Learner profile

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers three high quality and challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of schools, aiming to create a better, more peaceful world.

Codrington and IB students are forever curious, fully engaged citizens, who both embrace their own culture and are open and responsive to other cultures and views.

At the heart of the IB and the school is the “Learner Profile”. A long-term, holistic vision of education and underpins all three programmes and puts the students at the centre of everything we do. The Learner Profile is the IB Mission Statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The ten aspirational qualities of the Learner Profile inspire and motivate the work of teachers, students and school, providing a statement of the aims and values of the IB and a definition of what we mean by international-mindedness?.

The learner profile unites us all at Codrington with a common focus; on the whole person, as a lifelong learner. It applies to us “all-student, teacher, parent or administrator-for we are all” continually learning.

See below for the 10 aspects of the Learner Profile.

Languages

The Codrington School, like the International Baccalaureate (IB), feel that the study of a world language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for students. The comparisons and connections that students make through the exploration of another language help them develop their literacy and communication skills. As the IB put it,

“The ability to communicate in a variety of modes in more than one language is essential to the International Baccalaureate (IB) concept of an international education that promotes intercultural perspectives. English, French and Spanish are the IB’s working languages, in which the organization communicates with schools and other stakeholders, and in which full support is given to school administrators and teachers.” (Language and Learning in IB Programmes, published Sept 11)

The main emphasis of the modern language courses at The Codrington School is on the acquisition and use of language in a range of contexts and for different purposes while, at the same time, promoting an understanding of another culture; a way of thinking and a perspective on the world through the study of its language. The appreciates that learning additional languages greatly contributes to the holistic development of students and to the strengthening of lifelong learning skills. Language is central to learning, as well as providing the students with the necessary multiliteracy skills and attitudes to be interculturally competent, enabling them to communicate successfully in the global contexts of the 21st century.

However, learning a second language is not, and should not, be all about learning a set of grammar rules. The study of world languages is a process that requires regular and autonomous practice within four main areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In order to make good progress and enjoy the experience of acquiring another language, students need to challenge themselves and demonstrate the following qualities: risk-taking, tolerance to error, self-evaluation, and peer-evaluation.

Languages, by school section, offered at The Codrington school are;

PYP

Spanish Language classes from PYP 5

MYP

French language classes from MYP 1-5
Spanish language classes from MYP 1-5

DP

Spanish B (HL and SL)
Spanish Ab Initio (SL)
French B (HL and SL)

Spanish Exchange Program

As an IB World School, Codrington is committed to supporting multilingualism as a fundamental part of increasing intercultural understanding and international-mindedness and as such all students take a second language (Spanish or French).

As part of the Spanish programme students, each year, get the opportunity to participate in a Spanish immersion programme in El Avila, Spain for between 2 – 4 weeks

This is a fabulous opportunity where they get immerse themselves in Spanish culture, attend a Spanish language school http://letrascastellanas.com/) and live with a “host family”. The benefits are more than just linguistic. The students gain an appreciation for the culture and customs in Spain; get to experience the Spanish way of life and visit some wonderful places in an around El Avila and Madrid.

The Codrington School has been liaising and sending students to Letras Castellans for the past 5 years.

Swimming

Swimming is part of our taught curriculum for specific year groups.

Swimming lessons are delivered by our whole-school PE teacher Tommy Meighan, along with Sonia Perkins, Director of “Sport on the Move”.

All swimming lessons are held at the Aquatic Center which is part of the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex – Regency Park, Wildey, St. Michael.

The first two years of the MYP have a swimming period as part of their PE Curriculum at the Aquatic Centre, in addition to regular PE lessons on campus. From PYP 3 through PYP 8, primary school students have a swimming period per week at the Aquatic Centre, also in addition to regular PE lessons on campus.

For the current academic year:

• MYP 1 and 2 classes have their session (in six week blocks) on Fridays from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
• PYP 3 Mondays from 7:30-8:00 a.m.
• PYP 4 Mondays from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
• PYP 5 Mondays from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
• PYP 6 Thursdays from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
• PYP 7 Thursdays from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
• PYP 8 Thursdays from 7:30-8:15 a.m.

The swimming program is centred around 2 basic aspects:

• Learning a stroke
• Learning basic water skills

The 4 strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, taught in that order. Each stroke comprises of 5 principles:

• Body position
• Leg action
• Arm action
• Breathing
• Timing

The water skills undertaken will be:

• Diving to recover an object from various depths
• Holding breath under water
• Floating (front and back)
• Treading water
• Diving
• Flip turns

The swimming program adopts a hands-on approach with the children. This technique has proven to be the most effective way, when necessary, to ensure that a clear understanding of the instruction by the teacher has been portrayed to the student.

Entrepreneurship

Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation

Every year The Codrington School always takes part in the BEF’s $20 Challenge; the BEF is the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation, a charity that champions the spirit of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship across the island. We have dovetailed our involvement in the competition with one of our units in the MYP’s Business Management curriculum. It involves the students conceiving of, producing, marketing and selling their very own products. Each we see great success…please read for yourself! 2018/2019 activities,  2017/2018 activities and 2016/2017 activities.

Classroom to Boardroom (C2B)

Since 2016 The Codrington School has been invited to take part in the BEF’s very special Classroom to Boardroom initiative; the BEF is the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation, a charity that champions the spirit of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship across the island. A senior business leader sets a real-life challenge related to his or her business. Students agree to work on this challenge, with students from other schools, to come up with a viable business solution. They are supported by intensive coaching throughout the week, at the end of which the ideas/solutions are presented to senior executives of the business in their boardroom. Businesses involved in this great initiative in the past are Lime, Virgin Atlantic, Digicel, Automotive Arts and Harris Paints.

Recap of the incredible performance of our students in 2016

Technology

At The Codrington School, technology is not a tool, it is an environment. We believe that technology, if used in the right way, can transform the school experience. While enthusiastically embracing technology, we always bear in mind that human relationships and in-person learning can never be replaced by technology.

Technology Infrastructure

Codrington is a wi-fi school and as such our technology infrastructure provides our students easy access to the best in class education and creativity tools. A high speed internet connection, iPads and Chromebooks at the fingertips of students from PYP1 – PYP8 all support the development  of 21st Century learning skills that the students will need for the world today. From PYP8 through to DP2, students asked to provide their own laptop, Mac or Chromebook and Windows based laptops to augment their learning and experience.

Technology for Personalised Learning

Each child is unique, therefore their education should also be. We are creating technology to personalise the learning experience for our students based on their needs and interests. Through our technology platform, students can learn in their own time, at their own pace, and in the space of their preference. Through targeted insights, our teachers are able to customise their lesson plans to cater to the needs of each individual student.

In the Diploma Programme students can also elect to take one online course (via Pamoja) to augment and customize their learning experience.

Learning and Creativity Tools

The use of platforms such as Managebac, Raz-Kids, MyIMaths and Google Apps for Education help increase classroom engagement and creativity tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Finale, help to pursue their interests in music and design.

Pastoral care

The Codrington School attaches great importance to the well-being of its students and their pastoral care, in which home room teachers in the primary school and form room teachers in the middle and upper schools, the heads of school, all teachers and other employees of the school, as well as all members the Codrington community, play a part.

Pastoral care at the school is underpinned by four major principles:

1. We strive to ensure that our school environment is one of safety and that all students are able to learn in an environment where they feel safe, secure and valued.
2. We strive towards a student centered educational approach that gives individual attention to each child whilst supporting each child with guidance and encouragement.
3. We strive to encourage students to be internationally minded responsible learners. This encompasses a responsibility towards independent learning, towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a responsibility in how we interact with others and a respect for diversity within our community.
4. As a school we believe that a close collaboration between school and home is an essential element in helping our children develop into responsible adults, able to respond to the pressures they will inevitably face, particularly through the often difficult teenage years. Together we can see their strengths, anticipate problems and encourage them, by means of open communication, to build good relationships with their peers and adults. This relationship between home and school has to be one of mutual partnership. The Codrington School strives for excellence in its communication to all members of the community and aims to build a strong dialogue between home and school.

The positive ethos of the school, the high expectations of all members of faculty and staff, the class and form community, community clubs, a programme of assemblies, health and social education lessons and enrichment activities all contribute to this and help encourage a sense of community and belonging.

Each student is seen as an important member of a close-knit ‘family’ and it is expected that older students look to the welfare of younger children within the school community, providing a positive role-model as well as assisting and helping them in their daily school routine.