Academics
How you will learn
La Garenne's experienced and professional teaching staff undertake regular training courses on the latest teaching methods to ensure that our students receive the best education possible.
Alongside traditional teaching practices, we also use the Harkness Method™. This is a way of encouraging students to engage in enquiry and dialogue while seated around an oval table. Free expression and original contributions flow amongst the students, with the teacher on hand to subtly redirect the discussion if it veers significantly off topic. For the teacher, it is about listening more and talking less.
In schools such as La Garenne, this method of learning works extremely well. Our small class sizes and the long-standing and secure relationships between students and staff facilitate the free exchange of ideas. It also connects well with our core values of respect, open mindedness and empathy.
In terms of outcomes, we find that students relax quickly into the less rigid setting. They are not behind desks in rows: they are able to see everyone's reactions, hear everyone's contributions and respond easily when inspired to make a point. "It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s a collaborative approach to problem solving and learning."
Around a table, cliques and groups cannot form. There is never the possibility of "one side against the other" situations arising. The teacher can make eye contact with everyone and is aware instantly if the tone of the dialogue changes, or if a student is not able to participate for any reason. We can give an example of how this works in practice using a topic from a Global Politics lesson:
- Students arrive in class with their homework essays on Refugees and Migration: Causes and Effects.
- The teacher opens the session by reminding students that there are multiple reasons why human beings have always moved across the world.
- The teacher then offers the topic up to the floor - the students around the table - and discussion starts.
- Some students prefer to read from their essays, others will introduce new ideas, leading to further dialogue and sharing of opinions.
- Conclusions can be drawn, minds can be changed, or positions can be entrenched: what matters is that the topic has been discussed in a calm and reflective way.
Verbal expression can be the easiest to retain and we often find that students' recall of the dialogue is reflected in their later written work. We also see this method extend beyond the classroom. Students in social settings listen more carefully to their peers, they interrupt each other less and they are more open about expressing their points of view - even controversial ones.
MYP Curriculum
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is accessible for the vast majority of learners. It stretches the most able, while supporting those who are still to reach the level of their peers. The components cross all subject areas, enabling students to shine in their favourite subjects.
Service as Action
The compulsory 'Service as Action' component enables students to develop a deeper sense of their place in the world. It provides wonderful opportunities for experiential learning through real-world interactions with real people. Examples of Service as Action projects:
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Helping out at the La Garenne farm
Taking part in a charity fun-run
Making posters to raise awareness of healthy eating habits
Travelling to a developing country to help build a school
The Learning Showcase
In MYP 1-3, the students plan and deliver a Secondary Learning Showcase at the end of the first and second terms. These collaborative projects provide a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn team-work and media skills. Not only are these events a celebration of students’ teamwork and learning, but also an excellent opportunity to practise speaking in front of an audience. Examples of Secondary Learning Showcases:
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Organising a social media campaign
Creating and presenting an interactive booth
Pitching solutions to support UN Sustainable Development Goals
Curating an art/design/information exhibition
The Personal Project
MYP 4 and MYP 5 students undertake a long-term assignment to reflect upon and summarise their learning during the five years of their MYP studies. Students are encouraged to investigate an area which links to other taught subjects. The Personal Project is a compulsory component and examples include:
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Inventing, designing and building a new object or system
Devising, conducting and reporting an original science experiment
A piece of extended creative writing
An extended research project into an original area of study
Independent Study
Independent study is an essential part of the learning process. It enables students to consolidate or review ideas, prepare for future classes and develop organisational skills. It also gives students the opportunity to work independently of the teacher and to self-motivate. Independent study is set every week for all academic subjects.
Examinations
Students in MYP 1-4 are graded at the end of each topic. For MYP 5, assessments are carried out throughout the academic year with mock exams in March and exam practice at weekends. Formal exams take place in June at the end of MYP 5, with the MYP Certificate of Participation awarded to successful students. The grades obtained in these exams are used to recommend study options for students who are progressing to the IB and High School Diploma Programmes.
Academic Programmes
Our key objectives are to enable each student to achieve academic success and develop a passion for lifelong learning and discovery. The boarding school environment provides the stability and structure necessary to thrive and develop. Parallel to this, the academic life of the school engages students with stimulating and challenging programmes of study. The small class sizes favour a personalised approach to teaching, based on inquiry and investigative learning.
The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is integrated with the English National Curriculum for Years 1 to 6. The IPC is a creative, rigorous curriculum with a clear process of learning and with specific learning goals for international mindedness and for personal learning based on the IPC personal goals of cooperation, communication, thoughtfulness, respect and resilience.
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) provides a broad and balanced education for the 11-16 age group. In the final two years, flexibility within the choice of subjects allows students to follow their personal learning goals and future educational plans. After completing their MYP studies, students can choose between two different study routes for their final two years of study.
The IB Diploma and La Garenne High School Diploma are separate qualifications, but the courses studied during the Senior School Years contribute towards both. The IB Diploma is more demanding: students who complete the programme successfully are also awarded the La Garenne High School Diploma - see below.