Reggio Emilia

Children have a great capacity to learn. They are curious, imaginative, capable and creative. Stimulating environments are vital to their learning

The Y1-4 environment at St Cuthbert’s College is a welcoming, stimulating and caring one. Learning is encouraged here through the Reggio Emilia approach, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of a programme built around the interests of the children. The Reggio Emilia philosophy helps our teachers to understand the inner substance of learning and how to trigger children’s curiosity.

A Reggio approach challenges teachers to meet each child’s mind, as it is founded on a strong image of the child as a capable, curious, creative, learner with extraordinary potential who already has theories about life and her world. This image has led us to believe that at Y3-4 the girls will embrace the idea of learning about sustainability, and how to tend their kitchen garden, grow produce, and cook that produce.

Alongside strong literacy and numeracy programmes, and strong values and thinking programmes, we want our Y1-4 girls to have abundant, daily opportunities to wonder, to explore and to think. We aim to guide them to develop and ask their own deep questions, and to explore answers.

Our Y1-4 girls’ parents and teachers share a special partnership in educating and caring for the girls. We want to help them set foot in the wider world with confidence and an air of excitement and believe that a Reggio Emilia approach is the perfect way forward