Classroom

Last Up-dated:

09 September 2008

As a residential school and Camphill Community, Ochil Tower offers an educational provision embracing all aspects of life. Pedagogical practice is fostered in house and class, by both care and teaching co-workers, as part of an integrated holistic approach. All levels of the pupils' needs are acknowledged, and an education of the whole person is the school's guiding principle.

The work in the classroom has a unique and essential contribution to make towards this aim, but is also seen in its wider context as just one part of the total provision of the school.

School Provision

Introduction

As a Rudolf Steiner School, Ochil Tower bases its education on the Steiner Curriculum. This curriculum was first developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919 and is founded upon his principles of child development. The emphasis is on the education of the whole person. Subjects are arranged and given so as to serve and facilitate the development of the child's potential and a harmonising of his faculties of thinking, feeling and willing, in keeping with the chronological age.

To complement this the standard principles of the Steiner curriculum are use in conjunction with the 5-14 programme and National Qualification and Access framework.

We have close links with the Community School of Auchterarder. This gives Ochil Tower pupils the opportunity to attend lessons and access the mainstream curriculum together with their peers in the Community School, and vice versa. This arrangement has been experienced as mutually beneficial and highly innovative.

Breadth

The Steiner Curriculum covers all subjects contained within the National Guidelines: 5-14 Curriculum. In modifying the curriculum for children with additional support needs, the principle of breadth is nevertheless upheld, as a wide range of subjects is not only essential for the child's full education but can also be made accessible if taught in an appropriate way.

As already mentioned, one of the overall aims of the Steiner curriculum is the education of the whole person. Therefore a high priority is placed upon the achieving of balance: in terms of both the variety of learning experience and the time allocation given to each subject. Within the Curriculum, there is a great emphasis on the value and importance of the expressive arts, not only as a separate subject in itself, but also as a medium with which to enliven other subjects.

The cross curricular aspects of the teaching within the school are given special consideration. For children with additional support needs in particular, learning is greatly enhanced when different curricular activities are able to link together. As a residential school with close liaison between house and class, extensive grounds and a variety of activities, Ochil Tower is particularly well placed to achieve this aim.

In Ochil Tower, as in all Rudolf Steiner Schools, the aim is such that the class teachers remain with their class throughout the first eight years of schooling. This give security to the pupils and ensures continuity in the teaching so that the pupils previous experiences can be built upon and developed. The assessment procedure undertaken for each pupil also supports the continuity of aims and attainment.

The curriculum is graded and sequenced in a clear progression. This progression is recorded and evaluated for each pupil, so that he or she will be stimulated and challenged according to a systematic and transparent framework and in a manner most suited to his or her needs.

The School Year

In Ochil Tower there are four terms in the year, with a total of 38 school weeks. In each week, there are 20 school hours, from Monday to Friday inclusive.

The four hours of school per day are split into three periods:

The Main Lesson : 9:00 am - 10:40 am

The Second Lesson : 11:15 am - 12:40 p.m.

The Afternoon Lesson : 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Each child is placed into a class according to his or her chronological age. Generally, the whole class (of usually between 6 and 10 pupils) will be together during the Main lesson, for part of which each day the main topic will be presented over the course of a few weeks.

In the second lesson, the children within the classes are grouped according to ability. The size of the group varies from one to three; and the curriculum areas covered at this time are mainly literacy, numeracy, communication, movement, and art.

In the afternoon lesson, the class groupings vary in size and composition according to the subject. Activities tend more towards the practical and artistic, with gardening, baking, weaving, woodwork, painting and gym, as some such examples.

Structure

Each class has one class teacher who co-ordinates all the class activities within the school day.

The class teacher works together with and supervises a group of class assistants, who work in a supportive capacity within the class.

At times specialist teachers with expertise in one particular curriculum area, may take groups of children from different classes

Co-worker levels differ according to the subject and to the particular needs of the class grouping. In some lessons the class teacher may find it most beneficial to be on his own with the class; in others, he may require all the class assistants to be present. Conversely, some children need almost continual 1:1 supervision whilst others benefit from more indirect guidance.

The class teachers meet regularly to share concerns, to provide each other with continuing effective support and to undertake a common study and research aspects of education. The teachers are also engaged in and committed to their own personal path of self-education and development.

The class teachers meet regularly with their class assistants to evaluate, support and plan the work with the pupils in the classes. Both group and individual supervision sessions are undertaken. Class assistants also take part in the In-service Foundation Course and some are studying for the BA in Curative Education.

There is ongoing liaison both formal and informal between class teachers, house parents, specialist teachers and therapists. Regular written reports are shared mutually.

The School Setting

Ochil Tower is situated in the town of Auchterarder surrounded by beautiful countryside of varying landscape and geographical features. Class outings are regularly made to explore the multi-faceted nature of the local surroundings. The environment outwith the school is considered a valuable and essential educational resource.

Ochil Tower is fortunate in its possession of several acres of grounds which include woodland, meadows, orchards, walled gardens, a playground and lawn. This amenity affords considerable scope for a wide range of practical educational activities.

All school buildings in Ochil Tower are of recent construction and purpose built. The space used is both practical and aesthetically pleasing designed to enhance the pupil's sense of beauty. Facilities include craft workshops, a concert hall with stage, therapy room and five classrooms.

Equipment for school use is bought as and when necessary, and updated periodically. Children are encouraged to use the school equipment as far as ability and independence allows and always with the appropriate supervision. The class teacher carries the responsibility to ensure that for each curricular activity or subject the equipment is selected that will most facilitate and enhance the learning process. Although the school is well equipped with a wide range of information and communication technology, it is used in a targeted and specific manner, depending on individual needs.

The educational provision at Ochil Tower is entirely in keeping with the inclusive and holistic ethos of the whole school.

The work done in the classes is closely linked with the therapeutic work and the work carried out in the houses. They share a common approach and mutually fructify each other for the benefit of each individual child.

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