Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1 consists of Year 1 and Year 2.
Year 1
In Year 1, we will continue your child’s progress in FS2. We try hard to ensure that your child’s transition is smooth and fun. We encourage all children to become independent, walk into school alone, get ready for morning activities, etc., without assistance.
In Literacy, the teachers will ensure that your child knows and understands key skills. For example, writing well-structured sentences, using full stops, capital letters and finger spaces. In addition, they will look at fairy tales, fiction and nonfiction texts with various other areas, adjectives, basic punctuation, and grammar.
They will follow the White Rose Maths program in Maths, covering all areas of the National British Curriculum. Together, we are building a new culture of deep understanding, confidence and competence in Maths – a culture that produces robust and secure learning and real progress. No matter their starting points, we help our students achieve excellence.
All lessons within Year 1 are planned to be fun and engaging, ensuring hands-on learning is a priority. At the start of the year, we will use continuous provision areas. Continuous provision was developed in FS2 to enhance child-initiated learning. Specific learning objectives were planned for shared activity areas. In addition, plans are adapted to incorporate outdoor activities.
Overall, perhaps the most crucial aspect of this year is children’s increasing independence and confidence in what they can achieve at school. Your child will be encouraged to think about their learning. The teacher will encourage them to think for themselves and take responsibility for their learning.
Year 2
In Year 2, teachers encourage children to develop a critical way of thinking. Children, whilst taking into account other pupils’ ideas and perspectives, are independently encouraged to build on new and existing developmental strategies and thought processes. As a result, we ensure children are steered towards independent, caring and compassionate ways of learning.
Throughout Year 2, there are exciting hands-on activities and children are allowed to become fully immersed in their learning through various platforms. For example, in In Science, children can enhance scientific inquiry through experiments and observations. Topic lessons are equally enthralling as children learn about globally discussed topics, present and past, from global citizenship to my identity.
Within our core subjects of English and Maths, children are challenged in their way of thinking. They are encouraged to view more than one solution to their problem and are expected to explore all possible avenues. Year 2 teachers are nurturing and compassionate to students allowing them to feel confident, safe, and happy. We encourage children to take an active role in learning.
In Year 2, children are shown how to access the curriculum in the most suitable way of learning through various methods and strategies most appropriate for them. We differentiate on teaching style, activities, and groups so your child can feel comfortable knowing they are in the right place and the education they receive is first class.
Subjects Year 1
English
Phonics
Mathematics
Science
Arabic
Islamic
Topic
Digital Literacy
PE
Music, Art and Drama
Continuous provision
Subjects Year 2
English
Phonics
Mathematics
Science
Arabic
Islamic
Social Studies
Topic
PE
ICT
Music Art and Drama
Moral Education
Literacy KS1
Big Writing provides a school with a comprehensive model that ensures teachers and children know what they can and can’t do, identifying gaps to inform the next steps in teaching and learning accurately. Big Writing is an approach to teaching writing and raising writing standards that focuses on:
The importance of TALK and oral rehearsal
Accurate basic skills – spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting.
Regular and meaningful assessment and target setting.
High expectations for all pupils.
We are giving writing a purpose and making it fun!
Phonics
There has been a considerable shift in UK schools over the past few years in how we teach reading. This has a significant impact and helps many children learn to read and spell. Phonics is recommended as the first strategy children should be taught to help them learn to read. It runs alongside other teaching methods such as Guided Reading and Shared Reading. It helps children develop all the other vital reading skills and hopefully gives them a genuine love of reading. We use Ruth Miskins’ Read Write Inc program at Belvedere British School.
Maths
In Key Stage 1, the principal focus of Maths teaching is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with place value, addition and subtraction, shapes, multiples, length and height, weight and volume, multiplication and division, fractions and money. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers. In addition, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including addition and subtraction, up to 20.
White Rose Maths is shaping assured, happy and resilient mathematicians who relish the challenge of Maths. They become independent, reflective thinkers whose skills not only liberate them in Maths but also support them across the curriculum. We’re committed to working together to be and give the best and make a difference to every pupil.
Assessment, Recording and Reporting
We have the highest expectations and each child has a personalised learning journey designed to challenge and support them.
The school has a rigorous assessment cycle and robust tracking systems to track progress in all subjects. These are kept under constant review and scrutiny by the Senior Leadership Team.
Pupil progress meetings are conducted with all class teachers to discuss progress and early action is taken to address any areas where a pupil’s progress is giving cause for concern. Parents also have an essential role in ensuring their child achieves their full potential. Parents will receive progress cards and are invited to attend performance review meetings covering their child’s academic progress, attendance, and behaviour.
There are ongoing informal assessments to move children’s learning daily in all lessons. In addition, your child will be formally assessed in all curriculum areas at the end of each term.
Co-Curricular Programme
Although Belvedere British School has academic excellence at its core, we firmly believe that a high-quality co-curricular programme enhances the learning experience beyond the curriculum and is an essential part of school life. A comprehensive programme of enrichment opportunities is offered for all our pupils, aimed at developing key personal skills, aptitudes, and specific interests and talents. They provide opportunities for pupils to try new things and are an excellent medium to foster good relationships between staff, pupils, and parents. They develop children’s social skills by providing a forum for interaction between children of different ages. In addition, our team offers various out-of-school activities such as football, swimming, gymnastics and art and crafts. The Co-Curricular Program changes every term to cater to all pupil’s interests.
More details will be provided before each new term.