Outward Bound

We believe that the fundamental teaching of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is a vital part of the curriculum. We also consider there should be a careful balance between passive and active elements in our teaching. Some aspects of the curriculum lend themselves to practical work and academic investigation. It is our duty to put children in the position of discoverers of knowledge. We therefore are ready and keen to explore the world beyond the classroom, to engage in research focusing on the natural environment.

A course of science lessons may include the investigation of a pond, for example, studying and measuring the varying conditions in that natural habitat or a workshop at the Science Museum.  In History we might visit castles and consider the role and strategy of attacker and defender of each linked with a workshop at, for instance, the Maritime Museum. In studying some physical aspects of the Geography syllabus we might construct landforms from clay or paper mache to better understand the landscape -  a visit and a workshop at the Natural History Museum would reinforce this. For Art workshops we take our pupils to the Dulwich Picture Gallery where the artists in residence explain how to 'read' a painting.

Activities within or outside the classroom enhance a child's understanding of a topic in an effective and managed way. If children can discover facts themselves, they are more likely to remember those facts because it is personal to them. Something seen or experienced is often better recalled than something read in the dry pages of a text book.

Heath House is an active school with a determination to bring our teaching alive through activity in the classroom and outside helping every child to achieve individual and collective success on which we build the next stage of their learning journey.