ACADEMIC OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW IN
THE EARLY YEARS
Nursery and Reception
Children begin their education based around
the English Early Years Foundation Stage
curriculum. This curriculum advocates a play-
based approach and the concept of ‘The Unique
Child’. This means each child is different and
learns in many ways. It also values how children
learn through the aspect of Characteristics of
Effective Learning. It is split into seven distinct
areas: three core and four specific.
– Communication and language (core)
–
Personal, social and emotional
development (core)
– Physical development (core)
– Literacy (specific)
– Mathematics (specific)
– Understanding the world (specific)
– Expressive arts and design (specific)
Children in Early Years also have daily Chinese
lessons for 30 minutes and weekly library,
music and PE classes Children in Nursery and
Reception also have daily phonics sessions
and maths is taught as an integral part of the
daily routine. All other areas of learning are
taught through the various contexts we have
throughout the year, which generally change
each half term period.
OVERVIEW IN
THE PRE-PREP
Years 1 and 2
The children progress to the English National
Curriculum for literacy, mathematics and
phonics. In all other subjects they follow the
International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Further
details on the IPC will follow. Children in year
1 and year 2 have daily phonics, literacy, maths,
Chinese and IPC lessons. Phonics classes are
streamed according to children’s previous
exposure to phonics and retention of prior
learning. They are also streamed for Chinese.
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INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY
CURRICULUM (IPC)
At Wellington, we follow the IPC from years
1 to 5. The IPC has been selected for our
pupils due to its international approach to
education, high curriculum standards and
relevant and meaningful assessments. The
IPC is a superb, inquiry-based learning tool
trusted in over 1,600 schools in 92 countries. It
offers a comprehensive, thematic and creative
programme where a variety of subjects are
covered cross-curricular within the theme of the
chosen topic. Subjects include science, history,
geography, art, ICT, international and society,
music and technology.
Whilst no one particular subject dominates the
IPC, some units may focus more on a particular
subject area. A detailed curriculum letter is
sent to all parents at the beginning of a new
unit, which informs them what their children
will be learning and doing in the unit. The
pupils start each new unit with a ‘Wow Day’,
which the teachers organise to get the children
excited about their upcoming unit, followed by
a ‘Knowledge Harvest’, where the pupils think
about and record what they already know about
their upcoming unit.
Over the ensuing weeks, the children will
take part in a variety of lessons, projects and
activities all geared towards the theme of
their current unit. This is known as ‘The Big
Picture’. Ultimately, the pupils finish with an ‘Exit
Point’, which is essentially an amalgamation of
what they have learned in that particular unit.
During the course of each unit, the teachers
will undertake selected assessments of each
pupil and the pupils will have the opportunity to
assess themselves against a clear set of criteria.
The IPC itself focuses on three areas, which are
knowledge, skills and understanding.
Knowledge: Facts that we as educators think
our pupils need to know. This is information
that we know is true and the way we answer
a knowledge question will be either right or
wrong. For example: Paris is the capital of
France. That is knowledge.
Skills: Finding out how to do things. Skills are
practical and can be described as ‘being able’
to do something. For example: being able to tie
shoelaces, being able to read a map, being able
to perform an operation. There are skills within
every subject that children study at school;
from mathematics to art to history to science
to music. Skills take time to develop and as we
learn, we learn skills in small, progressive steps.
Understanding: Developing a sense of the
meaning behind why we know and do things.
Understanding involves a combination of
accumulated knowledge, practiced skills and
reflection over time. In addition, a real strength
of the IPC is that it allows teachers to use ‘host
country’ examples and learning experiences to
teach their pupils. This means that when learning
through subjects such as history and geography,
the teachers will be able to teach using ‘China
based’ examples and lessons where appropriate.
The IPC prepares our pupils for the ever-
changing world in which we live by giving them
the skills to be independent thinkers, adaptable
and open-minded. It has been a great success at
Wellington so far.
STAFF
Each child in the Early Years and Pre-Prep has
a class teacher and teaching assistant. The class
teacher teaches the main parts of the curriculum
and leads the pastoral role. The class teachers
are supported by other specialist teachers, who
take a larger role as the children get older. This
allows children to become familiar with a variety
of adults, which promotes their independence
and adaptability skills.
All our class teachers are trained to the highest
standards and are experienced in teaching the
English curriculum. Many of our teachers have
degrees in Early Years and primary education,
which are supplemented by formal teaching
qualifications. Our teaching body reflects the
international profile of our students, with
teachers joining us from Europe, America,
Australia and New Zealand. We ensure that
our teaching staff embody the values and high
expectations of Wellington as well as bringing
their own personality and interests into the
classroom.