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Experienced educators know that effective learning does not really take place until a student begins to feel secure and to see ‘school’ as non-threatening. For some students, it’s a tall order. The class size may be 20 or 30 or more. Achievement may be measured in terms of hitting this target or beating that national norm. Getting individualised help may be impossible or, at best, erratic. The student may subsequently be branded as lazy or inattentive or intellectually weak. The result can be anger and frustration, a loss of confidence, a sense of inferiority.
Not at the Centre Academy Schools. At CA London and at CA East Anglia, our students begin to see that their needs are being understood and met. They learn that they can organise their time and master thinking and study skills and other fundamentals. They understand that their teachers view them as people who have talents, people who can make a difference, people who can make significant contributions. “School” therefore begins to take on a new meaning—a place that is welcoming, a place where students begin to feel that they belong, a place where they are valued.
None of this happens by simply wishing. Rather, at both Centre Academy Schools, the learning environments reflect a variety of principles that provide a supportive structure and simultaneously recognise the need for flexibility. Our cardinal components include the following:
--an experienced teacher assigned as a
--two or three student-Mentor meetings each day; these provide appropriate guidance and support for each student;
--daily Prep Periods that enable all students to work on their homework under the supervision of Mentors and teachers; Key Stage 2 and 3 students will usually be able to finish their homework during Prep; Upper School students will get a good start during the Prep Period;
--during Prep, every teacher is available for individual assistance as well as to answer questions and in all other ways to support their students.