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At LVS Oxford, our students’ experience of STEM teaching and learning is enriched by the opportunities afforded by our extensive grounds, our rural setting and our links with the Hospitality sector.
Along with the academic curriculum, students at LVS Oxford follow a learning pathway that locates STEM in real world experiences. Our core aims are to support and develop communication and interaction skills, nurture curiosity and build lifelong learning identities so that students leave us as confident and independent young people, ready for a world of possibilities. Our specialist curriculum is underpinned by three main areas for development – Learning, Growing and Achieving.
In the Lower School, our Learning for Life offer facilitates site-based opportunities for our students to develop and demonstrate creativity, problem solving skills, critical thinking, leadership, adaptability and reflection through engaging and interactive activities. In the Upper School, students develop these skills further, putting them into practice through off-site work experience and visits to education and training settings.
At the heart of Outdoor Learning is a strong focus on environmental science and ecology; for example, this year students have completed extensive tree, bird and insect projects to learn more about the impact of global warming on the local area, spending time in the forest adjacent to the school site. In Horticulture, exploring seasonality and planting has included zooming in on plant anatomy, planting schemes, nurturing seeds and seedlings, and harvesting apples and pears from our orchard. Extending this learning into the workplace, Students attend Farm Ed to learn more about sustainable and organic farming and the technologies involved in supporting land-based industries.
Technology in Arts and Crafts enriches students’ creativity, with students producing textile prints using a Heat Press and stitching designs using sewing machines; projects are underpinned by exploration of how artists use these technologies in their work.
The science of healthy lifestyles is delivered through cooking and Health and Fitness lessons; the ‘plant to plate’ theme is explored through project work highlighting how farming and food industries are inextricably linked.
Enrichment activities overseen by our teaching staff in partnership with the therapy team bring the world of money and financial responsibility to life for our students. As an enterprise-based activity they are working towards setting up, promoting and operating a stationary shop where their peers can spend or save their ‘wages’ each week. Furthermore, Robotics Club, Construction Club and Music Composition Club are STEM-related enrichment activities, giving students hands-on and exciting experiences supported by staff with expertise in these areas.
Our Learning for Life curriculum in the Lower School provides a strong foundation for our students by addressing their barriers to learning and enabling them to pursue their interests and try out new experiences with increasing confidence and resilience. When they move into the Upper School Ready for Life pathway, they have a practical understanding of STEM-based activities and employment.
