JUNIOR SCHOOL

Our Junior School offers a broad and balanced curriculum based on the National Curriculum of England.

Our pupils enjoy a curriculum which is engaging, motivating and relevant for them as we want every pupil who attends our school to enjoy their time here, and leave ready and equipped to deal with the next stage of their education and living in their community. As they experience a high quality academic curriculum, they also experience our ‘essentials’ which we have written into our curriculum to provide them with a range of experiences which will equip them with a love of reading, the outdoors, being competitive and supportive, respectful, healthy and valued members of society.

Our children are active participants in their own learning. They are encouraged to ask questions at the start of the topic to guide what needs to be taught, and thus develop an inquisitive mind. They are also given high quality feedback in order to develop their knowledge and skills for them to do their best in all subjects.

Being an enthusiastic, fluent and efficient reader is essential to all learning and because of this; reading is given high status in our school. Our rigorous approach to teaching reading ensures that children read regularly and are taught specific reading and comprehension skills. They are given the opportunity to experience a wide range of quality texts to develop a love of reading as well as exposure to vocabulary. Teachers engender a love of reading by reading daily to their classes,

sharing and discussing their favourite books and giving time for sustained reading. They value reading and this is apparent through the high quality reading areas and promoting of books in all curriculum areas.

Developing an extensive, expressive and accurate vocabulary is also seen as essential to lifelong learning. Key vocabulary is highlighted in all areas of the curriculum, planning and is shared with parents. Vocabulary is discussed and explained in all subjects and children are expected to use efficient and accurate vocabulary in their work.

Phonics is taught by our highly skilled and trained staff. The children are taught in groups which are fluid and respond to their development and next steps. Children at risk of falling behind are identified early and supported through intervention classes so that they can keep up with their peers.

Alongside phonics, we offer elocution classes to our learners which impart in them a lot of confidence. It also helps them learn about how to conduct themselves in public, use the right words to express themselves and project their voice with the right confidence. Over all, they become better presenters and speakers.

At MBIS, we have high expectations of children’s handwriting and presentation and this is demonstrated through displays and in books. Staff model handwriting and lots of signs around classrooms are handwritten. We also empower all our pupils’ handwriting skills through a school-wide Handwriting program.

Children are expected to become efficient and confident mathematicians. They are given many opportunities to learn, practice and apply their mathematical skills and knowledge in lessons.

They are taught problem solving in a clear and systematic way in order to facilitate the application of skills and knowledge.

Our curriculum builds on what has already been learnt: so that children know more, remember more and then can apply this to unfamiliar situations to deepen their knowledge and skills further. Furthermore, deeply embedded in our schemes of work are important links to the local area and community. We feel it is essential that our children have an understanding of the history and geography of the place that they live. This is so that they can feel connected and proud of their locality. These experiences include local visits to historical places of interest and visitors from the locality.

In order to give our pupils knowledge and understanding of the home country, we incorporate different aspects of the Nigerian culture in our rich curriculum.

We are determined to provide an education that gives all children access to the knowledge that they will need to become proud of themselves and successful now and in their future lives.