Primary Years

MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF PRIMARY

As the Head of Primary, I am proud to welcome you to our school. As a school, we are committed to ensuring that students at Beaconhouse Sri Inai have a wide range of academic and pastoral opportunities. We promote a holistic learning approach that caters for students’ intellectual, emotional and physical development, preparing them to become lifelong learners and responsible global citizens.

We want each student who enters the Primary Phase from Reception to Year 6 to be happy by providing a safe environment, supporting risk-taking, and inviting a collaboration of ideas and creativity. We aim to give students practical tools that enhance students’ confidence and capacity as learners, both within the school and beyond. To accomplish this goal, we teach to the needs of each student thus enabling all learners to achieve success.

I firmly believe that the time children spend in school should be happy and provide strong foundations for the future. With this in mind, we want to enrich students’ experiences, engage them fully and instill a love of learning. We also want to prepare them with the skills that build their confidence and capacity as learners, within the school and wider school community.

Our students embrace learning challenges, establish positive learning habits, building on their success to become independent learners.

I am proud of our students and our school community and we make sure we take time to celebrate our achievements both locally and internationally.

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. “ Malcolm Forbes

Social Studies incorporating History & Geography

The social studies curriculum includes both History and Geography in Britain within a global context. The curriculum is designed to develop the skills of research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, collaboration and communication. It strengthens the links across English, Mathematics, Science and ICT. It is based on the English National Curriculum for primary schools.

History:

History is the study of human behaviour, and students learn about themselves and the history of Britain in a uniquely meaningful way. Past events are made relevant to our students by comparing them to modern-day events that they are familiar with. At the core of the history syllabus are the ‘traditional’ skills of observation, analysis and explanation. Children will develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British history in a global context, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.

This continuous syllabus is one of the great strengths of history as it allows the students to gain a truly meaningful understanding of the subject and how it influences progress and events in Britain and the modern world.

Progress and attainment are regularly assessed using the learning objectives through classwork, presentations, or projects. Students in Years 4 – 6 will sit two formal assessments each year. These are based on the age-appropriate syllabus and curriculum and will test knowledge and understanding of the topics.

Geography:

The curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all students develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places including their defining physical and human characteristics. In addition, they will learn map reading skills, local and global weather systems and seasonal changes. Students will understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are unique but interlinked
Students learn how to collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data and sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS),

Students study their local area, country and then extend their knowledge and understanding across continents. They will examine the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features whilst developing their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills.

Progress and attainment are regularly assessed using the learning objectives through classwork, presentations, or projects. Students in Years 4 – 6 will sit two formal assessments each year. These are based on the age-appropriate syllabus and curriculum and will test knowledge and understanding of the topics.

Cambridge Primary Music

Music fosters creativity and builds confidence. It helps learners to express themselves and shows them the importance of communication as they learn to connect with other musicians and with audiences. They learn to make sense of music within their daily lives and different cultures, times, and places, helping them to develop leadership and collaboration skills as well as self-confidence.

Through the Music programme, learners grow to cultivate a joy of music through meaningful experiences in individual and collaborative efforts through singing, playing an instrument, and dancing. They begin to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary as singers, musicians, and performers that enable them to nurture their individual and collective creativity where they can begin to explore and create music performances that are unique, relevant and valuable.

Throughout the year students have the opportunity to perform in informal settings during lunchtime concerts, as well as assemblies, festivals and school productions. Age-appropriate learning objectives are provided by Cambridge and students are assessed throughout the year as they develop their knowledge skills and attitudes towards music.

Primary Mandarin

Within our Mandarin curriculum, we aim to provide a platform for students to gain language proficiency, cultural awareness, and critical thinking skills. The development of both creative and technical writing skills, as well as conversation and personal opinion creation in response to reading, are all heavily emphasised. In a resource-rich and engaging atmosphere, time is devoted to solidifying the fundamentals of reading, spelling, grammar, and handwriting.

The curriculum allows students to acquire basic vocabulary and use this in simple sentences, progressing each year to more complex language. Students are taught to understand Chinese characters and to develop their Chinese character writing. In Years 5 and 6 classes are divided into two levels: advanced and basic and the lessons are differentiated to allow for progress at these levels.

Assessment for students is through classwork, projects and presentations. In addition, end-of-unit assessments are given to assess knowledge and understanding. Students who are in Years 4 – 6 will be given in the middle and at the end of the year assessments. Writing and reading proficiency tasks are part of these assessments.

Every year during the Lunar New Year, we will hold appropriate activities to commemorate the occasion. Students have the opportunity to participate in the creation of New Year’s handicrafts in order to gain a better understanding of Chinese handicraft culture.

Every March is Language Day, and we will be celebrating with activities. They can learn more about traditional Chinese stories, writings, and culture through this activity.

Physical Education

Physical education is a vital part of a balanced school curriculum. Regular exercise improves both physical and mental health and there is growing evidence that it improves academic performance across the curriculum. Establishing good patterns of exercise also provides learners with the foundation of an active and healthy lifestyle for life. All students take part in the physical education and swimming programme.

The focus of the Cambridge physical education curriculum is on the depth of skills rather than referring to particular activity types or sports, allowing our teachers to choose activity types and sports that best suit our students.

Cambridge physical education is about learning to move and also about moving to learn.

Learners start learning to move by practising the basic movement skills which are the foundation of all physical activities. These include balancing, running, jumping, landing, climbing, hopping and ball skills. Students develop and combine these skills through a wide variety of age-appropriate physical activities, including games, team sports, gymnastics and dance. Through these activities, they develop their coordination, flexibility, speed, stamina and strength.

During the lessons, students will develop their skills and understanding of leadership, collaboration and fair play through a range of team and group activities. They use these skills to help others to participate and achieve, sometimes leading and sometimes following others. They learn how to offer constructive and specific feedback to others, identifying strengths and suggesting future movement goals.

As well as the timetabled lessons students are able to join extra-curricular activities in a variety of sports and as they become proficient join school teams. Tele-match and sports days are both popular events as well as different inter-house competitions where children of all ages can represent their houses.

Cambridge provides structured learning objectives for all stages which allow us to measure the student’s progress. They are structured to accommodate the physical, cognitive and social development of students at all levels of primary.

Bahasa Malaysia

Bahasa Malaysia focuses on a love of language learning through literacy skills. Language learning will focus on the four components of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Students are taught to communicate orally in various situations effectively and through writing, students can apply information in various forms to convey their ideas. Focus is also given on mastering good grammar to help students communicate by using the correct language system and produce quality and creative writing. The development of good reading habits improves vocabulary, and allows students to acquire and process information successfully.

Specific learning objectives are set at each stage which focuses on progress in the 4 language learning areas. Students are assessed through their classwork, projects and presentations. Once they enter year 4 they will sit formal assessments which will test their knowledge and understanding of the language at age-appropriate levels. These will be run twice a year, mid-year and end of the year.

Islamic Studies

Students who follow the Islamic studies curriculum will acquire a knowledge of the major sources of Islam, its main beliefs and its early history. Through the development of knowledge and understanding, they will be encouraged to display an enquiring approach to the study of Islam. The curriculum also allows them to identify and explore the religious, historical and moral questions raised in the material they study.

Throughout the year the curriculum is supported by events and celebrations aligned with the Islamic calendar and students are able to participate in educational trips to support their learning.

Student progress is assessed through their demonstration of knowledge and understanding through classwork, projects and presentations. In Key stage 2 at the end of each year, they will be assessed by completing a written paper covering the age-appropriate aspects of the curriculum.

Ict

The Information, Communication and Technology programme incorporates the Cambridge Primary Digital Literacy curriculum and the Cambridge Primary Computing curriculum.

This enables learners to become accomplished users of digital tools and to understand the digital world that they are growing up in. Learners will develop the skills to create digital artifacts with increasing proficiency and sophistication. They will become equipped to join the digital world and will be increasingly able to make important decisions about their own safety and well-being.
As part of the Computing curriculum learners develop a technical understanding of computer systems where processes are increasingly undertaken by computer-controlled technology. This includes opportunities for developing programs of their own, using languages such as Scratch and Python.
Through digital literacy, students will acquire the knowledge and understanding that will equip them to respond to, and evaluate, the technology of the future. They will also understand the value of being digitally connected.

Staying safe is an important aspect of all digital activity and learners will develop the knowledge that they will need to protect themselves and their devices and to demonstrate concern and respect for others.

Ever since computers were first introduced into classrooms and workplaces, improvements in technology have been continual, dynamic and, in many industries, have revolutionised the way that people work. Therefore, it is important that learners understand how hardware, software and computational thought processes are combined to make computers such essential and exciting parts of our lives.

Through the computing curriculum students will understand the role of each physical part of a computer system and how software drives what happens inside each of those parts, and develop logical thinking skills, including decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition and precision. Learners can apply these thinking skills across all areas of their education, including in Computing where they are used in the creation of computer programs, starting with simple sequences of instructions using a fun and visual programming language.

Cambridge provides clear and progressive learning objectives for each stage in primary and student progress is measured using these through their classwork, projects and presentations.

French

Once students enter Year 5 they are able to opt to take French as a modern foreign language in place of Mandarin. Within the French curriculum, students learn to understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of sources. Throughout the course, they will learn to speak with increased confidence, fluency and spontaneity. They will learn to write simple sentences progressing to short paragraphs, using a variety of grammatical structures for different purposes and audiences.

Clear objectives are set for the development of language learning and the students are assessed through their classwork, projects and presentations. Students have access to the Duolingo app which supports their in-class learning and gives them the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and use of language.

The school celebrates language learning and students are encouraged to use languages during International Days, Language weeks and other school events.

Students will also take 2 formal assessments each year which are based on the syllabus content and will test their knowledge and understanding of the language.

Mathematics

Cambridge Primary Mathematics encourages a life-long enthusiasm for analytical and rational thinking. Learners develop a holistic understanding of the subject, focussing on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships to become mathematically competent and fluent in computation, which they can apply to everyday situations.

A unique feature of our primary mathematics curriculum is ‘Thinking and Working Mathematically’, which comprises eight characteristics that are intertwined and interdependent: specialising, generalising, conjecturing, convincing, characterising, classifying, critiquing and improving.

When learners are thinking and working mathematically, they actively seek to make sense of ideas and build connections between different facts, procedures and concepts in Numbers, Geometry and Measure, and Statistics and Probability.

The Number strand is the foundation of the primary mathematics curriculum. Learners explore the five principles of counting and develop number fluency, demonstrating flexibility, efficiency and accuracy in the computational strategies that they choose.
In the Geometry and Measure strand learners develop spatial awareness and explore various contexts in which they must apply number skills. They explore the size, shape and position of geometrical shapes, as well as how to measure attributes of objects, allowing them to visualise real-life problems.

Within the Statistics and Probability strand, there is emphasis on the statistical enquiry cycle which learners follow to conduct simple statistics investigations. Learners focus on the interpretation of statistics as this is an important skill that allows them to understand the data they encounter in their everyday lives.

Student progress is assessed each year against the progressive learning objectives which support the curriculum throughout Primary. Once students enter year 3 they will be assessed using the Cambridge progression tests culminating in the Primary Checkpoint assessment at the end of year 6. This assessment tests skills, knowledge and understanding assessing the curriculum content from year 6. The papers are set by Cambridge and marked by Cambridge.

English

The Cambridge Primary English curriculum empowers learners in their application of English, and encourages life-long enthusiasm for reading, writing and spoken communication. It develops communication skills in English that learners can apply in everyday situations and in study. Together the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills acquired through Cambridge Primary English develop confident and inquisitive readers and support learners’ overall intellectual, creative and social development.

By analysing, evaluating and discussing spoken and written texts, learners gain competence in adapting their communication clearly, accurately, creatively and effectively for different audiences and purposes.

Learners’ speaking and listening skills develop beyond simply sharing and gaining information. They also learn how to listen and respond to others effectively and to express themselves creatively through drama.

Students will enjoy time in the Library exploring different texts with our Librarian and are able to borrow books, maintain their reading logs, write book reviews and recommendations.

There are clear learning objectives for each aspect of the subject and these are used to monitor the student’s progress. Once students reach year 3 they will be assessed using the Cambridge Progression tests culminating in the Primary Checkpoint Assessment in year 6. This assessment tests skills, knowledge and understanding assessing the curriculum content from year 6. The papers are set by Cambridge and marked by Cambridge.

Art and Design

The Cambridge Primary Art and Design curriculum is a wide-ranging discipline that enables learners to explore their creativity and express themselves through a range of artistic forms. They will experiment with artistic media, consider the artistic process that all artists follow and use concentration and perseverance to convert their creative ideas and their experiments into both personal and collaborative pieces of art.

They develop the skills needed to express creative ideas and communicate visually. Student development of ideas, analysis of famous artworks, originality of concepts, exploration of media, relating various Artist studies and culminating it in your own original way.
Students will learn drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, stitching and crafting. They will through explore media such as tempera paint, water colour, acrylic, pastels and chalks and develop their use of art tools such as paintbrushes, graphite pencils, scissors and templates.

As well as the practical aspect of Art students will study historic and contemporary arts such as renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, modern, and contemporary.

At each level, the students explore the work of different artists including Paul Klee, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse.

Cambridge provides staged learning objectives and students are assessed throughout the year on their progress. The annual Art and Music Festival gives the opportunity to exhibit their work and to take part in workshops. Students regularly enter local and international competitions.

Science

The Cambridge Primary Science curriculum supports your learners in developing life-long curiosity about the natural world and enables them to seek scientific explanations to the phenomena around them. Learners develop a holistic approach to science by considering scientific thinking and practical skills alongside knowledge and understanding which is vital for explaining the world around us. This approach provides learners with the knowledge and skills they require to access and excel at science in later phases of education.

A unique feature of the Cambridge Primary Science curriculum is a strand called Science in Context which supports you in demonstrating the relevance of science to your learners. Improving learners’ awareness of science in the world around them develops their sense that ‘science is for me’ and starts learners on a journey of connecting themselves to the subject.

Learners will systematically develop their scientific knowledge through the strands Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth and Space while developing scientific practices through the Thinking and Working Scientifically strand. An understanding of science through these strands of study gives learners knowledge and skills to prepare them for the future and to make informed choices. This includes considering sustainability issues and meeting the challenges facing our environment.

The science curriculum is supported by clear and progressive learning objectives which are used to measure a student’s progress. Once the student enters year 3 they will be assessed through the Cambridge progression test until they reach year 6 when they will sit the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Assessment. This assessment tests skills, knowledge and understanding assessing the curriculum content from year 6. The papers are set by Cambridge and marked by Cambridge.

PSHE

PSHE – Personal, Social, and Health Education helps children and young people to be safe, healthy and prepared for life’s opportunities. PSHE education also covers economic wellbeing, careers & enterprise education, and personal safety (including assessing and managing risk).

This Programme of Study sets out learning opportunities for key stage 1 to 3, based on three core themes:

1. HEALTH AND WELLBEING
2. RELATIONSHIPS
3. LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD

PSHE education addresses both pupils’ current experiences and preparation for their future. The Programme of Study therefore provides a spiral curriculum to develop knowledge, skills and attributes, where prior learning is revisited, reinforced and extended year on year

During key stages 1 and 2, PSHE education offers both explicit and implicit learning opportunities and experiences which reflect pupils’ increasing independence and physical and social awareness, as they move through the primary phase. It builds on the skills that pupils started to acquire during the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS) to develop effective relationships, assume greater personal responsibility and manage personal safety, including online. PSHE education helps pupils to manage the physical and emotional changes at puberty, introduces them to a wider world and enables them to make an active contribution to their communities.

At key stage 3, students build on the knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and values they have acquired and developed during the primary phase. PSHE education acknowledges and addresses the changes that young people experience, beginning with transition to secondary school, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. It teaches the knowledge and skills which will equip them for the opportunities and challenges of life. Students learn to manage diverse relationships, their online lives, and the increasing influence of peers and the media.

The Programme uses resources from the UK PSHE Association as well as other sources including the Kindness in the Classroom Programme from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation Education Programme. The programme gives the opportunities for visiting speakers to join the students and to facilitate hands on workshops to enhance learning.