Primary Years Programme
In line with our school Mission Statement, the Primary school at St John’s aims to ‘develop leaders for the future who are collaborative, communicative, enquiring, respectful and creative individuals with a passion for lifelong learning’. In order to achieve this, the children study the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Year’s Programme (PYP). The curriculum that supports this learning is based on a strong emphasis on skills, knowledge and understanding while every child is supported on an individual basis to reach their personal potential; academically, emotionally, socially and physically.
Class Teaching
The IB Primary Years Programme encourages the development of the child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. In order to plan for this learning, all classes from Reception to Year 6 at St John’s are taught by the class teacher for the majority of the day. This provides the children with a continuity and security in school time and enabling them to follow a continuous, relevant and engaging programme of activities.
The most significant and distinctive feature of the teaching for the IB Primary Years Programme is the six transdisciplinary themes.
These themes are about issues that are important to all of us. The programme offers a balance between learning about the subject areas and learning beyond them. The six themes of global significance create a framework that allows children to learn beyond the restrictions of subject areas.
Each individual theme is addressed through the six units of inquiry carried out over the school year. Each Unit of inquiry lasts for half a term. The themes are:
- Who we are
- Where we are in place and time
- How we express ourselves
- How the world works
- How we organise ourselves
- Sharing the planet
Added to this is our belief that it is essential to encourage positive attitudes towards other people, our environment and our learning. The attributes required to achieve this are addressed explicitly within the curriculum; appreciation, commitment, confidence, cooperation, creativity, curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, independence, integrity, respect and tolerance.
Within the Units of inquiry, children are taught all literacy and numeracy skills as appropriate to their age as well as a science programme based on discussion, prediction, investigation and practical experimentation. Specialist teachers oversee the teaching of the core curriculum in order to maintain the high standards of literacy and numeracy within the school. Drama, ICT, History, Geography and Religious Studies are all integrated into the Unit of Inquiry ensuring a local, national and global awareness and encouraging cultural understanding.
St John’s believes that the teaching of certain subjects can benefit from the use of specialist teachers, in order to develop the children to their maximum potential. In the Primary School, these subjects are:
Physical Education
Music
French
French in the Nursery and Junior school is taught by a specialist language teacher who also has extensive experience in teaching general subjects within this age group.
Flexibility, enthusiasm and a lively teaching style are the key elements of the French Department. In the Nursery and Junior departments, particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that pupils have a very positive first experience of learning a language. A relaxed but purposeful and busy environment ensures that even the shyest of pupils soon feels confident to participate in finger rhymes, songs, stories, games and simple role plays. An awareness of cultural diversity is fostered as pupils learn about France and the French speaking world.
Links are made with the PYP units of inquiry whenever appropriate and authentic, and the learner profile and attitudes are incorporated into the teaching methodology.
IB Learner Profile
The PYP Programme aims to develop internationally minded people who recognise everyone’s common humanity. By sharing responsibility for the planet, everyone can help to create a better, more peaceful world. PYP learners strive to be:
inquirers—their natural curiosity has been nurtured and they actively enjoy learning
thinkers—they exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to solving complex problems
communicators—they receive and express ideas and information confidently in more than one language
risk-takers—they approach unfamiliar situations without anxiety and have the confidence to explore new ideas
knowledgeable—they have explored themes that have global significance and have acquired a critical mass of knowledge
principled—they have a sound grasp of the principles of moral reasoning and have acquired integrity, honesty and a sense of justice
caring—they show sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of others, and have a sense of personal commitment to helping others
open-minded—they respect the values of other individuals and cultures and seek to consider a range of points of view
well-balanced—they understand the importance of physical and mental balance and personal well-being
reflective—they give thoughtful consideration to their own learning by constructively analysing their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Parental Involvement
St John’s believes in building a partnership with parents so that, together with the school and the child, parents can help the child by:
- maintaining regular contact with the school
- Reading to and with the child
- supporting the child’s use of language
- assisting the child with research projects
- attending information sessions at school and parent/teacher interviews
- providing an appropriate setting and structured routine for doing any Home learning
Trips
There are many opportunities for learning in the museums, galleries, historic buildings and through embracing the geographical diversity of Devon including the cliffs and beaches. Visits are arranged to enhance the curriculum and classroom learning. All cost will be advised prior to the trip and, with agreement, invoiced through the student’s school account. These visits and activities are arranged on a regular basis so that the children have an understanding of the impact of their learning in the real world. In Years 4 - 6, the children have the opportunity to experience residential visits lasting from 2 to 5 days, with a varied programme of activities including team building.
Learning Support
St John’s believes that all children should reach their full potential. When a child needs extra support, individual lessons are offered by a specialist teacher. These lessons follow an Individual Education Plan tailored to meet the needs of the child. Close contact is maintained with parents, form teachers and subject teachers, so that the child’s progress can be monitored carefully by all concerned. An additional charge is made for these lessons.
Clubs and Activities
There is a range of lunchtime clubs and afternoon activities available to the Primary school including Chess club, Football Club, Netball Club, Circuit Training, Rugby Club, Athletics, Maths Club, Orchestra, Junior Choir, Theatre Club, Film Club, Art Club, Modelling Club and Tennis lessons.
St John’s encourages the learning of musical instruments and has seen impressive development of singing and instrument playing within the school with opportunities to perform in school assembly, after school concerts and at public occasions. The school can arrange weekly lessons for interested students at a competitive price with specialist teachers.