On progressing to Years 1 and 2, girls are introduced to more formal teaching and a greater variety of academic subjects. Expectations are high and the girls usually progress at an accelerated pace that is challenging, but appropriate to each individual and reinforced by careful monitoring, nurturing and encouragement.
Starting in Year 1, girls begin the “Maths – No Problem!” programme that they will follow until Year 6. Created specifically for the UK utilising the principles of Singapore Mathematics, this system is fully aligned to the 2014 National Curriculum and employs a fun, child-centred approach to gaining mastery through problem-solving and group work.
The weekly ‘Big Write’ allows girls to synthesise all they have learned in coherent and purposeful extended pieces.
In English, girls build on the secure foundations of their Reception year, developing a love of reading and writing as well as embedding a thorough knowledge and understanding of the core components of spelling, grammar and punctuation. The weekly ‘Big Write’ allows girls to synthesise all they have learned in coherent and purposeful extended pieces.
The studies in Mandarin and Chinese culture that girls began in Reception are developed upon in Years 1 and 2, with the introduction of a more challenging programme of language study.
In Science lessons, we provide a stimulating environment in which the emphasis is on ‘doing’, ‘exploring’ and ‘questioning’. To this end, our science lab is a hive of exploration and learning where girls work collaboratively to develop their understanding of scientific concepts. However, scientific exploration is by no means confined to the lab, as the children are encouraged to make exciting discoveries wherever they are. Science lessons are furthermore enriched by the visiting scientists whom we are fortunate to receive, many of whom are parents while others still are STEM ambassadors from industry or science road-shows such as the ‘Bristol Explorer Dome’.
