How children learn is as important as what they learn, and this happens best when your child is in the mind-set of ‘wanting’ to learn.
Setting up in Morning Circle
We know that the social and emotional curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. Each day begins with our unique and special time to support students’ emotional health, build vital social skills and set a tone for respectful and engaged learning, in a climate of trust.
A positive classroom and community can fulfill students’ need to belong, to feel significant, and to find joy. This part of the day is used to model and practise social and emotional skills, to merge social, emotional, and academic learning.
Zones of Regulation and Mindfulness practice happen in Morning Circle, and again at the end of lunchtime and the day’s close. Our students begin their learning blocks feeling calm and ready. Mindfulness and meditation practice improves focus, calms and increases well-being.
Experiential Strand
We know that the traditional activities of rote learning and ‘chalk and talk’ delivery first thing in the morning can lack the power to engage and inspire your child. We switch that around and start each day after Morning Circle with Experiential Learning activities, where your child gets to purposefully engage in creative and challenging experiences from which they can draw meaning - physically, emotionally, intellectually and intrapersonally.
This could be hands-on opportunities in science, art, drama, technology (such as fabric, food or construction) or workshops with visiting experts, and field trips. Your child fills their ‘love bucket’ with positive experiences right out of the gate each day, empowering and exciting them again.
Instructional Strand
This strand focuses on your child’s identified challenges, which requires an explicit and sequential approach to reach proficiency in Literacy and Numeracy. Attention to detail for each child maximises their success.
Your child will work in small, well-matched groups rather than traditional year levels, delivered in 60-minute proficiency lessons each day. In these sessions, they will begin to build skills in English (writing, spelling and reading), and Maths.
Using assessment tools developed for students experiencing challenges unique to dyslexia and other learning difficulties, we use the data to continually inform our planning and teaching, ensuring your child has a firm foundation in these foundational academic skills.
Thematic Strand
This strand occupies about two hours each day. Topics are typically set in a ‘Big Idea’ context (e.g. Identity, Culture and Diversity, Transformation, and Systems). These Big Ideas are then interpreted by our teachers and adapted into our themes and Passion Projects. Each theme may be taught over a full term, and generally four such themes are covered in one year.
Although each ‘theme’ might be generated from a specific curriculum area, they will always include elements that span across the remaining learning areas and stimulate every child’s varied intelligences and learning preference.
Projects are derived from relevant themes both local and global, and are designed to allow your child to investigate specific concepts and ideas independent of direct instruction, with the teacher’s role as that of a learning facilitator.
Closing with Afternoon Circle
Our day ends with an Afternoon Circle (closing) using Zones of Regulation again for checking back in. This enables our teachers to remind students of any tasks and homework required. It’s also an opportunity to openly discuss if any challenges or celebrations happened during the day.
Testimonials
"We were desperate to help our son’s self-esteem and confidence. Enrolling him at Summit Point restored his belief in himself."
"Being encouraged to demonstrate his knowledge using educational technology has helped remove barriers to my child’s learning and made him less anxious about tests and assessment."
"The teachers at Summit Point go above and beyond to nurture the different learning styles of students."
"Rebecca supported us to understand our child’s strengths and challenges and find a way to foster his love of learning."
"We have been working with Summit for almost a term and my word, our daughter has come a long way since she started at the school."
"It’s a hard decision sending your child to a ‘special’ school, but now we’re out the other side, we realise how much our daughter needed the attention and environment that Summit Point offers."
"Her time at Summit gave our daughter the space and time to learn at her own pace, be recognised for her talents and participate in the running of the school."
"Graduating from Summit, our child is a confident learner and has a range of strategies which have helped her transition to high school."