The Edinburgh Academy Junior School

Edinburgh Academy Junior School curriculum
Personally Tailored Teaching

The Junior School Curriculum

Balanced and progressive

The Edinburgh Academy Junior School provides a balanced, progressive curriculum, based on the best practice in the national 5-14 Guidelines for children from Primary 1 to Primary 6. Along with the rest of Scotland, the Junior School is embracing the national initiative - A Curriculum for Excellence. This means we are committed to revising our curricular provision to ensure we continue to provide not only traditional strengths but also opportunities for children to develop critical and creative thinking and to learn a range of skills for the 21 st century.

We provide a secure and happy environment, which enables each child to fulfil his or her potential and achieve high standards in personal and social development as well as academic achievement. We provide for all of our pupils structured and stimulating opportunities to increase their skills and knowledge in contexts appropriate to their individual needs and the world in which they live.

Curriculum Development

Curriculum content is carefully organised to cater for progressive development through each stage of the School. In the early years, we determine the starting point for each child and build on his or her earliest experiences in the home and in pre-school groups. Within each phase of the curriculum, there is a progression from simple and elementary to the more complex and sophisticated, with each stage providing a firm basis for learning at the next level. All boys and girls are given work to do which offers them a challenge, but one, which they are capable of meeting. This process of differentiation enables us to cater for the needs of individuals and to ensure that each child develops with confidence and pleasure.

Each child receives individual attention, care and dedicated, enthusiastic teaching: a sure way to lay firm foundations and build a way towards a happy and successful future. Day-to day co-operation between staff and parents creates ideal conditions for learning in a well organised, stimulating atmosphere.

The upward steps of primary education

The Nursery Curriculum

nursery

At The Edinburgh Academy we acknowledge the vital importance of nursery education. Within this department of the school, we develop and broaden the experiences our young children encounter, and guide them towards being confident, enthusiastic and inquiring young people, who are ready to move along the path that prepares them for life.

The curriculum that we follow covers the five key areas of learning for three to five year olds:

• Emotional, personal and social development
• Communication and language
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Expressive and aesthetic development
• Physical development and movement

Through play, the Nursery children explore their developing world and discover the joy of learning.

The Junior School Core Curriculum

core curriculum

Throughout the Junior School, the curriculum is organised into five main areas, one of which, environmental studies, is a compendium of a number of traditionally separate subjects including science, history and geography.

  1. English Language: Speaking, Listening, Reading & Writing.
  2. Mathematics: Number, Money & Measurement; Shape, Position & Movement; Information Handling (problem-solving is included in all these).
  3. Environmental Studies: Science; People in the Past (history); People and Place (geography); People in Society (including business activities) and Technology.
  4. Expressive Arts: Art; Music; Physical Education & Drama.
  5. Religious & Moral Education, Personal & Social Development: (including Health Education).

There is undoubtedly a focus on numeracy and literacy but there are many other subjects taught, which provide the richness of a broad and well-balanced curriculum.

The introduction of foreign languages

languages

From Primary 5 we add the teaching of a modern language – French. Specialist teachers from the Senior School become involved with the teaching of the children in Primary 6. Spanish is available as an after school activity.

A foreign language not only broadens cultural understanding but deepens understanding of one's own culture. A child cannot be truly educated without venturing beyond the familiar.

The Extended Curriculum

drama

Expressive Arts – Art; Music; Physical Education & Drama. We are very fortunate to have our own Junior School specialists for art, music and PE, where children experience a very high level of expertise in these areas from Primary 1 upwards. Drama is taught by the class teacher but children also have the opportunity to take part in various performances throughout the year, where often it is a collaborative effort between class teachers and specialists working together to produce a performance of the highest quality.

Games

games

Every pupil will be able to participate in a wide range of sports, both team games and individual pursuits. Coaching starts in Primary 3 and by Primary 6 the school is able to field several teams to take part in tournaments against other schools. Rugby and cricket teams compete on a regular basis and the school often sends teams to cross-country and athletics competitions, swimming galas and skiing events. Hockey and netball teams will be developed.

Religious & Moral Education

religious education

This part of the curriculum includes a strong element on personal search, which encourages the young learner to develop his or her creative and critical thinking skills. The development of thinking skills is considered extremely important in today’s curriculum and the class teacher is best placed to foster these skills. Health education and personal and social development are of special importance as they are considered to be the key to success in other curricular areas

Information and communications technology

IT and computing

IT permeates the curriculum but the teaching of specific skills is done through a cohesive and progressive programme of study. This programme starts in Primary 1 and goes right through to Primary 6.

The Academy has a school wide network. The majority of the linked computers are concentrated in the ICT Suite, but there are other networked machines in the school and all classrooms have at least one machine on the network.

Internet Policy

computing

The network is connected to a leased line providing the permanent broadband access to the Internet.

All pupils have access to the Internet and may have a school e-mail address. A school policy has been established and filtering software has been installed with the aim of protecting and debarring pupils from exposure to undesirable material. Every effort is made to encourage pupils to make us of the excellent facilities for worthwhile educational purposes.
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