Narrative Immersion

A Curriculum of Narrative Immersions

 Teaching and Learning in the Imaginary World of Stories through Dramatic Play

At St Thomas’ our shared vision is to focus on empowering all learners to learn for life. We are all fully committed to delivering a narrative immersion approach, which puts stories and drama at the heart of our curriculum.

How do stories help develop learners?

• Support pupils to develop key life skills.
• Develop children’s thinking skills.
• Teach children facts, concepts and skills that accelerate their learning in a number of curriculum areas.
• Explore, enjoy and teach about language.
• Develop many aspects of emotional intelligence.

Why narrative immersion?

• It enables thematic teaching which helps embed literacy.
• Provides a vehicle for a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Is designed to accommodate coverage of many areas of the curriculum in depth.
• Builds broad conceptual and social frameworks into young minds and hearts.
• Enables pupils to grasp the art of story-telling.
• Develops a language rich environment.
• Provides a context for learning and gives it added value and purpose.

Narrative immersion is providing a context for the development of:

• Thinking skills
• Emotional intelligence
• The dispositions of independent learning

Without these skills to underpin their educational and life-skill development pupils will struggle to:

• work in groups;
• to carry out research;
• manage relationships;
• resolve conflict peacefully;
• solve problems;
• develop self-discipline;
• manage time and deadlines;
• speak out;
• think independently and creatively.

We all need these skills in the exponential technological age of the 21st century.

This is the basis of life-long learning.