Our philosophy in Key Stage 1 is to help the children to develop as confident, enthusiastic learners, by providing them with an engaging, broad and rich curriculum.

To get the most out of learning, the children need to get to grips with four basic skills -speaking, listening, reading and writing. Through Literacy, we provide them with the opportunity to express themselves clearly and creatively. They listen to and read stories and poetry from a range of different cultures, explore their imagination and learn to read to discover facts.

We, as adults, use Maths as part of our everyday lives, whether shopping, travelling or working. We endeavour to set our mathematical activities wherever possible in a practical context, related to the real world they will later encounter. Learning to calculate with money, for example, becomes much more real through role play in the class shop!

All children have a natural curiosity about the way the world works. Through Science activities we can teach them how to get the answers to questions such as how plants grow or why it is dark at night. Any opportunities to make Science practical are taken, one highlight of the year being the visit in term 3 to an Outdoor Educational Centre, where the children have first hand experience of caring for plants and animals.

Modern technology is changing the way we live and work. Through I.C.T. we give the children the opportunity to learn how to manage this technology. They are shown how to get hold of information, store it and share it with others. We give them experience of simple word processing, interactive educational games and of the internet.

History introduces the children to an unfamiliar but important world, that of the past. We enable the children to use different kinds of evidence to find out about peoples lives and events and how things have changed. Writing to and receiving letters from Grandparents, for example, provide lots of interesting information about how schools have changed in the last century.

Learning about the links between our lives and the local environment is central to Geography at K.S.1. Being a British International School, we also take the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of cultures we have at Runnymede whenever possible. An International Food Tasting Day opens the door to the world, by discussing where the children and their families are from.

Children show us how they see the world through the pictures they produce. They can also communicate using different patterns, materials and textures. Through Art and Design activities, they learn a wide range of skills and knowledge, from producing glove puppets, to studying the work of Miró and interpreting his paintings.

Making music together helps the children explore and express their thoughts and feelings. We also use it as an opportunity for them to develop selfconfidence through performing for the School and their Parents. This may simply take the form of leading the other classes in a song during assembly or on a larger scale performing a Year Group assembly. These involve not only singing, but also acting, poetry and dance.

Another means of developing the children's selfconfidence, enabling them to lead happy, independent lives, is through Circle Time. Here they learn to respect one another and develop a sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair and how to value each others strengths.

Through P.E. we want the children to learn that its fun to stay in shape, something which is fundamental if they are to lead active and healthy lives as they grow up. We also give them the opportunity to experience “healthy competition” through the Sports Day in Term 3. Here they compete in races to test their speed, agility and ability to work as a team. We hope they not only take pride in their own achievements but also learn to celebrate those of others.

Thus, our curriculum is based on experience and activity, with a balance between class teaching, group activities and individual support. We plan each day with this balance in mind in order to maximise opportunities for the children’s development throughout the time spent in Year 1 and 2.

As well as a stimulating curriculum we believe in the importance of creating an interesting environment, where displaying the children's work is a way of reinforcing the message that we value and care about their efforts.

We have high, but not unrealistic expectations of the children. They are observed and assessed continuously to discover their needs and capabilities throughout Year 1 and 2, culminating in the End of key Stage 1 Tests and Tasks during May of Year 2. Here the children are formally assessed to ascertain the level they have achieved for Maths, Language and Science. However, our aim is for this time to be stress-free for the children and to produce a true reflection of their capabilities, with the testing forming a natural part of the classroom activities. When Parents ask at the end of May if the testing has started, when in reality it has already been completed, we feel we have done our job well.

Within Key Stage 1, we feel strongly that we should not be working in isolation to educate the children in our classes. Parents are the first and most enduring teachers and play a crucial role in helping the children learn. We encourage a partnership between home and school, through meetings to explain our expectations, as well as through activities such as reading together or monitoring homework. This thus ensures the children are able to reach their full potential.

As the children complete Key Stage 1, we hope they will have developed confidence, positive motivation and security in their abilities. We hope they feel they have talent and potential. We hope they have been engaged in learning that develops and excites their imagination. Above all we hope they will have learnt to love learning!