St. David’s College Justin Hall, Beckenham Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 0QS Telephone: 020 8777 5852 Fax: 020 8777 9549 Email: stdavids@dial.pipex.com Website: www.stdavidscollege.com St. David’s College WEST WICKHAM Little School Little School The Little School can offer places for sixty-eight children in three classes. Reception 4-5 year olds (20) Year 1 5-6 year olds (24) Year 2 6-7 year olds (24) The Reception curriculum is based on the Foundation Stage Early Learning Goals, while Years 1 and 2 follow the National Curriculum. Priority is given to the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, with a special emphasis on reading during this Infant stage. However, we also offer a wide and diverse curriculum through a range of topics that covers History, Geography, Personal, Social and Health Education and Art over all three year groups. Years 1 and 2 also begin French lessons. A variety of teaching methods and styles, both formal and informal, are used to make lessons informative and interesting, which provides for all kinds of learning - visual, oral and kinaesthetic. Also we aim to help towards the children’s development in self discipline and independence. All children have Drama, Music, Information Communication and Technology (ICT) and Sports lessons taken by specialist teachers. Extra-curricular subjects such as dance and swimming are available for all and individual instrumental lessons (piano, string, brass) can begin in Year 1. There is an opportunity for Year 2 children to learn to play the recorder as a group music activity that takes place during the lunch break. Reception The Reception class is taught by an Early Years specialist teacher, supported by a fully qualified nursery nurse. The children are provided with a happy, secure environment with suitable activities that help to develop their full potential in the six key areas of development at this Foundation Stage. Ample provision is made within the classroom for each child to develop both socially and creatively through imaginative play. Pupils learn to treat each other with kindness and respect. By the end of the Reception year it is hoped that the children will be working with some independence, will be able to read and write simple sentences and be proficient with number facts up to ten. They will have worked with non-standard units of measurement for length, capacity and weight, and will have performed simple money activities. Key Stage 1 English The aim is to help our children become effective communicators in both written and spoken English. There are many opportunities to discuss and exchange ideas, while developing listening skills and encouraging clear, confident, expressive speakers. Through reading individually and sharing books together, we hope to foster a lifelong love of reading. A selection of reading scheme books is used to give the children a firm grounding in reading skills and strategies to decode the written word. Once the children become confident and can read with a good level of independence, they can then select books from a fiction library in the classroom. Written work covers both creative and factual activities within the whole curriculum. Pupils are taught punctuation, grammar and spelling, and are encouraged to use a wide, interesting vocabulary. Our children are also encouraged to take a pride in the content and presentation of their work in everything they do. From Year 2 they are taught a joined style of handwriting. In addition to the specialised Drama lessons, self-expression through imaginative play and improvisation exercises are used in other subject areas, in order to bring particular events to life and so to have more meaning. There is an annual Christmas production presented by all the Little School pupils and a number of children are eager participants in the local Beckenham Festival. Mathematics Mathematics is taught using many practical activities and also by following a structured scheme of work, where more formal recording is introduced. Our aim is to develop the mathematical language and reasoning skills that will provide the secure base for work in the junior school. Science In this subject the children are encouraged to observe the natural world around them, thereby stimulating their curiosity and helping them to understand the patterns and processes at work. They are encouraged to observe closely, ask questions, make predictions and hypothesise about what they have seen. They begin to plan and, with some support, to record their work in a systematic way. Humanities The children look at the physical world through a range of topics, which includes simple mapping skills and investigating and comparing how people from different parts of our own country and countries abroad live. The children also look at the lives of people living in the near and distant past. In Religious Education we also look at the world faiths, in order to promote respect and understanding of others, treating everyone with kindness and thoughtfulness. Art activities are often used to enhance these subjects and a full range of mediums are employed including drawing, painting, collage, clay modelling, papier mâché, printing and marbling. Physical Education (PE) PE lessons in the Little School cover dance, gymnastics, small apparatus skills and games. We encourage our children to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, aiming to achieve personal goals as well as experiencing competition against others. We also promote a sense of fair play and good sportsmanship. Football, netball, cricket, rounders and athletics are taught by specialist teachers. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) A specialist teacher collaborates with each class teacher and the subsequent work is designed to be topical and cross-curricular. During the year all children in the Little School have lessons in the ICT suite, which is situated in Justin Hall. Music Each class has a weekly lesson taken by a specialist teacher. The children are encouraged to participate fully in singing and in playing simple percussion instruments, with some time being given to music appreciation activities. St. David’s College Justin Hall, Beckenham Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 0QS Telephone: 020 8777 5852 Fax: 020 8777 9549 Email: stdavids@dial.pipex.com Website: www.stdavidscollege.com