EARLY YEARS

The period from age three to the end of the reception is described as the Foundation Stage. Children start in our Early Years from three years of age and join the reception class between the ages of four to five years. The Early Years Class is staffed by one teacher and a classroom assistant. The Reception Class is staffed by one teacher and a classroom assistant. This enables individualized attention and effective class management.

Since Early Childhood Education is crucial stage of life, we aim at developing a child's physical, intellectual, emotional and social well being. Our goal is to provide opportunities so that each child may progress and develop at his/her own pace in all areas of his/life.

The staff at Braeside Early Years aims to see the child develop as a whole person within his/her family and community in order to develop his/her abilities as an individual. We also value childhood as its own stage in life and create a child-centered environment for them. We plan and teach appropriate activities based on the Early Learning Goals set out by the British National Curriculum, thus providing a sound basis for lifelong learning. We integrate Early Years education and childcare, which will make a positive contribution to children's early development.

In all aspects of education, play is integrated extensively through the curriculum. All children have the same essential needs for the support of their growth and development. Play for young children is active; it involves learning through their senses and can be supported and enhanced where adults and peers play too. We also know the importance of developing relationship with parents and guardians. Therefore, we have good working relationship with them to clearly communicate the progress and needs of their children.

We do this by sending letters home to parents or guardians, by communicating through students' diaries, by inviting parents to discuss their child's progress or ways that they can support them at home, and by involving parents or guardians in school activities such as Sports Day, Open Day, Fun Day, assemblies and Parents' Meetings.

CURRICULUM 
The National Curriculum as laid down in the programmes of study for Key Stage 1 and 2 should be taught to the great majority of pupils in ways appropriate to their abilities.

From the small number of pupils who may need learning support, appropriate material may be selected to enable individual pupils to progress and demonstrate achievement. Such material should be presented in contexts suitable to the pupil's age. Judgment of progress and achievement is made in relation to the level descriptions.

THE STRUCTURE OF NATIONAL CURRICULUM
In both Key Stages, the National Curriculum is divided into two broad categories namely (i) Core subjects and (ii) Foundational subjects.

CORE SUBJECTS:

(1) ENGLISH (Literacy)
At each Key Stage (1 & 2) the requirements cover Speaking and listening, Reading and Writing. 

Teaching is built on the links between the above aspects even though some aspects of each category are distinctive. This is facilitated by the fact that language development depends on their interrelatedness. The child's knowledge, skills and understanding is developed alongside the relevant parts of the range as outlined in the breadth of study. The most recent requirement about teaching English in the National Curriculum is through the National Literacy Strategy Framework for teaching which offers detailed guidance on planning and implementing programmes of study for reading and writing for pupils aged five to eleven. Some aspects of speaking and listening can also be integrated in to this teaching.

Assessment
Attainment targets for English set out the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils of different abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each key stage. These targets consist of 8 levels of descriptions of increasing difficulty plus a description for exceptional performance. Each level description describes the types and range of performance that pupils working at that level should characteristically demonstrate. These levels provide basis for making judgments about pupils' performance at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 when pupils are examined during SAT's.

(2) MATHEMATICS (Numeracy)
Being a core subject, the knowledge, skills and understanding in the programmes of study identify the main aspects of mathematics in which pupils make progress. These aspects are:

At Key Stage 1: Number; Shape, space and measures. 

At Key Stage 2: Number (multiplication, subtraction etc); Shape space and measures (volume, area); Handling data (graphs, pie-chart etc).

In each Key Stage, there are requirements for using and applying mathematics. Just like in English, appropriate connections are made between different aspects of mathematics (number, shapes, space, measures, handling data). These aspects are developed through a range of practical activities using mathematical ideas set out in the breadth of study in the programme of study.

Similarly, there are recent requirements in teaching mathematics through the numeracy strategy in other key stages.

Assessment
Mathematics has 4 attainment targets:

Using and applying mathematics. 
Number and algebra. 
Shape, space and measures. 
Handling data. 
Assessment is done using attainment targets and level descriptions (see English assessment).

(3) SCIENCE
The Science programme of study identifies four areas of science that pupils study. These areas are:

Science enquiry
Life processes and living things. 
Materials and their properties. 
Physical processes. 
The teaching ensures that scientific enquiry is taught through contexts taken from the sections on life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical process.

The breadth of study identifies contexts in which science is taught, makes clear that technological applications are studied and identifies what is taught about communication and health and safety in science.

Assessment
(See English and Mathematics assessment)

NOTE:
The core subjects have a cross-curricula link with each other as well as some foundation subjects. They are not therefore taught in isolation. The three subjects are the only examinable subjects at the end of Key Stage 2 national exams (SATs) whereas the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) the examinable areas are English (Literacy) and Mathematics (Numeracy).

(ii) FOUNDATION SUBJECTS

They consist of: 

Geography and History (Humanities). 
French/Kiswahili (Foreign Languages). 
Information Communication Technology (ICT). 
Physical Education (P.E.) and Games. 
Religious Education/PSE (Personal and Social Education). 
Music. 
Swimming. 

The programmes of study of each foundation subject set out what pupils should be taught in both Key Stage 1 & 2.

The teaching approach in Geography and History takes a comparative nature e.g. In Key Stage 1, pupils investigate their local area and a contrasting area in the United Kingdom or abroad. (Programme of study: Geography attainment target 1 - Geography enquiry and skills).

The above subjects form a very close link with ICT and within their programmes of study ICT opportunities are provided. Just like the core subjects, foundation subjects show cross-curricula links with other subjects either within the category or with the core subjects.

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