Many of the children in Hazel class come to the school during their junior period of primary education often after a period of instability in their education. The children have good cognitive potential for learning but require a highly personalised approach to their personal and social education which is their main barrier to achieving. The Link Curriculum Priorities help them to focus on and understand their emotional needs and also help them to see and understand life from the perspective of others. Raising self- esteem and a positive attitude to learning is the key to the children accessing and learning from the wide variety of cross curricular topics and extra- curricular activities on offer.

Hazel Class Curriculum Focus – 2019 Spring Term 

Dear Hazel Parents,

Over the next 6 weeks those of us in Hazel Class will be following a unit of work on a theme that focuses on ‘Ourselves’.

This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn – the learning goals – in three different areas:

The subjects of the curriculum. The learning goals for each of these subjects are at least as challenging as anything taught in the curriculum in your child’s own country. In many cases, the learning goals are more challenging.

Personal development – the characteristics which will help children become more responsible, independent learners.

International understanding – which will help children develop both a sense of the independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between countries and cultures.

Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one or more of the subjects.

During this unit we will be focusing on Society, Art, Physical Education, Science, Geography and International.

In Society, we’ll be finding out:

• About the different groups we belong to
• About the things that make us feel happy
• How to deal with anger
• How to stay safe
• How to make an emergency phone call

 

In Art, we’ll be finding out:

• How to draw portraits and self-portraits
• How to take a portrait photograph
• About portraits by famous painters and sculptors
• How to design a favourite menu

 

In Physical Education, we’ll be finding out:

• What activities we can do well
• How we can stay fit and strong

 

In Science, we’ll be finding out:

•  About how our hearts work
• About how we are similar to and different from other people
• About different types of foods

 

In Geography, we’ll be finding out:

• Which countries we or our ancestors have come from
• How to find our local area on a map
• About different countries we have lived in

 

In International, we’ll be finding out:

• About the way children in our host country and home countries live

 

All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the learning goals. Children will be reading, researching, writing, illustrating, working on their own and working in groups. We will be checking to see how well your child has learned through particular activities and asking children to explain their work, perhaps to you.

We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with your child the work they have done as the term progresses and let them teach you.

The children will be asking questions about themselves, their siblings and other family members when they were young. We might ask to borrow photographs of your child as a baby and as a toddler and also pictures of other family members for discussion and display.

If your child has some work to research, please help them – but without actually doing the work. If you have the change to further their interest in the ideas of this theme please take it – but your enthusiasm and interest is most important.

By the end of the unit, we hope your child has achieved all of the learning targets. We hope they have had an enjoyable time in the classroom. And we hope you have enjoyed seeing your child work with enthusiasm. If you have any comments or questions about your child’s learning, please get in touch.

Please could you send in any family photos you can spare so we can talk about ‘Who am I?

Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Frances McNaughton and Hazel team.