'We believe children shouldn't be sitting in the same chair all day': We visit a friendly north Shropshire village primary school that encourages play, movement and music
From forest school to ukulele lessons, Tilstock Primary is rethinking what a school day should look like - and we went to see it in action.
When headteacher Rowena Kaminski arrived at Tilstock CofE Primary School near Whitchurch in 2018, she walked into a building with just 32 pupils.
Today the school is the term-time home to around 125 students, under a leadership that firmly believes that children learn best when they’re allowed to move, explore and be themselves.
While reading, writing, maths and phonics are taught rigorously, the timetable here looks a little different, with a day punctuated with movement, exploration and choice.
“We very much believe children shouldn’t be sitting in the same chair all day,” Mrs Kaminski said. “It’s not natural and it’s not good for their development.”
It's a philosophy that shows up in the school’s daily rhythm, in the curriculum that values creativity as much as core subjects and with forest school sessions and lessons that spill out of the classroom and into its outdoor learning spaces.
