Characteristics of Learning
Developing Characteristics of Learning
At Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School we believe that the experiences provided for children in their primary years has a major impact on their future wellbeing and success. It is for this reason that our whole school community is committed to the development of character traits, attributes and behaviours which underpin achievement and success; endeavouring to ensure that developing ‘character’ goes hand in hand with high educational aspirations and achievement.
We believe that social and emotional well-being of our pupils is a crucial part of helping children to be the best that they can be. We are committed to supporting children’s happiness and developing character traits that will help them be successful both at school and in life. Our character traits are embedded across the curriculum and are reflected verbally in teachers’ interactions with pupils and parents.
Through our rich and exciting creative curriculum, we focus on teaching pupils to be their best selves, to take pride in their work, and to be positive members of the school, and greater global communities.
We want to create children who thrive on challenge, love learning, respect each other and have attributes that will ensure that they will be valued members of our society.
We also create a culture where staff are empowered to take risks and be inventive with the curriculum and learning, where mistakes are seen as a valuable part of the learning process, where all staff and governors support each other and the ethos of the school and most importantly where the relationships in the school between all stakeholders provides a secure foundation for skill development.
We encourage creativity as a practical skill, one which can be taught and which everyone can achieve. It is a way of thinking in which we look at familiar things with a fresh eye, examine a problem with an open mind about how it might be solved and use our imagination to explore new possibilities.
We aim to develop children who are:
Imaginative – inventive and original
Innovative – able to develop new ideas
Children at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School are taught and know how to show respect to everyone no matter what our differences may be. We celebrate this diversity in our curriculum and through all that we do in our school community.
We aim to develop children who:
Respect others – work together to create friendships recognising differences and valuing them
Respect themselves – know that they are unique and valuable
Respect the environment – take care of their surroundings and the world in which they live
Reflective – able to think of alternative solutions
We value curiosity, encourage a questioning attitude and promote a love of life-long learning. Pupils are encouraged to engage with the school curriculum and be curious about what they don’t know or can’t do yet. Learning is enhanced through an enquiry-led model and frequent enrichment opportunities.
We aim to develop children who are:
Inquisitive – question and challenge
Lifelong learners – passionate about learning and finding out new things
Adventurous – taking risks and pushing boundaries
in learning
Pupils exploring for themselves is at the very core of learning. Making discoveries from a task the teacher sets that they are genuinely interested in and find challenging, and the feeling they gain from self-direction, is rewarding for learners as well as an incredible life tool.
We aim to develop children who are:
Motivated – striving to achieve their best in all they do
Self-Initiators – take ownership of their learning
Critical thinkers – able to analyse and evaluate
We encourage children to develop an ethos of never giving up and never giving in, part of learning to be resilient is learning that mistakes are a purposeful tool for learning and a positive experience to work through.
We aim to develop children who are:
Problem solvers – able to find solution and resolve problems
Adaptable – able to use a growth mind-set
Determined – able to Keep going in the face of adversity
