The Early Years Foundation Stage:
At the Pre-k class, we provide a unique environment for the youngest children in school. Each nursery class has two teachers where pupils work in centres and groups all the time. Centres consist of literacy (storytelling), literacy (Jolly Phonics), discovery, mathematics, fine motor skills, games and creative arts.
As for Foundation 1 and 2, in each classroom, there is a main homeroom teacher and a co-teacher in addition to the class nanny to ensure that every child is being taken care of while having the opportunity to succeed academically and socially. All classrooms are spacious and are resourced with smartboards. We have a wonderful playground for children where all safety and security measures are considered and regularly maintained.
The early years programme has been designed to fit with all types of learning styles paving the way towards creating confident, creative, happy and well-informed young learners. Teaching methods used are child-centered where young learners learn by doing through well-planned and purposeful hands-on activities and collaborative work. Teaching and learning are planned according to the UK National Curriculum standards and goals. These statutory objectives are aligned with cross-curricular schemes of work that promote our children’s cognitive, personal and social development in an integrated way. Literacy objectives are achieved through the ‘Jolly Phonics’ programme where pupils learn sound recognition, blending and eventually reading. The Oxford Reading Tree programme is also implemented in the Foundation Stage where most students are expected to reach stage 4 reading.
Teachers also work on extending the children’s vocabulary and speaking skills through interactive group work, story-telling and role-play. Teaching strategies are supported by a range of high quality books and resources ordered from the UK. Pupils have access to the Computing lab where they learn about and explore different aspects of technology. We are also one of few international schools in Egypt that introduces a second language (French) at this very young age. Our programme is based around the following areas of development:
* Personal, Social and Emotional Development
* Physical Development
* Communication and Language development
* Literacy Development
* Mathematics
* Understanding the World
* Expressive Arts and Design personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• 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.
EYFS Pastoral Programme and Community Service:
In line with our well-structured and strictly applied behaviour policy, pastoral lessons and assemblies are part of our weekly and monthly plans. These lessons are implemented throughout the whole day and are based on ethical and moral standards that aim at nurturing self-esteem, confidence, tolerance, positive social interaction and caring for the environment. Community service is also practiced every term through big projects inside and outside school. We have an annual project called “Plant for a Cause” where students plant vegetables and fruits, and when reaped, they sell the crops and money collected is given out to charity. All students participate in different visits to orphanages and elderly homecare as well as fund raising.
House System:
This system is a traditional feature of schools in the English-speaking world, particularly in Commonwealth countries, originating in England. The school is divided into subunits called ‘Houses’ and each student/ class is allocated to one House. We have 4 Houses in Kipling represented by:
House 1: Earth: Colour Green
House 2: Water: Colour Blue
House 3: Fire: Colour Red
House 4: Air: Colour White
This system creates competition, promotes good work and behaviour, encourages teamwork, provides opportunities to take on responsibilities and brings everyone in the school together.
Grade 1 & Grade 2:
Lower Primary is comprised of grades 1 and 2, and they follow the English National Curriculum while merging it with the Cambridge scheme of work. Our schemes consist of four core subjects, English, Math’s, Science and Humanities, and seven non-core subjects; Art, Computing, Music, Physical Education, Pastoral, Arabic and French.
Teachers in Grade 1 and 2 follow a well-planned and integrated cross-curricular scheme which promotes the pupil’s awareness of different objectives related to all subjects. In lower Primary stage, History, Geography and cross-curricular topics which foster knowledge and understanding of the world, are all brought alive through practical hands-on experience and regular field trips. Music, Art and Computing objectives are taught within the integrated schemes of work of all other subjects. The main core of teaching revolves around activities, experiments and learning by doing. Critical thinking is one of our teachers’ main focus during all lessons. Pupils are always given the opportunity to speak their thoughts and minds while challenged by questions that encourage their intrinsic motivation towards learning.
Key assessments are marked up to the date where continuous formal and summative assessments take place, which are criterion-based – linked to what a child can or cannot yet do in a particular subject at a given time, according to evidence in written work, observed practical work and assessments. Differentiation is a key part of teaching and learning. This means that teachers plan to meet the needs of various learners, of differing abilities and levels of motivation. At times, that will mean different groups of students will be doing different work, according to their abilities. Often it takes the form of additional, more challenging work, given to pupils after they have finished their main task in class. Teachers reserve the right to decide the optimal seating arrangement in different lessons. Learning and teaching is holistic and aimed at the “whole child”. Some lessons and activities may be centred around speaking and thinking/reasoning tasks (such as a class debate session, for example), or have a different creative outcome, such as a role play, organised and planned in groups, or posters designed and produced in pairs, to illustrate a particular learning objective or topic. Traditional exercises and worksheets are also used, but not at the exclusion of other, creative teaching methods.
Pastoral Programme and Community Service:
In line with our well-structured and strictly applied behaviour policy, pastoral lessons and assemblies are part of our weekly and monthly plans. These lessons are implemented throughout the whole day and are based on ethical and moral standards that aim at nurturing self-esteem, confidence, tolerance, positive social interaction and caring for the environment. Community service is also practiced every term through big projects inside and outside school. We have an annual project called “Plant for a Cause” where students plant vegetables and fruits, and when reaped, they sell the crops and money collected is given out to charity. All students participate in different visits to orphanages and elderly homecare as well as fund raising.
House System:
This system is a traditional feature of schools in the English-speaking world, particularly in Commonwealth countries, originating in England. The school is divided into subunits called ‘Houses’ and each student/ class is allocated to one House. We have 4 Houses in Kipling represented by:
House 1: Earth: Colour Green
House 2: Water: Colour Blue
House 3: Fire: Colour Red
House 4: Air: Colour White
This system creates competition, promotes good work and behaviour, encourages teamwork, provides opportunities to take on responsibilities and brings everyone in the school together.