Early years
Here at Gateway International School, we follow the British Curriculum enriched with Montessory Approach.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is for children aged 2–5 years old.
Our teachers agree on a long-term plan for each age group.
This involves medium- and short-term plans about which specific termly topics will be taught, and to which groups of children.
We review our long-term plan on an annual basis, while keeping the short- and medium-term plans flexible so we can best support
the changing interests and needs of our children.
Our study plans articulate the learning objectives, teaching strategies, educational resources and activities that our
teachers will use for each topic.
These schemes help us determine fair, practical assessment methods and identify intended learning outcomes from children with varying
abilities.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The first stage of early years school nurtures our students in seven areas of learning: three prime and four specific.
During the years, your child will build the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in future school.
The three prime learning areas are :
Our children will foster foundational skills to pay attention, listen, understand and speak well and confidently through a variety of
activities. Through fun, imaginative storytelling, our children learn to listen attentively in a range of situations.
They anticipate key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions.
With clear communication, our children also learn to follow instructions that involve several ideas or actions.
They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.
Along with their understanding of the interlocutor’s needs, our early years children express themselves effectively,
using past, present and future forms accurately. They also develop their own narratives by connecting ideas or events.
To become the ‘whole person’ who values both academic and professional achievements and personal well-being,
our children learn the importance of good health from day one. They will learn about the lifelong benefits of physical
exercise and a healthy diet, as well as ways to stay safe and healthy. They manage their basic hygiene and personal needs
successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
Through various activities, our children develop good control and coordination in large and small movements,
from jumping to holding pencils. They move, take up space and handle tools and equipment confidently and safely.
Our safe, open environment and supportive teachers foster self-confidence and self-awareness. Here, our children learn to speak
and exchange ideas in a group they feel familiar and comfortable with. Each child also explores a range of new activities,
identifies why they enjoy some more than others, as well as chooses the tools and equipment they need for their favorite activities.
Learning and playing as part of a group or class, our children learn to express and manage their own feelings and behaviours
as well as to understand those of others. They recognise that what they do has consequences, and that some behaviours are unacceptable.
In addition to following the rules and finding basic common grounds, our children learn to adjust to different situations.
Through interaction with teachers and peers with diverse backgrounds, our children learn to build healthy, respectful relationships.
They are considerate of others’ feelings and needs, taking turns playing and sharing ideas about how to organise an activity.
Learning and playing as part of a group or class, our children learn to express and manage their own feelings and behaviours as
well as to understand those of others. They recognise that what they do has consequences, and that some behaviours are unacceptable.
In addition to following the rules and finding basic common grounds, our children learn to adjust to different situations.
Through interaction with teachers and peers with diverse backgrounds, our children learn to build healthy, respectful relationships.
They are considerate of others’ feelings and needs, taking turns playing and sharing ideas about how to organise an activity.
The four specific learning areas are :
Following the British curriculum, our early years children learn to read and understand simple sentences. They use basic phonic
knowledge to work through regular words and read them aloud accurately, while expanding their vocabulary with some common irregular
words. They also learn to relay the main message about what they have read to others.
Your child will also use the basic phonic knowledge to write words in ways that match their spoken sounds and write simple
sentences he/she and the others can read.
Our children will learn to count from 1 to 20, place them in the correct order and say which number is one more or one less than
a given number. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer.
They solve simple mathematical problems, including doubling, halving and sharing.
Our curious, young children will also learn about shape, space and measures. They will recognise, create and describe everyday
objects and shapes in simple mathematical terms. To further extend their knowledge in the area, we will also talk about size, weight,
capacity, position, distance, time and money in everyday language.
Our children learn to share about the past and present events in their own lives and those of family members,
as well as notice the simple characteristics of their own immediate environment. They observe animals and plants,
ask questions and find answers about why some things occur and some things have changed.
Our children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things.
They recognise that other children don’t always enjoy the same things as they do and embrace the differences between themselves
and others and among families, communities and traditions.
As the world grows more virtualised, our children recognise that a range of technology plays a major role in everyday life at
home and in school. They know how to select and use the right technology for particular purposes.
Each and every day, our children learn the power of imagination. They sing songs, make music and dance.
Encouraged to explore new possibilities, our children also experiment with an array of media, tools and techniques.
They consider usage and purposes while also playing with colours, designs, textures.
Through a large array of activities and the support form our specialist teachers, your child will learn
to express his/her own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories.
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