Literacy classes are taught in five groups.  We aim for the child’s learning experience to be

as close as possible to the UK model, and encourage creative input as much as possible:

 

Little Bees

 

corresponds to Early Years & Reception (key Stage 1) in the UK system:

 

- Children begin to learn letters and sounds through developmental play, arts and crafts.

 

- Small group, experienced teacher and assistant make Wednesday afternoons enjoyable and constructive.

 

- Children grow in confidence and develop their ability to play and work with others.

 

 

Class 1

Corresponds to Reception & Year 1 (Key Stage 1) in the UK system.

 

- For children ready to move on and develop their reading and writing skills.

 

- Continuing emphasis on phonics for reading and writing.

 

- Creative teaching including art and craft.

 

- A small group with an experienced teacher and assistant to help children to continue to develop skills and confidence.

 

 

 

Class 2

Corresponds to Year 2 (Key Stage 1) in the UK system.

 

-  A range of genre is covered by looking at traditional tales, poetry, fiction and non-fiction texts.

- Children begin to plan and write their own creative stories.

- An emphasis is placed on phonics skills to word build, encouraging children to spell words independently.

- Children learn to read and sequence instructions by making it fun, enabling them to answer simple questions from non- fiction texts.

- Children learn to read and spell high frequency words for KS1 this is reinforced through reading and writing.

- Reading is the main emphasis in this class with every child reading to the class teacher every week.

- Creative teaching including art and craft.

 

Class 3

Corresponds to Years 3 & 4 (Key Stage 2) in the UK system.

 

- More emphasis is now given to spelling and grammar, as well as continuing to foster confidence in reading and independent writing.

- Use of vocabulary and creative language is widened and developed.

- A variety of writing is introduced to include non-fiction such as report writing, newspapers and diaries, and fiction to include fairy tales, myths and legends, poetry and complete novels.

- More independence is fostered, with children being encouraged to research and take notes.

- Emphasis is on creative teaching and learning - with the belief that an engaged child is a happy one, open to new ideas.

 

Class 4

Corresponds to Years 5 & 6 (Key Stage 2) in the UK system.

 

Children build and reinforce the knowledge and understanding from their previous work. They explore fiction and non-fiction with an investigative approach, and are encouraged to:

 

- Enjoy the experience of discovering new and challenging words including the use and derivation of prefixes and suffixes.

- Practise the skills of skimming and scanning to find key words in a text quickly.

- Understand the difference between literal questions and inferring meaning from a text.

- Plan, develop and refine their own writing as most appropriate for the task, understanding why different formats and language are used in different contexts.

- Become confident in using encyclopaedias, (adult) dictionaries or a thesaurus.

- Enjoy the creativity of language.

 

English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

 

For all primary aged children for whom English is not their first language:

 

- English is taught to French, and other non English-speaking children.

- Varying levels from beginner to those preparing to join the English Literacy groups.

- Classes are relaxed and fun, with activities designed to bring the language to life.

- Experienced EFL teacher.