We take mistakes as a natural thing that moves us forward. That’s why we don’t punish them with a grade reduction or a black dot. Instead, we help children realize the mistake and correct it. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without mistakes – they show us where to improve. But it is important that children are motivated by the desire to grow and discover. Not the fear of being punished for failure. At Livingston, we always follow the path of positive motivation so that every child experiences success with us.

It also annoyed us at the base when we had to memorize things and recite learned definitions in front of the blackboard. Now we can change that. And so we prefer to let children think, look for connections and find answers to questions. It’s not just that learning is more efficient and fun. The development of critical thinking becomes an important prerequisite for application in the information society. In our reading and writing workshops, children from the first grade learn reading literacy. Children are exposed to the Hejné method from the first grade, and at the same time we can also offer other approaches.

Teaching from the age of 8 is not good for children’s biorhythms. It is proven that at 8 o’clock children are not yet fully ready to perceive. That’s why we start brainstorming at the stroke of nine.

We look for meaning behind everything we do. Our teachers not only impart skills and knowledge to the children, but also explain to them what they will be useful for. That is why, for example, in mathematics we do not count examples without context, but instead set up a virtual store or buy goods. When children understand why they are learning the subject, they are motivated to learn even more. We believe that children are competent beings, so we create an environment where children achieve their goals, work independently and go through activities from start to finish. Meaningfulness and an empowering approach help children and us adults to build internal motivation.

We don’t have “A’s” or “B’s”. Actually, we don’t have classic classes at all, but we learn in mixed age groups. After several years of experience with mixed classes, we see that they allow children to learn faster and more effectively from their classmates, and it is easier to build a good classroom climate in them. Most of the time, children are in classes with two adults. Two adults thus have the opportunity to effectively manage the class, individualize teaching and attend to the specific needs of the children. There is a maximum of 16 children in one group.

In Livingston, children also participate in making the rules. Thanks to this, they naturally understand them as their own and do not feel the need to define themselves against them. This makes our school an environment full of mutual understanding and trust, where everyone feels safe.

For us, computers and iPads are a real teaching tool, and not just a fun diversion or a digital textbook. With their help, we teach children to think critically, work with information and its resources, and create. iPads here help children to develop their own creativity and try things that would not be possible without them. Modern technologies and work with them form a sophisticated system throughout the school, the like of which you would find in few Czech schools. We leave mobile phones locked in the locker.

Adults are children’s partners in education here. We treat children as equals, we respect their individuality and uniqueness. That’s why we all touch each other. And rather than teachers, we simply call ourselves “adults”.

We don’t raise kids to be solo players. We teach them mutual communication and conflict resolution. When someone breaks the rules, we decide together how to correct the situation. We lead children to responsibility and with the help of individual plans we teach them to work with time and the goals they have set for themselves. We believe that soft skills are at least as important as Czech or mathematics.

Do you also remember how it felt unfair to grade PE or singing? After all, each of us has a talent for something else, someone sings excellently and feels the rhythm, but can’t even run a kilometer. Now imagine that it’s exactly the same with math or reading. We find it unfair and completely unnecessary to grade children when the grade is based on some artificially set boundary that is the same for all children and does not respect their natural talents or handicaps. That’s why we use a system of feedback, self-assessment and, for older children, percentages that reflect how well the child has tackled the given problem within their own capabilities.

We also pursue education outside the school walls. At least once a month we go on an interesting excursion, and thus we manage to slowly connect theoretical knowledge with practice already at the first level. In addition, we take trips for new experiences or sometimes go for a run in nature. Our teachers go to other schools for inspiration.

When we built the school, we mainly thought about making the children feel good in it. So we bought the latest equipment, installed healthy lighting and bought ergonomic furniture. We have a playroom, a gym, a studio, a practice kitchen, a school yard on the roof. And to be environmentally friendly, we heat the school using recuperation. When the sun is shining, we cool off with the air conditioning, or we head out to study in our spacious garden with our own facilities.

Native speakers at ZŠ Livingston ensure that English is a regular part of the day. We even teach non-linguistic subjects in the form of CLIL and we also offer various optional English workshops. In this way, contact with language becomes completely natural for children. Our children also learn English in Czech-English clubs.

With us, the family is not a “storage place” for children that no one has time for, but a full-fledged connection to education with lots of activities and possibilities. Children choose what they enjoy the most and thus continue to develop their potential. Everything happens under one roof, so parents don’t have to transport their children anywhere to the clubs. The overall concept of the group follows the morning part of the day and allows children to rest, have fun or do their homework in peace.