Signature Practices

At School 21, we believe that teaching is far more than delivering content. We have signature practices that unite the whole school community in order to deliver a big education, with a curriculum of the Head, Heart and Hand.

Oracy

All teachers at School 21 are oracy teachers. Oracy means learning to talk, and learning through talk, to improve a student’s ability to communicate effectively.

We have developed a framework for oracy that enables staff to teach using oracy strategies across the school, creating opportunities for every child (aged 4-18) to talk and listen in every lesson. 

Every year, we host the Great Oracy Exhibition in which our teachers and students showcase how oracy has enhanced their practice.

Coaching

Coaching is a curriculum of the self. It is about seeing yourself in new and different lights in order to understand yourself better through rich experience, discussion and reflection, and responsive 1:1 coaching.

Coaching at School 21 lets the student be where they are, and shines different ‘spotlights’ on who they are and how they are, along with the contexts they live in. This is to allow them a supportive space to make their own intentional decisions about their growth and change. 

At School 21, each student has an assigned coach. In the curriculum of the Head, Heart and Hand, Coaching seeks to tend to the Heart by continuously circling a development of ‘the self’. The aim is to build a supportive relationship with the student and where possible, the family; to be the first port of call for the child and the main contact between the school and parent; to develop a deep understanding of every student and to be able to support their personal growth, achievement and well-being.

Project Based Learning/ Exhibition

In order to add greater depth to a creative curriculum, elements of our curriculum design encourage children to participate in inquiry based projects that work towards the larger goal of answering a central question, solving a problem or meeting a challenge.

Example: At Primary, project based learning is used to ignite passions for History, Geography, R.E and Science (See video on website)

Example: In KS3, students engage in a range of different projects which focus on the curriculum of the Head, Heart and Hand. In Year 7, all our students participate Bertha Earth which allows them to make an impact on their environment

Example: At KS5, Year 12 students opt into different projects that start to guide different pathways for life outside of school. Maths, Art & Design, Computing, Finance and Sport projects are just a few on offer.

Exhibition

Our Head, Heart, Hand curriculum is showcased at our ‘Annual Exhibition’ that unites the school as a community.

What is it?