Nord Anglia International School Al Barsha 3 Hessa St (D61) and Mohammad bin Zayed Road Dubai United Arab Emirates School Management Office: Office 1, Floor 0, Arenco Tower Dubai Media City Main Desk: +971 (0) 4 361 4330 admissions@nainternationalschool.ae facebook.com/nainternationalschooldubai
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T H E E A R LY Y E A R S fou n dat i o n sta g e CURRICULUM AT
N O R D A NG L I A IN T E R N A T I O N A L SCHOOL DUBAI
The Early Years Curriculum
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Contents
A Note to Parents 6 Overview 8
The Seven Areas of Learning and Development
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Areas For Learning in the EYFS Curriculum
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Assessment 13 Positive Relationships: The Role of Our Staff
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Planning and Personalised Learning 18
Trips, Special Days and Visitors 19 Enabling Environments: Classroom Layout 22 Specialist Subjects 23 Language Other Than English (LOTE) 25 Communication 27 Daily Communication 28 Weekly Communication 29 Additional Information and Correspondence 31
Parent Events 32 Parental Support and Communication 34 Expectations for the end of EYFS 37
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Overview
In EYFS, our aim is that children will develop a strong sense of self, feel positive about their abilities as a learner, form constructive relationships and become confident communicators. We will follow the EYFS framework, which is statutory in the UK. In doing this, we are adopting a curriculum which entirely follows the British education system and provides children with the best possible start to their schooling by: Setting high standards for the learning, development and care of our children, ensuring that every child makes progress and that no child is left behind. Creating a partnership between parents and educators in which regular communication and mutual support is fundamental. Laying a secure foundation for future learning through learning and development that is planned around the individual needs and interests of the child, and informed by the use of ongoing observational assessment. Giving each child the opportunity to excel within an international community; no matter culture, language or ability.
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The Seven Areas of Learning and Development There are 7 areas of learning: 3 prime areas which are used as the main focus for planning and activities with the 4 specific areas focusing on traditional educational areas. We use the 7 areas of learning and development when we are observing, assessing and planning for your child’s individual needs. The areas of learning and development make sure that we are constantly challenging your child and helping them to develop and succeed. If you have any questions about any part of the EYFS, please do not hesitate to ask!
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Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances.
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Areas for Learning in the EYFS Curriculum
Prime Areas This area of learning and development is about how your child‌
Personal, social and emotional development
Is confident and self assured, Manages their feelings and behaviour, Makes friends, Shares and takes turns.
This area of learning and development is about how your child‌
Physical development
Moves and uses gross motor skills, Develops fine motor skills, Learns about healthy living, Manages self care independently.
This area of learning and development is about how your child‌
Communication and language
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Listens and pays attention, Understands what is being said, Communicates with others, Develops vocabulary and speech.
Areas for Learning in the EYFS Curriculum
Specific Areas This area of learning and development is about how your child…
Literacy
Enjoys reading books, Likes making marks, Learns to write, Starts to explore phonics and letter sounds.
This area of learning and development is about how your child…
Mathematics
Learns about numbers and counting, Recognises the passing of time, Explores measures, capacity, space, shapes, opposites etc. during play.
This area of learning and development is about how your child…
Understanding the World
Finds out about nature and the world around them, Talks about people and their local community and learns about similarities and differences, Learns to confidently use Computer Science equipment.
This area of learning and development is about how your child…
Art and Design
Enjoys being creative, Sings, dances and makes music, Plays imaginatively, Uses colour to express themselves.
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Assessment
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Assessment
Assessment plays a crucial role in effective education. We believe this whole heartedly and have a wide range of assessment systems in place to track and respond to children’s learning. The types of assessments may include: Timed observations of individual children to track their movements around the learning environment, periods of time for which they remain at activities and peers with whom they interact. Planned observations in which children will work in groups, or individually, with a teacher and have their learning assessed against a set of criteria. Informal or spontaneous observations when working independently, a child may make a link in their learning or a comment to someone which gives insight into their understanding. Photographs of children engaged in a range of activities, often with a comment or quote attached by the teacher. Examples of work from all areas of the curriculum can be one of the most useful pieces of assessment evidence.
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Assessment
Each child has a ‘Learning Journal’ in which such assessment information is kept. This is an individual book which may be accessed by the child, teacher or parents at any time. Parents and children are encouraged to look at this working document over the year; discussing successes, building pride and considering areas for development. Parents are also invited to bring in any work or information from home which may feed into their child’s Learning Journal. Provided that this work was achieved independently, it will be added to the child’s Journal, making this folder a true reflection of their development during the Early Years Foundation Stage. Each section of the Learning Journal contains statements referring to the seven areas of learning and development. A child will progress at different speeds through the different areas of learning and development and will be further ahead in some when compared to others – this is normal and expected.
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Positive Relationships: The Role of Our Staff
The teachers and teaching assistants are our greatest and most important resource at NAS Dubai . It is through the warm and supportive interactions with our teachers that children develop in all areas of curriculum. Teachers will help children move ahead in their development by asking questions and helping them do alone what they need help to do now. Each day our staff will lead an activity in which all children are involved, will work with a small group of children at an activity of their choosing, or work with an individual child. Each child in Nursery has a Key Person, who is their main pastoral care giver at school.
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Planning and Personalised Learning
Within Early Years, we try to follow children’s interests as much as possible, which empowers them as learners and increases motivation. There are a range of topics which may be covered in Nursery and Reception over each academic year such as: Transport, Celebrations, Under the Sea, Traditional Tales, Weather, Dinosaurs, Minibeasts. However, there is no hard-and-fast rule about which topics are followed when, as children’s own interests may shift as they develop. What is important at this stage of their development is not so much what their topic is, but rather how they are accessing it. Familiarity can encourage children to feel more confident and secure, take greater risks in their learning and make more connections. Whatever the topic, children will constantly be gaining new skills and teachers will be asking differentiated, open-ended questions which will allow each child to gain deeper understanding of the world around them and their place in it. Within topics, each area of the curriculum is interconnected in order that children feel truly immersed and can make links within their learning. A child who has been reluctant to write, but has a fascination with vehicles, may suddenly pick up a pen on a daily basis when given the chance to role-play in the ‘car mechanics shop’, taking orders for new parts.
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Trips, Special Days and Visitors
Throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage children may experience a range of external trips and visitors to school. Some of these trips may be local, such as trips to the shops to use money or to meet the local community. Others may be further afield, taking advantage of the exciting place in which we live. As hands-on experiences, trips offer great learning opportunities, not only whilst actually on the trip, but also when building up to them. Children can discuss what they will need to bring and write letters home asking for support with this from parents, research can be carried out on the internet, questions children would like answered can be decided upon and recorded, posters advertising for helpers can be designed, safety and behaviour considered as a class and, after the trip has taken place, thank you letters can be written – providing a real purpose for the writing task. Children will also experience a wide range of exciting whole-school events over the course of the year. We are always keen to invite parents and family members into school to share their expertise and their cultural experiences with us to enhance the children’s learning.
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Enabling Environments: Classroom Layout
Each Foundation Stage classroom has number of different areas set up to ensure that our children have easy access to a range of resources and opportunities across the 7 areas of learning. These include: Outdoor areas: used for exploring larger movements, planting, circle games, climbing and cycling, making tents and sharing books, etc. Creative areas: free creative expression with cutting and pasting, collage and paint. Book Corner: sharing and enjoying books with others in a cosy spot. Role play: make-believe, dressing up and trying out different roles and scenarios. Writing and Drawing area: free expression and experimentation through drawing, trying out their own writing and becoming confident “mark makers”. Manipulatives: fine motor skills development though puzzles, beads, weaving, etc. Sand and water: experiencing and experimenting with different equipment and materials. Carpet area: working with the whole class on storytelling, sharing a class book or having Circle Time. Technology centre: ipads, smartboards, computers and Lego technology allows children to understand and respect technology of today. The classroom layout will change from time to time as the children show particular interests which the teacher will then follow i.e. if some of the children are really interested in pets, a Vet’s Surgery may be set up for their learning in this area.
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Specialist Subjects
Children will have a range of specialist teachers, in addition to their class teachers, who will work with them each week. Foreign languages are delivered on a regular basis by well-trained, native speaking staff who also speak English. Children are engaged with their learning and supported in these new languages through the use of songs, daily routines, visual aids, stories and ‘call and response’ games as well as hands on activities. The languages offered will be Chinese, French, German or Spanish. Children will also have an introduction to Arabic. Music lessons are experienced by all year groups in their classrooms or, once settled, in well-equipped specialist rooms. Concepts are explored through song and exploration of musical instruments with children encouraged to perform and interact both individually and in groups. Reception class children learn to play the recorder. Music is also an integral part of the Early Years curriculum each day with songs being used as a basis for teaching in many areas. PE is a specialist subject in EYFS and the children will have weekly PE lessons. They will start by developing their spatial awareness skills and move onto lesson blocks in which they practise ball skills and games, dance and responding to music and gymnastics including the use of large and small equipment. Swimming lessons are provided for all children at NAS Dubai, including those in Early Years. The lessons are based around building confidence and understanding of safety in the water through games and simple instruction.
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Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role- play, and design and technology.
The curriculum for Nursery and Reception children will help develop correct body position, aqautic breathing and an introduction to the strokes; all through water play, with aided and unaided learning.
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Language Other Than English Program - LOTE
Teaching Methodology LOTE teaching in EYFS is conducted in a vivid way, under an immersion philosophy of language and culture in and outside of the school environment. A variety of curriculum-based activities are adopted in the LOTE class to ensure that languages are delivered not only in a studentfriendly way but also through a rather serious systematic and consistent curriculum. How to help at home There are various ways for parents to help your child in LOTE study, whether it is to lead your child through the first stage of learning or it is to encourage your child in continuing enhancement in literature. You may do the following, whether you are a native speaker or not. Your attention, encouragement and participation are great support to your child’s LOTE learning, especially when they are having difficulties. You may show your interests in language and culture by learning LOTE together with your child or entering a community cultural class like cooking or painting, etc. Make full use of the local resources, e.g. encourage your child to make local friends, visit local families, participate in community activities and take part in dialogues in situations like shopping, eating in restaurants, taking a taxi, etc. Check your child’s LOTE homework regularly. Ask your child to explain to you what he/she did. Spend some time shopping for LOTE books and read them together with your child. For a native speaker, you can encourage your child to write for a variety of purposes under certain circumstances, such as cards for holiday seasons, letters for families, e-mails to friends, notes for teachers or recipes for different uses, etc.
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Communication
At Nord Anglia International School Dubai, we greatly value working in partnership with parents and carers to ensure the very best for your children. As part of this, we place a strong emphasis on opening up many avenues of communication between parents and teachers.
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Daily Communication
Daily Communication When you drop your child off in the morning or collect him/her at the end of the day, it is a good opportunity for you to convey any important information to the teacher about your child (i.e. if your child didn’t sleep well last night, really loved their new library book or sang a new song for dad). Similarly, the teacher may have a quick message to convey to you too. The children each have a Communication Book that travels with them between home and school. This offers the opportunity for daily correspondence as required. The teachers check the books everyday to see if there are any messages from parents and will reply accordingly. Similarly, if there is anything significant that the teacher feels they would like you to know about, (for example if your child received a star award certificate, made a significant leap forward in their learning, wet themselves or slept significantly), then they would write a short note in this book. Email In addition to this, you will be given the teacher’s email address and can email them at any time. Emails are checked regularly throughout the day and will be replied as soon as possible.
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Weekly Communication
Weekly Communication Weekly information is placed into the Communication Book, relevant to that specific week. The teacher writes a short overview of the topic for the week ahead. This will also identify some of the activities that your child may be doing and perhaps inform you of any specific requirements for the week. The specialist teachers of music, languages and PE may also contribute to this to make you aware of what the children will be doing in the subject specific lessons. Weekly Newsletter article Every Thursday, one of the teachers from the EYFS writes an article for the weekly school newsletter. This includes a summary of the week and photos celebrating what the Early Years Foundation Stage children have done throughout the week. Photographs Photos are taken regularly in class some of which are shared via email; so please make sure your child’s class teacher has your up-to-date email address.
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Additional Information and Correspondence
You will also be issued with:
Three official NAS school reports per year Each term you will receive a full written report on your child’s progress and attainment.
An Early Years Foundation Stage Handbook This describes aspects of the every day organisation of Nursery and Reception classes.
Class Timetable This timetable indicates which activity your child is doing at what time during the week. This is glued into the back of the Communication Book.
Termly curriculum letter This is sent out to parents three times a year and is an overview of what the year group will be addressing each term.
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Parent Events
September Curriculum Evening This is a presentation at the beginning of each academic year where you will get the opportunity to meet all the teachers and TA’s and hear about our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and organisation.
Parents’ evenings These take place 3 times a year and give you the opportunity to talk oneto-one with the teacher about your child’s progress, development and targets.
Phonics workshop This is a presentation that shares ideas about reading, phonics, letters and sounds in our curriculum, as well as how we can help at home. As part of this we will be offering you a “Helping Hand” book, which gives you a range of things you can do to support your child at home.
Open door policy We are very pleased and willing to meet to discuss anything parents should wish to address. Please just let the teachers know and we can arrange a time that is agreeable to both parties.
Parent workshops These are run around the 7 areas of learning to allow you and your child time together on activities relating to these areas.
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Parental Support and Communication
In addition to using the communication channels you can also support your child and their teachers, in various ways: Talk to your child about their day by using precise questions: What did you learn today? Who did you play with? What did you have to try really hard at in school today? What did you make with the blocks today? Give your child boundaries and routines that they need to accept e.g. bedtimes, mealtimes, acceptable behaviour, etc. Include them in adult conversations. Encourage their independence with toileting, hand washing, dressing, and eating. All children will be expected to feed themselves with a fork and spoon sitting at a table. Have a go at suggested activities from the weekly emails. Read and look at books together every day. Have a big, healthy breakfast every day before school. Have early nights every day after school as children often need more sleep once they start school. Clothes, school bag, snack box, spare change of clothes, sun hat should all be labelled. Nappies and Toilet Training: We would expect that all children are toilet trained before they start in Nursery.
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Parental Support and Communication
If Your Child is Unwell If your child is unwell they need to stay at home and rest until they are well again. Please call or email school to let us know. If a child vomits, has a temperature or has diarrhoea they should not come into school for 24 hours after the last attack to ensure they are fully recovered. If your child is better, but is finishing their medication for an illness, the medicine needs to be given to the school nurse for her to administer and your child’s class teacher informed. Uniform Uniform is worn by all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It has been specially designed with the needs of young children in mind. You will receive a list of compulsory items prior to the start of the year. Please contact us with any further questions that you may have.
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Expectations for the end of the EYFS
By the end of Reception Year, most children should be able to: • Say numbers one to fifty • Count up to 15 objects reliably • Recognise the written numbers 1 to 20 • Use words to compare e.g. more, less, greater, smaller, heavier, lighter • Find 1 more of 1 less than any number from 1 to 10 • Add 2 small groups of objects with a total of 10 or less • Count how many are left when some objects are taken away • Make simple patterns and talk about them • Name 2D and 3D shapes such as circle, square, triangle, rectangle, cube, cone, sphere • Use words to describe position such as over, under, above, below, on, in, next to, beside.
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Expectations for the end of the EYFS
There are 12 areas that make up the various aspects of literacy for Reception Year. Literacy is a massive subject area and is obviously of extreme importance in your child’s development. Do bear in mind these are only guides to performance. At this very young age there will be a wide range of abilities within each class. • Speaking • Listening and responding • Group discussion, interaction • Drama • Word recognition • Word structure, spelling • Understand and interpret texts • Engage with, respond to texts • Creating and shaping texts • Text structure and organisation • Sentence structure, punctuation • Presentation
Speaking • Enjoy listening to and using spoken and written language and readily turn to it in play and learning • Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events • Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences • Speak clearly and audibly with confidence and control and show awareness of the listener • Extend their vocabulary, exploring the meanings and sounds of new words
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Expectations for the end of the EYFS
Listening and Responding • Listen with enjoyment and respond to stories, songs and other music, rhymes and poems and make up their own stories, songs, rhymes and poems • Sustain attentive listening, responding to what they have heard by relevant comments, questions or actions • Extend their vocabulary, exploring meanings and sounds of new words Group discussion, interaction • Interact with others, negotiating plans and activities and taking turns in conversation • Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events Drama Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experience Word recognition • Explore and experiment with sounds, words and text • Link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet • Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are formed correctly • Hear and say sounds in words in the order in which they occur • Read simple words by sounding out and blending the phonemes all through the word from left to right. Children move from reading simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words such as ‘cat’ and bus to longer CCVC words such as ‘clap’ and ‘stop’, and CVCC words as ‘fast’ and ‘milk’ • Recognise common digraphs • Read some high frequency words • Use phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and make phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words • Read a range of familiar and common words and simple sentences independently • Read texts compatible with their phonic knowledge and skills • Read and write one grapheme for each of the 44 phonemes
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Expectations for the end of the EYFS
Word structure, spelling Use phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and make phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words Understand and interpret texts • Know that print carries meaning and, in English, is read from left to right and top to bottom • Extend their vocabulary, exploring the meaning and sounds of new words • Show an understanding of the elements of stories, such as main character, sequence of events, and openings, and how information can be found in nonfiction texts to answer questions about where, who, why and how • Retell narratives in the correct sequence, drawing on the language patterns of stories Engage with, respond to texts • Listen with enjoyment to stories, songs, rhymes and poems, sustain attentive listening and respond with relevant comments, questions and actions • Show an understanding of the elements of stories, such as main character, sequence of events, and openings and how information can be found in nonfiction texts to answer questions about where, who, why and how • Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences Creating and shaping texts Attempt writing for various purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions. Text structure and organisation Attempt writing for various purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions. Sentence structure, punctuation Write their own names and other things such as labels and captions and begin to form simple sentences sometimes using punctuation. Presentation Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.
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