American artist Robert J. Sternberg refers to a state of being called ‘successfully intelligent’, which correlates with The Ridge School’s vision for all our boys. As an inclusive school for boys, we encourage our boys in all grades to ultilise whole-brain thinking for excellent outcomes. Ridge boys are geared to be not just successful academically but to excel in the real world beyond school grounds in matters relating to decision-making, social skills, communication, problem-solving, innovation, and more.
Philosophy For Children - An Education In Humanity
The Ridge School incorporates Philosophy For Children (P4C) into our curriculum as a way to foster reasonableness, practical wisdom, and good judgement ‒ skills that will benefit our boys throughout life. In these lessons, pupils will engage with picture books, music and images to stimulate a discussion, which is facilitated by the teacher. As the boys participate, they improve their clarity of language, open-mindedness and find rational, precise ways to express their ideas.
We wish for our boys to have an understanding of central human concerns such as truth, responsibility and fairness, as these are sorely needed in our society. The themes selected help to prepare children for situations in which they might have to confront misconceptions, confusion or fears they may have about the world around them. In the P4C class, they feel able to deal with conflict by being able to reason in a safe environment.
Project Based Learning - A Taste Of The Real World
It is one thing to be intelligent or academically high-performing, but children who are not supported in other developmental areas often struggle to apply these academic skills to practical situations, no matter how high their exam scores might be.
Through project based learning at The Ridge School, our boys explore geography, history, technology and science with real-world relevance. Through group and individual projects, they get to see how the concepts they find in textbooks actually materialise and solve problems in the world around them. It promotes skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, problem-solving, perseverance, collaboration, information literacy, and technology.
Project Based Learning at The Ridge School uses the CAPS curriculum as a starting point and expands on this, allowing boys to present their work and gain the freedom to innovate and express themselves among their peers.
Get in touch with our inclusive school for boys Johannesburg to know more about our Philosophy for Children and Project Based Learning, or schedule a school tour as the first step to giving your son a truly nourishing education.