Our academics are particularly strong in our Early Years department. By the end of reception (pre-K), our students will be reading and writing independently. Similarly, we focus on building a strong foundation in math. We teach ‘mastery’ which means that students really understand the meaning behind numbers and learn tactics to help them work out math problems quickly and fluently.
The English system is particularly helpful to teachers because it focuses on developmental stages that students should be hitting throughout the weeks, months, and years that they are with us. Our teachers monitor students’ progress, record, and report back to parents each term. We can see where a student is excelling, meeting standards or perhaps where they need some support. This reporting is done across all areas of development which gives teachers and parents an accurate view of where the student is and what areas may need focused on. While some students may be excelling physically or linguistically, they may need extra attention in another area. This system is particularly helpful to our teachers when they are planning lessons so that they can ensure each individual student has a differentiated learning journey.
The English National Curriculum in the Early Years focuses on seven areas of development. These are:
- communication and language,
- personal, social, and emotional development,
- physical development,
- literacy,
- math,
- understanding the world,
- expressive arts and design
The first three are the core areas of development which are given more focus in the Early Years. The main idea behind this is that a happy, confident, and secure child, who can communicate, understands their place within the classroom, will be ready and able to learn better.
Differentiation
Our teachers work hard to ensure that each student learns at their own pace and is challenged at whatever level they are at. We ensure engaged and motivated students by following student’s interests as much as possible in class. Each student can choose freely what they play with each day because the classroom toys and materials are all laid out in the classroom within their reach. We place a strong emphasis on independence and this fosters strong and confident learners within our school.
Our teaching in every year group in the school is not limited by a rigid curriculum and so a student who is ready and able to learn will always be challenged. We have had students who are three or four years old who are reading at the level of a six year old, and we ensure that these students are given adequate challenge as well as focused attention from a teacher who will make sure that their learning continues.
Collaborations, facilities, and co-curricular activities
Not only do our students have access to outstanding teachers, and curricula, but they also have the use of a beautiful and bright playroom as well as rooftop playground, large sized gym and dance, drama and music spaces. We seek to further build on our offer by having a varied selection of classes in our after-school program. Students and their parents can choose between academic, sporting, and artistic classes that include: ‘Ooey Gooey Science’, tennis, Mandarin, and ballet, among others. As well as this, our students also have access to our Juilliard program through their music classes, and from Year 1 (Kindergarten), drama and dance is added to the curriculum along with art. Our students across the whole school also benefit from our collaboration with MIT which brings together all areas of learning in project-based STEAM learning challenges that classes work on throughout the school year.
Working with our families as a team
We recognize that in the Early Years especially, it is important to have good lines of communication established between home and school. Our 2s families receive a daily sheet which reports back to parents about their child that day. Families of students throughout the school also receive daily photo updates through an app as well as an email from their teacher each week. We work hard to ensure that our families are supported and knowledgeable about their children’s learning and believe that by working together, we will ensure the best outcome for our students.