Ms. Ursula Alarco
Head of Early Years
Early Years is for children aged 3 to 5 and comprises of three year groups: Nursery, Pre-Nursery and Kindergarten.
Language Acquisition & Skills
The language emphasis in Nursery and Pre Kinder is on oral/aural communication oriented to a team work. Vocabulary, day-to-day phrases, parts of speech and correct sentence structures are acquired and developed through a practical and active approach. Songs, stories, poems, action rhymes and jingles, as well as practical classroom equipment, are the basic materials used to develop and enrich language.
All teachers encourage and promote the use of English. When the children complete the Early Years Programme and enter Lower School, they are expected to use principally English in the classroom.
At seven years of age a pupil can speak, read and write in both English and Spanish.
The International Early Years curriculum (IEYC) is the current educational programme in our school and it is focused on the development of skills, abilities, and attitudes. We believe that students need to achieve significant learning that will prepare them to face the challenges of the XXIst century. The methodology used is based on the concept of Multiple Intelligences and personal education that aims to develop creativity, personal growth, and personal goals.
The teaching methodology is based on Inquiry Based Learning which allows the child to learn from their environment, making them builders of their own learning.
It gives real importance to the natural process of maturing, and activities are integrated with the areas of Psycho-motor, drama, art and music skills making learning not only active, but also fun. We have a wide variety of teaching materials, which help the learning development of the children and which focus on the development of thinking, communication, reasearch, self management and social skills.
Mentoring and coaching
The Psychology Department have developed an evaluation plan for all students to identify their learning and emotional strengths and weaknesses. Children’s personal development is under the guidance of the Psychology Department who support tutors and teachers to create a bond with each child and focus on forming values, personal goals, good habits, develop emotional stability and self esteem, allowing the child to perform well academically and to develop inter-personal and social skills.
At this level there two study visits per year per Grade. The places to visit are chosen according to the needs of children and according to their age and curricular programme. The aim of the study visits is to promote meaningful learning by taking the child's educational experience beyond the classroom in a way which the student will remember.
NURSERY - PRE KINDER
Nursery and Pre Kinder classes introduce the child to the basic skills, concepts and attitudes that form the foundation of this stage of the child’s development. Materials and activities are chosen which will develop gross and fine motor coordination, intellectual thinking, questioning and understanding, as well as social skills and self-discipline.
The child is encouraged to develop a sense of order, organisation, independence, self-confidence, responsibility and respect. Opportunities for repetition and reinforcement are offered to meet the needs and pace at which each child learns while also catering for individual levels of attainment.
The curriculum programme is based on the UK “Desirable Outcomes for Learning”; and encompasses the “Early Years learning outcomes”; specified by the “Early Years Programme”. These Outcomes identify the skills, knowledge and attitudes children should acquire in the four learning strands:
- Independence and Interdependence
- Healthy Living and Physical well-being
The Kindergarten curriculum is organised to provide a transition period between the Early Years Programme and Key Stage 1 of the English National Curriculum. While the Communication learning strand continues to be developed, Kindergarten children begin identifying and manipulating sounds in order to decode high frequency words in English using a multi- sensory approach in which tactile materials, and visual memory activities, using letters and words, provide balance.
In Mathematics, the children develop understanding to solve practical problems through concrete activities. Children understand and record numbers, begin to show an awareness of number operations (addition and subtraction) and begin to use the specific language involved.
EARLY YEARS EVALUATION
Continuous assessment is an important and integral part of the Early Years programme.
This allows us to evaluate each child through observations and tasks which helps the teachers to decide on the most suitable steps to take to produce effective learning as well as maximizing the child’s progress.