The children who thrive at Preshil are independent and creative learners who want the most from their school. They seek to personalise their learning, feel respected by their teachers, and be offered freedoms within which they are capable of managing. Our community of learners is dynamic and collaborative and the learning is conceptually driven. As a result, Preshil is a school that suits some children, and poses significant challenges to others.
Preshil children identify as independent and are adept in self-management, such that they take responsibility for their learning, their adherence to the values of the school, and their participation in the active life of the school.
Preshil children are energetic in the pursuit of their creative expression. They are confident to offer their own interpretation and perspective within the inquiry process, and are active and resourceful in the ways that they elect to engage.
Preshil children do not need rules and consequences to manage their days at school. They grow in understanding that discipline comes from within. They take responsibility for their actions, and expect that others will do likewise.
Preshil children understand that fairness is not found in uniformity. Individual difference is anticipated and is to be celebrated and tolerated. Preshil children seek to be accepted for who they are, but also understand that this is a transaction, and that what you seek you must also offer. Preshil children do not find that others, with their differences, present a distraction to their learning.
Preshil children respect others and know that in return they will be respected. As such, they are confident to build trusting relationships with the adults in the community. They do not position the staff as the ‘other’ instead they seek to be active, respectful and valued members of the broader school community.
Preshil children do not lean on routines, and anticipate that their days may see a mixture of teaching and learning styles, interruptions or unexpected events. Preshil children are undeterred by the unexpected, and understand that being adaptable is a valuable skill.
Preshil children understand that others may hold views that differ from their own. They are comfortable with nuanced and ‘grey area’ thinking. They grow in their understanding that you can disagree with someone’s view while maintaining respect for the holder of that view. Preshil children are open to changing their views, and being flexible to consider that their own understandings may develop and change.
Preshil children understand that relationships can be unpredictable, and that sometimes friendships are challenging to navigate. They are responsive and open to the processes of restorative justice, perspective taking, and setting things to rights for all parties.
Preshil children understand that deep learning comes from learning with your peers. Working with others to collaborate, deepen understanding, or interrogate an idea are the benefits of a learning community. They understand that the co-construction of understanding is not a passive proposition.
Preshil children grow in their understanding that they only let themselves down if they are not committed to their learning. They understand the cycle of effort and reward, and that both the effort and the reward are drawn from within themselves.
Preshil children take a principled approach to their learning, knowing that school will present learning opportunities that they are passionate about, and learning that they might endure, and that this tipping of the balance does not deter their effort.
Preshil children look for, and create, opportunities to make the learning personally rewarding. They embrace the challenges that making mistakes present, and they are confident to continue to ‘have-a-go’. Preshil children are supported to value the process and not simply the product.
Preshil children have energy for creative and extra-curricular endeavours. They understand that the IB Programmes focus on the development of the individual in and out of school. Preshil children grow in confidence to advocate for themselves, and to question the status-quo. They are often political, critical and passionate thinkers.
