But What is M.A.P.?
You know there is something wrong in your school when sport is solely about winning at all costs and cookery is about bringing home cookies and cakes in a Tupperware box. We all love to win and we all enjoy a cookie, but teaching these subjects separately misses a great opportunity to explore valuable links between the fuel we put in our bodies and the way we then burn it, and to teach life lessons that will apply to everyone and not just the A team.
The Great Ballard MAP curriculum aims to address this issue by encompassing mental, academic and physical wellbeing lessons. This innovative programme is designed to teach our students how to look after themselves, each other and the planet, and prepare them for life's challenges. Our wellbeing programme is just one strand of our innovative curriculum which also teaches self-regulation, metacognition, entrepreneurship and oracy alongside a strong, traditional academic core, and these entwined curricula empower students to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
The Heart of a Holistic Education
Our MAP curriculum is taught jointly between the Food & Nutrition Department and Physical Education Department. Students learn not just how to cook but how to grow; how the choices they make impact upon their physical and mental wellbeing. They learn the importance of balance, they plan and budget and they understand the links between diet, exercise and how they feel.
During the physical half of their curriculum, they create personal fitness plans; they learn lifesaving in the pool and basic first aid; they act as coaches and mentors and plan events for younger students. And all these activities promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle; of being proactive in managing physical and mental wellbeing and learning both independent skills and how to work collaboratively. By focusing on mental, academic, and physical wellbeing, we create a nurturing environment where students can truly flourish.
Academic Wellbeing: A Foundation for Success
In an ever-changing world, we recognise that academic wellbeing goes beyond grades and test scores. It's about fostering a love for learning and equipping students with the skills they need to succeed.
Our curriculum emphasises critical thinking and problem-solving skills, encouraging students to ask questions, challenge ideas and think creatively. MAP lessons also ensure pupils of all ages are involved in practical, hands-on learning and spend time outside – exercising or working together in the school vegetable gardens.
Project-based learning and real-world applications make MAP relevant and engaging. Students learn how to apply knowledge in meaningful ways: organising events; creating products to sell and planning healthy snacks or mindfulness exercises to support them through revision or exam periods.
MAP enhances all curriculum areas, helping students to thrive academically and emotionally both now and in the future. That’s why these lessons remain part of our curriculum right up to GCSE and why MAP forms part of the life-skills elements we assess for our Great Ballard Diploma. We believe that MAP isn’t just a bolt-on to academic lessons, it is an integral part of equipping our students with the skills they need to become resilient young adults.
You may miss those cakes at first, but when they start cooking healthy three course meals, selling produce from the garden and organising mountain biking trips for the whole family, you will start to see the difference that MAP is making and the way it can enrich all of your lives.