‘the whole child’.