This is the end of another busy but overall successful school year...
by Petr Pospíšil
As we are winding down this school year I would like to take this opportunity and reflect on some interesting developments and changes.
This year the school went through some great ups but also downs. It was a fairly difficult year in terms of staffing as we had two long term sick leaves which impacted us all. In any small team where staff need to take on a number of roles every loss of an established member of staff can be critical. Well this year we had two planned followed by two unplanned losses. I believe that we all persevered and managed well, during what was really a challenging time; partly thanks to the hard work and flexibility on the side of all the remaining members of staff.
Another quite unusual change was the reorganization of the lower secondary classes in December, as well as the unfortunate and unexpected delays in the moving of the preschool. External factors can often be difficult to control; however this year there were also a number of internal matters to manage and control. As a consequence, there are a number of new measures being implemented at school in order to prevent such things from happening.
In spite of such difficulties and obstacles, we have also managed to develop the school program further; these changes should enhance the learning experience for all. Here are some of the positive changes which I am really happy about:
Initially, we continued our internal discussions and worked hard to develop the assessment and marking systems with new and hopefully better termly (as well as the final) report cards. Secondly, the implementation of the Champions curriculum certainly raised standards in terms of the content as well as organization in PE. We invested funds to purchase a lot of PE resources which are evidently used both in and out of the PE classroom.
Also it was very nice to see that most of the children who applied to continue studying at Czech secondary schools were successful. Some with additional external support but some even without it.
Another great thing is that we initiated cooperation with Wolsey Hall, Oxford and can now offer a solution to a number of needs for our oldest students. Next year we will have at least one student studying at the iGCSE level which is great.
On Tuesday 19th there was an initial meeting of the preparation committee to set up a Parents Teachers Association. If the energy present at the meeting turns into concrete objectives and actions this will be another very important milestone in the way the school is managed and developed. Having a fully functioning and active PTA is a great asset and can contribute to further improvement of the school and programme for children.
After some delays we have ultimately managed to relocate our preschool and the next year will see more shared activities across both schools, which I believe is important; this will be beneficial to all children. In addition, during summer we will build a new outdoor learning space for year 1 and pre-school next to the preschool building.
Lastly, I would like to thank to all the parents for their continuous support and involvement in the school community! Enjoy your summer holiday and see you in September.
They will gain perfect knowledge of English.
Your child will become a global citizen with wide understanding of local and international topics.
We put a strong emphasis on the development on subject specific skills rather than on acquisition of knowledge.
Emphasis on skills development (not just memorising).
Individual approach; school’s ability to motivate for improvement.
Your child will be excited to come to school.
You are not buying success, you are paying for the school to monitor your child’s progress to their goals and motivate them to fulfil their potential.
We are not a selective school: we believe that everybody can be successful.
Jolly Phonics is an engaging way to teach children pre -reading and pre -writing skills using phonics. Phonics is the teaching of the sounds that letters make, rather than the names of letters that are taught in the alphabet, because it is the sounds that are useful for reading and writing, not the names. These sounds are taught in a systematic way, alongside all of the skills needed for being a fluent reader and writer in future. Jolly Phonics also teaches all of this in a fun and engaging way, through characters, stories, actions, songs and games! To read more about Jolly Phonics, clickhere.
ORT is a reading scheme which has been developed to help children learn to read from the age of 4. This scheme is used by a vast majority of preschools and schools in the UK and around the world.ORT includes popular characters and illustrations such as Biff, Chip and Kipper, Floppy, Wordless Stories and easy regular word books to capture children’s imagination and interest and help them develop their pre reading skills. It is an excellent way to practise the skills learned through the Jolly Phonics Programme..
Cambridge Primary ENGLISH promotes an enquiry-based approach, developing learners’ confidence, creativity and intellectual engagement. Learners develop English skills that they can apply to a range of different purposes and audiences in everyday situations and in study.
We teach English as a first language. Pupils that are only starting to learn English or need some additional support are allocated to our intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) programme.
More about Cambridge Primary EnglishCambridge Primary MATHEMATICS focuses on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships so that learners can apply their mathematical knowledge and develop a holistic understanding of the subject. Knowing your times tables facts without practical application and without developing alongside some good problem solving skills is not that helpful - in our school, we make sure our pupils know why they are learning it and how they can use the specific knowledge and skill.
More about Cambridge Primary MathsThis subject develops the skills of research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, collaboration and communication. We focus on developing pupils’ transferable skills that will be essential for success in their other subjects, higher education and work life. Pupils work on ‘challenges’ throughout the year. These can include but are not limited to topics such as:
Ty mohou mimo jiné zahrnovat témata jako například:
For more information about each subject, please see here.