Let's start at the beginning...
At Aveea Academy, we respect schools and the national curriculum. We want our pupils to succeed in all aspects of life, and that includes school. School is a great gateway into all aspects of the world, whether that’s STEM or otherwise. That’s why we ensure that our activities fall in line with the national curriculum.
Where does maths fit into this?
A great example of Aveea’s application to the national curriculum is maths. While maths may be part of the acronym of STEM itself, it’s utilised by everything. Maths is truly universal, and whether we’re measuring out our components in the perfect ratios; utilising angles to optimise trajectories; or using geometry to create the sturdiest bridge, maths is involved in it all. Even if one chooses to not pursue STEM in the future, maths will be invaluable to everybody and what’s been taught at Aveea will not be wasted.
Schools are free to teach the national curriculum in any order and way they wish. That’s why we ensure that we’re in constant communication with our partnered schools so that our sessions adhere to their own curriculum. Maybe pupils have learnt all they need for the current semester, then we’ll teach about future topics to keep them on their toes.
Are we taking over what teachers doing?!
Teachers, at the forefront of student’s education, naturally do a fantastic job teaching children. There’s no need for us to take on this role, that’s why instead we build off of this and show pupils why everything they’ve learnt is so important. With all the information and curriculum that teachers have to go through, they don’t have the time to go into the intricacies of why and how certain topics are relevant to students. We want to clear that thought of ‘why do we need to know this?’, we want all our pupils to be able to understand the importance of what they’ve been taught.
While there are many topics students frequently don’t understand the purpose of, prime example being maths, there also exists a range of topics which seemingly have a clear purpose behind the teaching, but isn’t given the opportunity to be expanded on further.
For example, a crucial part of the curriculum is learning about bacteria and viruses, this ties in perfectly with COVID which has had a massive effect across the world. But what else? What about countries without access to clean water? What exactly is in their water, and how do we get rid of it? How can we filter this out and purify it so that it’s drinkable? Well, that’s exactly a lesson which we do.
You never know what's going to show up at Aveea Academy!
While there are many topics students frequently don’t understand the purpose of, prime example being maths, there also exists a range of topics which seemingly have a clear purpose behind the teaching, but isn’t given the opportunity to be expanded on further. For example, a crucial part of the curriculum is learning about bacteria and viruses, this ties in perfectly with COVID which has had a massive effect across the world. But what else? What about countries without access to clean water? What exactly is in their water, and how do we get rid of it? How can we filter this out and purify it so that it’s drinkable? Well, that’s exactly a lesson which we do.
Schools do a great job in making sure that all the information sticks, we just want to bring all that information to life. To give your child a real passion and desire for learning. Maybe to pay just that little more attention in science class, cause you never know what’s going to show up at Aveea Academy.
We strive for an experience and challenge which cover all aspects of education.
All this being said, it’s not as if what we do at Aveea Academy isn’t useful in the view of the national curriculum. Many of the things we do here will directly link back to lessons given by teachers and, with the practical knowledge, will help better understand what’s being taught. There’s something special when all those cogs click in your mind. Maybe a student has locked away all those past lessons on Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion, well at Aveea Academy, we dig all these memories up and make sure that those cogs get clicking. That’s what we strive for, an experience and challenge which covers all aspects of education.
We want Aveea Academy pupils to be a step-ahead, above and beyond their peers.
What can you do outside of school?
What can students do when they’re not at school though? Well, teachers will most likely have sent letters detailing the curriculum for the next term, a huge list of topics which students are expected to learn by the end of the year. Take a look through that list, see if anything immediately pops to your mind. You see friction? Well the first thing that should come to your mind is snow, so you better hope it snows this Christmas—we take no responsibility for any falls though!
Maybe you see something about plant species on the curriculum. The first thought is probably ‘I know nothing about this! Skip!’, but that’s where the internet comes in. You don’t need to have prior knowledge to explore these topics, in this case, there are great apps like NatureID and PlantSnap where you can snap different plants and they will tell you exactly what they are! Ever wondered what exactly you have growing around your house? Well now you can find out! Take a trip down to the local park and see what other types of plants you can discover!
Let us know if you like these kinds of tips that you can do at home, and we’ll create a great list for you!
