How we teach

Our teaching principles

We teach actively, meaningfully and in context

Children work on their own and in groups. They experiment, discuss, compare methods and look for different ways to reach a result. Learning is linked to real situations, projects and practical activities. This helps children build their own understanding and enjoy learning.

Cooperative and group work

Working together is an important part of every year. Children work in pairs and small teams, often in changing groups. They learn to listen, give reasons, give and receive feedback, take responsibility and use the strengths of each team member.

Competences

Competences are a key pillar of our education. We see them as the knowledge, skills and attitudes children need for life in a fast-changing world. We develop them naturally across all subjects in everyday classroom work. From Year 4 they are also covered in the subject Personal and Social Education.

• Learning competence – children plan their learning, set goals and track their own progress.
• Communication competence – they express themselves clearly, listen and discuss respectfully.
• Personal and social competence – they handle emotions, work together and build healthy relationships.
• Citizenship and sustainability competence – they understand how society works and act responsibly towards people and nature.
• Enterprise and work competence – they show initiative and creativity and finish tasks responsibly.
• Problem-solving competence – they try different strategies, think critically and keep looking for solutions.
• Cultural competence – they explore culture and the arts, develop creativity and respect diversity.
• Digital competence – they use technology safely, check information and create digital content.

Learning from mistakes

We see mistakes as a natural part of learning, not something children should be afraid of. In modern teaching, a mistake shows that a pupil is learning, trying new methods and pushing their limits. If children are afraid of making mistakes, they stop trying, avoid risks and learn more slowly. That is why we create an atmosphere where it is safe to get things wrong and try again.

We look at mistakes together: what went wrong and why, and above all how to do it better next time. Children learn to think about their strategies, evaluate their methods and take responsibility for their learning. In lessons we often work with several correct ways to the answer, so children see that a mistake is not a failure but a step towards understanding.

Learning from mistakes also means supporting each other in class. Pupils learn to share their methods safely, to ask when they don't understand something, and to see a mistake as a chance to discover things together. This builds not only their knowledge but also perseverance, self-confidence and resilience – skills that are essential for learning and for life.

Subjects

Czech language

We develop understanding of language, reading literacy, writing and creative expression. We use the analytic-synthetic method and reading and writing workshops, and teach children to use language naturally and for real purposes.

Maths

We teach maths using the Hejný method (Hejný maths). Children discover mathematical principles themselves, work in "environments", look for different strategies, discuss and give reasons. The method develops logical thinking, understanding and the joy of solving problems.

English

Lessons are playful and natural. Children sing songs, play games and use English in everyday situations. The aim is to overcome shyness and build a positive relationship with the language.

Me and the World

Children learn about the world through experiences, observation, experiments and enquiry-based activities. They learn to understand society, culture and history, and develop the skill of asking questions and checking information.

Science (Years 4–9)

Pupils discover how nature works through experiments and enquiry-based activities. They learn to describe and explain phenomena, check information and use scientific knowledge in practical situations.

Computing (Years 4–9)

Children learn to use technology safely, find and check information, and the basics of logical and algorithmic thinking. They use digital skills in different subjects.

Creativity

An integrated subject combining music, art and design & technology. Children explore materials, create, experiment and develop their sense of aesthetics and self-expression.

PE

PE supports a healthy lifestyle, fitness and the joy of movement. We focus on fair play, respect, teamwork and building a lasting relationship with sport.

Split maths and Czech lessons

These lessons are for selected pupils from across the year group whose talents we want to develop and whose individual potential we want to support. In a smaller group, pupils can work at a more demanding pace, solve more complex tasks and do activities that deepen their skills beyond regular lessons. In Czech we focus on more advanced communication and reading strategies, more demanding texts and creative writing. In maths, pupils work on tasks that support logical and abstract thinking, find their own solutions, discuss strategies and explore mathematical connections in depth.

What learning looks like during the year

Morning circle

Every day starts with a morning circle. We share what is coming up, talk about feelings and the topic of the day, and learn to listen. The circle strengthens relationships and sets the mood for the whole day.

Themed "circles" (Years 1–3)

We divide the school year into ten themed units – "CIRCLES" (KRUHY) – which link several subjects. Children see the world in context and learn through stories, projects and experiences.

Shell week (Uliťák)

After each theme there is a week of reflection. Children assess what they have learnt, what went well, where they need support and what they enjoyed. The teacher gives individual and group feedback.

Years 4–5 – preparing for lower secondary school

Teaching is more structured. Children work with monthly goals, assess themselves every week and take a summary skills check at the end of each month. They learn to plan, track their progress and take

Assessment

We use a combination of formative and summative assessment. Formative assessment follows each pupil's individual progress over time – how they learn, how they improve, and what helps them or holds them back. Summative assessment sums up how well the pupil has mastered the material over a given period.

Our aim is for assessment to give pupils and parents meaningful feedback that really helps learning – not just information about whether something is "right" or "wrong". That is why we do not use marks on school reports. Instead we use written (descriptive) assessment (slovní hodnocení) and criteria-based assessment. This describes exactly how the pupil has met the expected outcomes, what their strengths are and what they need to keep working on. The pupil's effort is also part of the assessment, because we see it as an important part of their work and growth.

Years 1–3

In Years 1–3 we use a letter system for ongoing assessment. This lets us record each pupil's level of understanding and pace of learning sensitively and clearly. On the school report, each subject also has a written comment describing what the child is good at, what is going well and where more support is needed.

· Letter grades: S – working towards (směřuje), D – achieving (dosahuje), P – exceeding (přesahuje)

· Written comment on the school report

· Effort assessment – 1 to 4 dots

Years 1–5

In Years 4 and 5 we move to percentage assessment. This better prepares pupils for lower secondary school and gives pupils and parents very precise information about how well they have mastered the material. Here too, the percentage on the school report comes with a written comment, so that the feedback is clear, specific and useful for further learning.

· Percentage assessment

· Written comment on the school report

· Effort assessment: 1 to 4 dots

Sample Year 1 school report

Sample Year 4 school report

Hejný maths

At our school we teach maths in all years using the Hejný method. We chose it because we assess not only the content of maths – calculating, measuring, geometry – but above all the process: logical thinking, discovering relationships, and the ability to solve problems with joy and self-confidence. The method is based on a constructivist view of learning and follows 12 key principles that form a complete approach.

The key principles include:

Building schemas – strengthening pupils' inner mental models, which help them understand that "a half" is also a number, or that the relationships between parts of a whole make sense. h-mat.cz+1 Working in environments – creating familiar, safe "maths environments" (e.g. family, bus, stepping…) where pupils can work again and again, experiment and develop their thinking. Linking topics – mathematical ideas are not taught in isolation but in a context the pupil knows and where they can see connections. Personal development – the method helps the child learn to give reasons, discuss, make decisions and take responsibility for their reasoning. Real motivation – tasks are designed to be enjoyable and to come from pupils' own wish to find things out, not just from outside pressure. Real experience – teaching builds on children's own experience, their surroundings and what they already know, so that new knowledge makes sense and connects to what they know. Enjoying maths – the method helps pupils experience success, not frustration, and not be afraid of mistakes, because a mistake is seen as part of learning. Own discoveries – the pupil discovers, investigates and reaches conclusions; the teacher does not "hand over" a ready-made solution. The teacher's role – the teacher is more of a guide than a lecturer: they set tasks, ask questions, encourage discussion and let pupils choose different strategies. Working with mistakes – mistakes are not suppressed but used as a source of learning; pupils learn from their own and the class's mistakes. Appropriate challenges – tasks are graded: within one topic there are different levels of difficulty, so pupils can progress at their own pace. Supporting cooperation – pupils work in pairs or groups, share their ideas and different strategies, and so learn from each other. Thanks to these principles, pupils don't just learn to calculate – they develop thinking, creativity, problem-solving, the ability to express their ideas and to work with others. In Hejný maths lessons, pupils meet environments full of possibilities, where they can step, model, discuss and discover different paths and strategies, at their own pace and with the teacher's support. This builds their motivation, self-confidence and a positive relationship with maths.

Every school year we offer parents of Year 1 pupils an introductory seminar, where we explain the basic principles of the method and show how it is used in lessons. If you have any questions or anything is unclear, teachers are always happy to talk to you individually. For more information you can download the guide for parents ProRodice2018.pdf (in Czech)