Free school developments

All schools within Discovery have developed through close collaboration and follow a teaching and learning framework.

Achieving exception teaching & learning

All schools within Discovery have developed through close collaboration and follow a teaching and learning framework to ensure the teaching and learning builds on the very best practice and research available. It provides a framework for professional reflection and evaluation to ensure that all professionals are leaders of learning within school.

The aim of this strategy is to:

  1. Help every learner within Discovery write their own learning script.
  2. To enable them to paint new pictures of themselves every day.
  3. To empower them to believe in themselves; to develop self-efficiency.
  4. To create the confidence to deal with setbacks while remaining hopeful and optimistic.
  5. To become positive contributors to society.

A curriculum to remember

The aim of all schools in Discovery is to provide opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident, successful learners with high aspirations who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society. There is a high focus on developing children’s moral, spiritual, social and cultural understanding. Each school promotes a curriculum that intends to ensure that children are well prepared for life in modern Britain and that they are responsible and proactive learners.

Each of our schools provide highly inclusive environments where learners enjoy their education. Pupils at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged, encouraging to expand their skills and knowledge through varied curriculum opportunities. Those who find learning more difficult are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace and to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.

Curriculum development

Each school focuses on curriculum development, that is always carefully designed to ensure coverage and progression. It provides pupils with memorable experiences, in addition to diverse and rich opportunities from which children can learn and develop a range of transferable knowledge and skills. A primary focus of our curriculum is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, provide a purpose and relevance for learning and ultimately to help every student to find strengths and interests.

Sport has a high profile within the Trust, and pupils are introduced to a huge variety of competitive tournaments. These also give pupils the opportunity to participate with pupils from a variety of schools across Leicestershire. Traditional sports such as netball and football are complimented by cricket, golf, running, athletics, tag rugby, dance, gymnastics and seasonal swimming tournaments.

Providing a rich & varied curriculum

We expect our schools to excel in the arts – providing quality opportunities for students to share their creative talents. There are annual art events, such as a Discovery Art gallery set up in the heart of Leicester city, Dance competitions and more recently Discovery has become a partner with the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

The new school can expect to have the full core offer of extended school provision. To promote physical health and wellbeing, a range of clubs giving learners an opportunity to access a wide variety of experiences after school hours and during lunch times which enhance the curriculum.

High quality visits and visitors within Discovery are also well designed to enhance the curriculum, these experiences broaden children’s horizons and aspirations. Schools are encouraged to broaden children’s horizons through the use of partnership working and links with organisations across the world, such as ASHA, the Discovery’s charity which it supports. Our curriculum core offer will help to allow the school to establish a proven curriculum and time to evolve it to meet the needs of their community. This will ensure all children experience a broad range of challenges, experiences, locations and inspirations within their school’s curriculum.

We recognise that each school is set within its own community, we therefore recognise the importance for each school to have autonomy and the freedom to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of this community, whilst also providing all children with the skills and knowledge that all children are entitled to learn.