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The Oppia Way of Learning….

To maximise a child’s opportunity to reach their full potential we embrace an inquiry-based approach to learning to promote and nurture the individual skills and interest of each child.

What is Inquiry based learning?

Inquiry based learning is recognised worldwide and underpins several other learning approaches – such as Reggio Emilia and Montessori.
Inquiry based learning is a constructivist approach – which focuses on investigation and problem solving and doing rather than receiving information passively. Inquiry based learning reverses the order of learning and instead of presenting the answer to the child first, it starts with a range of scenarios, questions and problems for the children to solve, resulting in an answer being found. Children can develop their ability to ask questions, investigate, interpret and communicate their findings and reflect.
The characteristics of the inquiry approach to learning include:
  • learning beginning with a question, idea or a problem
  • children being involved in planning and carrying out investigations
  • children observing and raising questions and critiquing their practices
  • • children proposing explanations and solutions and communicating these understandings in a variety of ways to others

How does an Inquiry Based Approach to learning help?

The Inquiry Based Approach helps to develop both STEM and life skills, while promoting:
Social Interactions – this helps with attention span and reasoning skills, while encouraging the children to generate their own ideas, opinions and predictions. It can also develop agency, ownership, engagement and communication skills.
Exploration-this allows children to investigate, design, investigate and explore, thus developing their curiosity, resilience and optimism.
Argumentation and Reasoning – this creates a safe and supportive environment in which the children can engage in discussions and debates. Encouraging children to generate questions, formulate positions and make decisions.
Positive Attitudes to Failure – the evaluative nature of many STEM based problems means that failure is an important part of the problem solving process. Promoting a healthy attitude to failure, encouraging reflection, resilience and a desire for continual improvement.