Upper Key Stage 2 Year 5 and Year 6 Curriculum Guide The British International School Bratislava is the only school in Bratislava to produce consistently outstanding academic results and a unique personal enrichment programme with the Highest Quality Learning delivered on a Global Campus. Introduction Ages Years Key Stage 3 - 5 Nursery and Reception Early Years Foundation Stage 5 - 7 Year 1 - Year 2 Key Stage 1 7 - 11 Year 3 - Year 6 Key Stage 2 11 - 14 Year 7 - Year 9 Key Stage 3 14 - 16 Year 10 - Year 11 Key Stage 4 16 - 18 Year 12 - Year 13 International Baccalaureate In Key Stage 2, students are investigations and use their Primary School, we invite encouraged to continue to initiative. This guide is here parents to come and see the take more responsibility for to give you more information teachers in action and watch their own learning. We help about the curriculum children their children learn during our our students develop the skills study in Upper Key Stage 2 and parent ‘drop-in’ class visits. for independent learning, to help show how we prepare In addition, our Year 6 pupils reflection and self-assessment. our students for moving on to also give tours of the school so Personal and social skills Secondary School. you can hear about the school continue to be important from their point of view. At any so we give students the Reading about the curriculum time, if there is anything you are chance to lead and manage is no substitute for seeing unsure about, please ask. groups, run class meetings, and hearing it for yourself. give presentations, plan Throughout the year, in the UPPER KEY STAGE 2 - CURRICULUM GUIDE 3 Our Philosophy At the British International approach is based on the latest awareness and confidence. School Bratislava, your child educational and neuroscience Our 'Learner Profile' underpins will enjoy an education that research which proves that all this approach by identifying 10 challenges and excites. We children, if they are an active attributes valued by our school believe that every child has part of a thriving and inspiring which we explicitly teach our talents and our job is to help community of learners, children about. The children your child be ambitious can flourish and become will reflect on their learning, and make the most of their intellectually and socially set new targets and review the natural ability. We have high confident young adults. progress that they have made. expectations for our students and believe that, with high We care about all our students The Learner Profile identifies quality teaching and the right and we want the best for 10 qualities which we aim to individualised approach to them educationally and also develop in our young students learning, students can all socially and emotionally. We so that they become inquirers, achieve at a high level. think iťs important to educate knowledgeable, thinkers, the ‘whole child’. We equip communicators, principled, We help our students students with the knowledge, open-minded, caring, risk- understand what it is to be a skills and understanding takers, balanced and reflective. good learner and help them to take responsibility for recognise the different ways themselves, show respect they learn. This contemporary for others and develop self- 4 Our Curriculum in Years 5 and 6 With the English National and engaging in discussions. in Music, Drama, French or Curriculum as a guide, our Providing pupils with high German, Swimming, Skating, students are motivated to do quality learning activities Gymnastics and PE. Our Slovak well and take pride in their outside of the classroom is children learn Slovak, our learning. Using differentiated vital in helping pupils develop Korean children learn Korean teaching and modern personal skills and appreciate and others take Slovak Studies technologies, our teachers the world around them. During to find out more about their host promote high standards of Key Stage 2 we provide many country. achievement through creativity, opportunities for children to inquiry, collaboration and learn beyond the classroom We see parents as partners communication. and develop new skills through in the education of their participation in productions, children and establish strong Our thematic studies educational day visits, working relationships with are chosen to reflect the residential trips, themed days, them. Parents are encouraged international nature of our enrichment and after school to read every night with school. Themes often start with activities. These include field their children and support some kind of event, perhaps trips to the planetarium and them in their homework. All a trip, a visit from an expert or natural history museum, as well children are important to us a problem that needs solving. as residential trips to the Tatras and we delight in celebrating The theme will develop over and Austria. and sharing their many a period of weeks allowing for successes through assemblies, experimentation, investigation In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils newsletters, meetings or direct and the acquisition of also take specialist lessons communication with home. knowledge. The theme will finish with a celebration, perhaps a presentation, an assembly, a report or a special piece of work. Our differentiated teaching accommodates students who are performing at different levels and makes sure each child is suitably challenged. Technology supports all areas of the curriculum and, as it becomes more integrated with classroom practice, our pupils are learning how to collaborate on projects, manipulate images, text and film for a variety of purposes and develop programming skills. In Upper Key Stage 2 children are encouraged to take a lead with Nord Anglia Global Campus projects which links them up with students all over the world, learning from each other UPPER KEY STAGE 2 - CURRICULUM GUIDE 5 Supporting our learners ENGLISH AS AN English as a modern foreign ADDITIONAL language is also offered for LEARNING SUPPORT (LS) LANGUAGE (EAL) students who are new to the If a child is not making expected language providing them levels of progress, we will The EAL department supports with extra English lessons explore possible reasons for students who join the school for their first year instead of this and offer appropriate with insufficient English learning French or German. support. In some cases, it may language skills to access the Our EAL teachers also deliver be necessary to complete a curriculum independently. the course which enables diagnostic assessment. Our Working with class teachers students to sit the Cambridge Learning Support teachers will and parents, the EAL Young Learner exams. suggest suitable interventions specialists assist pupils in This is an internationally which might include support in acquiring the necessary recognised language class, additional small group English language skills. The qualification, offered in both work or 1:1 support. They aim is to enable them to Primary and Secondary. will also provide guidance to integrate fully into all aspects teachers and TLAs to support of school life and learning Students are continually the child in the classroom. as quickly as possible. assessed and EAL support The school runs a six-week will gradually decrease as Our Learning Support teachers intensive English Language the students’ ability and work closely with parents and Programme, led by specialist confidence improves. Students class teachers to ensure that EAL teachers, at the start of can supplement their learning children view interventions each Academic Year. When with resources provided positively and that they feel joining the school, children are by the EAL team on Firefly supported and valued. assessed to determine whether and also using our on-line they should join this course. package ‘Language Nut’. 6 Year 5 Literacy Reading: Context for Learning: Assessment: By the beginning of Year 5, Pupils in Year 5 will have the Daily assessment takes place pupils should be able to read opportunity to study a range through questioning pupils, aloud a broader range of poetry of fiction genres including: observing their learning and and books written at an age- classic fiction; short stories the marking of their work. The appropriate interest level with and science fiction. The non- class teacher assesses Reading accuracy and at a reasonable fiction genres covered include: regularly during shared and speaking pace. They should be journalistic writing; recounts guided reading sessions. It is able to read with appropriate and persuasive writing. Pupils also assessed formally in Terms intonation to show their in Year 5 will also look at a 2 and 3. Guided Reading occurs understanding, and should range of classic and modern four times a week. Every term be able to summarise and poetry. We will be learning the children will have a piece of present a familiar story in their about Shakespeare and his independent writing formally own words. They should be plays later in the year allowing assessed by their class teacher. reading widely and frequently, the pupils to show off their From this assessment, the outside as well as in school, dramatic skills! class teacher and pupil will set for pleasure and information. individual targets. These targets They will continue to read and will be shared with parents and discuss an increasingly wide updated regularly to ensure that range of fiction, poetry, plays, pupils are being challenged and non-fiction and reference books making progress. or textbooks. Writing: Pupils will plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing. They will note initial ideas, drawing on books and research where necessary. Pupils will select the appropriate grammar and vocabulary knowing that their choices can enhance and change the meaning. They will develop dialogue to convey the character and help move the writing on. They will be striving to ensure there is a consistent use of tense throughout the piece of writing.