~ Carlina Rinaldi
Instead of treating children as empty vessels to fill with information, we focus on the resourcefulness inherent in every child and seek to harness their natural learning abilities. Our teachers are patient observers who allow learners to develop their own unique strategies and problem-solving abilities at their own pace. It’s not about transferring knowledge to a child but rather inviting them to co-construct it.
The pressure on children to achieve high levels of academic success is overriding the joys of education and making kids anxious and depressed. The whole system is geared towards achieving better outcomes rather than getting kids to love learning. Indeed, the pressure of school has ramped up considerably since the ’70s; thanks in part to an education system now obsessed with a narrow definition of success — with standardised testing, ranking, comparison and competition (Lucy Clark). At Maara House, we aim to instil a love of learning in our children. We believe that each child is rich and resilient and just needs the space and encouragement to find their unique way of being in the world.
We believe children have the right to imagine. That is why we encourage curiosity and creativity throughout the learning process. Our subjects are interconnected and based on emergent themes that relate to the real world. In addition, we work with the national curriculum in a way will allow children to integrate into other traditional schools at the end of their Primary School years.
As educators, we recognise that our role is to patiently observe and facilitate the learning journey of every child – allowing passion and discovery to flourish.
