What is Pedagogy?

The word 'pedagogy' originates from the Greek word 'paidagōgia', meaning attendance at education. Today, it is commonly understood to mean 'the art of teaching' and how these decisions impact on the learner.

Put simply, it is the 'how and why' of what your child's class teacher does every day.

Our Overarching Pedagogical Approaches

It is widely understood that there are two main types of pedagogical approach used to deliver a curriculum to children; traditional and progressive.

Traditional

A traditional pedagogical approach is teacher centred and focuses on delivering core knowledge rather than skills to the children through a structured series of lessons.

Progressive

A progressive pedagogical approach is more child centred and allows children to play an instrumental role in their learning. The focus is often weighted towards the teaching of key skills and takes a more fluid ‘child led’ approach.

At Peterhouse, we advocate a mix of these pedagogical approaches within all subject areas over time. We know through experience, that our children often respond more positively to the structure of the traditional approach. It gives them a sense of order and safety. We also recognise that where children lack key life skills or experiences, a child-led approach can leave them floundering for direction as they have less cultural references to build upon.

However, the skills required for a progressive approach are of vital importance to a Peterhouse child and their future success. Children need to build resilience, cooperation, imagination and creativity. They need to reduce their cultural deficit through exposure to a wide variety of cultural references, experiences and rich vocabulary. Our teachers carefully plan in these opportunities across the curriculum.