LOWER PRIMARY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025
WELCOME
Our aim is to Make Learning Irresistible!
‘Only those that risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.’
A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER PRIMARY
My name is Julie Engles and I am delighted to be returning for my eighth year at Amity International School as Head of Early Years and Lower Primary.
I first came to Abu Dhabi in 1976 with my parents and we lived in the region for over 35 years. In fact, I had my first day at school in Abu Dhabi! I then returned to the UAE with my family. We feel deeply connected to Abu Dhabi and the educational community here. I have been passionately involved in Early Years education for over ten years and was Head of Early Years in another British Curriculum school in Abu Dhabi before joining Amity.
Foundation Stage at Amity plays a unique and crucial role in the education we offer. Their purpose is to engender our very youngest children’s love of learning and to enable them to successfully acquire those basic skills that form the ‘foundation’ of all their future learning.
In Lower Primary, we are building lifelong skills and it is a fascinating and dynamic place to be! It is our hope that learning begins here and never ends. Of course, this incredible work cannot be done without the support of our parents. All of us in the Lower Primary team look forward to working in partnership with you and welcoming you and your family to our friendly and supportive learning community.
Warm regards,
Julie Engles Head of Lower Primary
LOWER PRIMARY AT AMITY
Welcome to the Lower Primary Department at Amity International School. At Amity, Lower Primary consists of two sections: Foundation Stage (FS) and Key Stage One (KS1). FS is made up of FS1 (Nursery) and FS2(Reception). KS1 is made up of Year 1 and Year 2.
This booklet will provide you with information about the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and English National Curriculum for KS1. We hope to give you a taste of what to expect for your child during their time in Lower Primary. We also wish to share with you information regarding the day-to-day routines and other important information which will help you prepare for your child’s start with us.
Everything we do is about learning. We understand that the single most important factor in successful schools is the quality of learning. As teachers, we must face the incredible responsibility we have: what we do affects pupils’ life chances.
In the Lower Primary at Amity, we believe in lifelong learning and the idea that both adults and children learn new things every day.
We look forward to working in partnership with you at the very beginning of your child’s learning journey. Please do not hesitate to contact any member of the team who will be very happy to assist you.
LOWER PRIMARY SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
JULIE ENGLES
Head of Lower Primary (Nursery to Year 2) fshead@amityabudhabi.ae
TIMINGS
SARAH HALL
Assistant Head – Lower Primary shall@amityabudhabi.ae
School gates open at 7.10 am and children are allowed in class from this time. We ask that all children are dropped and settled in their class by 7:40 am ready for the first lesson at 7:50am. Children arriving after 7:40 am will be marked as late.
Afternoon
FS children should be picked up from their classroom. There are two pick-up time options for parents in Nursery and Reception:
1:00 pm - Parents may collect their child from the FS classrooms at 1 pm and the gate will remain open for a 15 minute transition time.
2.50 pm - Parents may collect their child from the FS classroom from 2.50 pm. If you have siblings to collect in Primary, please collect your FS child first and then make your way to the Year 1 and Year 2 pick up zone. Bus children will transition during this time. We will ensure that they have been to the bathroom, have had a drink and have all their bags ready to travel.
For Year 1 & 2, Parents collect their child at 3.00 pm.
Detailed arrangement for drop off and pick up will be sent to you closer to the beginning of Term 1.
First Week: Monday 26th August 2024
This is an exciting time for us all, and we hope you are looking forward to the start of the school year as much as we are. During the first few weeks, your child will come to school and will adjust and settle into a new routine. We hope this information will help you feel positive about your child’s start at Amity
Timetable
All children in Lower Primary take part in a daily Phonics lesson as well as Mathematics, Literacy and Topic. Additionally, children will attend specialist lessons including PE, Swimming, Library and Arabic. In Year 2, children also attend additional Ministry of Education (MOE) lessons in line with ADEK regulations.
Children are also provided with the opportunity to explore the classroom environment as well as the shared area and outdoor area during Playing to Learn. This is an important time where children are able to lead their own learning, develop independence as well as develop key learning skills.
In FS, children access ‘rolling snack’ whereby they are provided with the independence to eat their snack at a time that best suits their needs.
You will be informed of your child’s timetable at the beginning of the academic year.
HELPING CHILDREN SETTLE IN TIMETABLE
Working together
We are committed to working closely with you and your child to support you both through the settling in process. We want your child to develop a strong attachment to their class teacher and other members of staff and for your child to feel safe, secure and confident in the Lower Primary.
Children settle into the Lower Primary in lots of different ways. Some will confidently walk into their new class and start playing, while others will feel nervous and anxious about leaving their parent. Most children will be somewhere in between. Please be reassured and try not to worry if your child experiences difficulties. It is a very normal part of a child’s development to feel upset about starting school, in particular in Nursery and Reception'. We also recognise that some parents will find this an upsetting process. The Lower Primary team at Amity are here to support you and your child.
As part of our morning routine, we welcome our parents to the drop off zones. We encourage quick goodbyes as prolonging this can make it more difficult for your child. Please be reassured that our caring staff will contact you if your child is upset for an extended period. Usually, these initial feelings of anxiety only last for a few minutes once children have entered the classroom.
Ways in which you can support your child’s start in the Foundation Stage:
•Visit your child’s class on Orientation Day
•Support your child’s independence by encouraging them to dress and eat by themselves, use the toilet, wash their hands and tidy up independently.
•Contact us if you have any questions.
•Read stories to your child about starting school. ‘The Invisible String’ by Patrice Karst is a lovely story to support separation anxiety.
At any stage in the process, if you would like to talk to someone, please approach your child’s class teacher in the first instance. You can also reach out to our Heads of Year or Assistant Head, Sarah Hall. You can also approach the Head of Lower Primary, Julie Engles. All staff in the Lower Primary at Amity are committed to working in close partnership with parents.
• All uniform items should be clearly labelled with you child’s name and class.
• Children are expected to wear a sun hat at all times when outside. We have a ‘no hat, no play’ policy.
• We recommend putting sun cream on first thing in the morning.
• On the days when your child has their PE lesson, Lower Primary children come to school dressed in their PE kit and sports shoes.
Uniform
The Uniform is an important aspect of student life at Amity. It creates a sense of belonging and being part of a community. The children are expected to wear the school uniform without adaptations
Other Items
• A water bottle with your child’s name.
• A school bag with your child’s name and one that your child can easily open and close themselves. For Health and Safety reasons, we do not allow bags with wheels and bags should weigh no more than 2.2kg. The school will provide all the equipment your child will need, such as pencils, crayons, erasers, so your child does not need to bring these.
• A book bag, with the child’s name, to carry books for home reading and library books (to be purchased from the uniform shop). This should be brought into school daily.
• A spare set of clothes with the child’s name, to be kept in school in a named plastic bag. This does not need to be a spare uniform.
• A lunch box, with the child’s name, that children
MEALS
Snack and Lunch
Your child will need a snack and packed lunch every day. In Lower Primary, children eat their snack and lunch in the classroom with their friends, teacher and assistant, which helps to promote good manners, independence and social skills.
We promote healthy eating and we encourage children to bring healthy snacks. Alternatively, snacks and lunches may be preordered and purchased from Emirates Catering Services, our catering provider. Joining information will be sent at a later date. Please also check our Healthy Eating Policy.
Please do not send chocolate, sweets, or fizzy drinks. Also, avoid sending any food containing pork or nuts (some children suffer from severe nut allergies). This includes items such as peanut butter and chocolate.
Birthdays
We enjoy celebrating your child’s birthday. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept birthday
cakes and sweets. Instead, children are very welcome to bring in fruit, fruit kebabs or vegetable sticks and we will sing ‘Happy Birthday’ with your child and their classmates.
Thank you for your understanding and support with this.
Snack and lunchtimes are happy, sociable times in the Lower Primary at Amity
FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM
The FS Curriculum at Amity strives to enable every child to reach their full potential in all areas of learning and development. Our learning opportunities programme is based upon the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage Framework whilst also reflecting the culture and heritage of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The framework gives a clear picture of how we help our FS children learn, including how we assess your child and the expected levels of development your child should have reached by the end of Reception. These are called the Early Learning Goals and they are supported and recognised by ADEK.
To flnd out more, visit: www.direct.gov.uk/eyfs
The learning will be led by a range of exciting and dynamic half-termly learning projects that capture the children’s imaginations and yet are flexible enough to follow the children’s interests. In Nursery, we will start Term 1 with 'All About Me'. In Reception, we will engage the children in our first topic 'Amazing Me!' which focuses on getting to know the children. We will keep you fully informed of our plans for future learning.
FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM
Phonics Programme
Across Lower Primary, we use a DfE approved structured Phonics programme, Twinkl Phonics, to help your child establish good phonic knowledge to support early reading and writing skills. Children will progress through the phases until they complete the programme. Early phonic skills include: tuning into sounds (auditory discrimination), listening and remembering sounds (auditory memory and sequencing), blending and segmenting sounds to read and write as well as, talking about sounds (developing vocabulary and language comprehension). Children will learn to apply these skills in a range of reading and writing situations.
Mathematics
Values Curriculum
The four pillars of Amity are:
•Collaboration
•Diversity
•Inspiring Excellence
•Togetherness
We will follow a values-based approach to learning that promotes an educational philosophy based on valuing oneself, others, and the environment. Each month the whole school community will work on and celebrate a key value together. Staff will praise the children who follow these values and encourage the children who need support to reach their value goals. We believe that this approach to learning promotes positive behaviour and good relationships. It also links with our golden rules; ‘kind hands, kind feet and kind words.’
Our approach to developing numeracy skills in the Lower Primary is to inspire confidence and a love of maths in all our pupils. In Lower Primary, we follow White Rose maths planning and nurture a mastery approach to Maths. Children will develop mathematical skills, problem-solving, and an understanding of mathematical concepts and language through a wide range of concrete, practical, hands-on quality play experiences that underpin mathematical understanding.
Specialist Lessons
We provide lessons taught by specialists in PE, Swimming, and MOE subjects. We aim to encourage children’s natural physical abilities, understanding of a healthy lifestyle and a positive attitude to self-care through a range of exciting and challenging activities in well-planned PE sessions. Children learn how to be safe in and around water and to develop the essential life skill of swimming. Arabic lessons are delivered once a week in Nursery and Reception and twice a week in Year 1. In Year 2, the number of Arabic lessons increases in line with the expectations set by the MOE. Islamic Studies and Social Studies are also taught to some children as advised by the MOE.
Oxford Reading Tree Scheme
Children work through a progressive reading scheme matched to their reading ability. We use the world-renowned Oxford Reading Tree Scheme, supplemented by various books from other publishers. This scheme will run alongside the books chosen from our school library. Your child’s class teacher will support your child’s reading progress through weekly Guided Reading sessions at an appropriate level or book band. They will also decide when it is appropriate for your child to move to the next level. More information will be shared with parents at our Workshops in September and October.
More information on our FS curriculum will be provided in our parent workshops.
KEY STAGE 1 CURRICULUM
In KS1, we follow the English National Curriculum. The National Curriculum framework details what subjects are taught, and the standards children should reach in each subject. Our curriculum is designed to develop inquisitive, independent thinkers with a love of learning. We understand that the curriculum, both within taught lessons and beyond them, should create an environment where questioning, academic risk-taking, divergent thinking and the freedom to learn from mistakes are all encouraged. Our curriculum will develop in our students these qualities: responsibility, independence and a sense that learning can excite and invigorate throughout life.
We strive for all children to enjoy learning and make it as much fun and as meaningful and relevant as possible. We offer children an excellent education in a safe, calm, creative, inclusive and stimulating environment.
Every child is valued as an individual; we aim to nurture well rounded, respectful and confident
children who will develop skills for life-long learning.
We nurture our children on their journey and encourage them to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.
We strongly believe in the development of key skills that are embedded into all areas of the curriculum. In addition, teachers plan highly engaging learning opportunities that are matched to the relative starting points of all pupils.
The curriculum is carefully planned to provide opportunities for children to learn about the UAE. Links to UAE culture, heritage and history are integrated into the curriculum to provide children with an understanding of where they live.
CO-CURRICULUM - LOWER PRIMARY
Students have access to a wide range of activities which allow them to challenge themselves creatively, physically and academically.
We are proud of the state-of-the-art facilities that we are able to offer our students, such as 540-seat auditorium, 400m athletics track, boathouse, Olympic-size swimming pool, learner pool, dance studio, art rooms, IT suites, and more. These incredible facilities, coupled with our teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm, provide the perfect setting for the outstanding development of our young actors, artists, athletes, dancers, musicians, swimmers, along with various other specialisms and areas of interest. Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) take place during the day in Lower Primary.
Students enjoy a variety of activities, trips, visits and events, designed to enhance their cognitive, physical, emotional and social development skills, as well as enrich their lives whilst studying at Amity. A wide variety of activities are available to students to ensure they explore multiple interests and learn valuable skills that reach beyond the curriculum.
In FS, children are provided wth the opportunity to access paid CCAs ran by external providers.
In KS1, children are provided with the opportunity to access paid CCAs led by external providers or free CCAs led by class teachers. Further information will be shared at the start of term.
OBSERVATIONS AND ASSESSMENT
We make ongoing observations and assessments of each child’s achievements, interests and learning styles. These observations and assessments are used to identify learning priorities, next steps and to plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child.
In September, we carry out a Baseline Assessment for children in FS. Teachers observe, assess and accurately record each child’s skills, understanding and learning behaviours in the 7 areas of learning. These areas correspond to the characteristics of Effective Learning. This information will guide us in meeting your child’s learning and development needs.
Furthermore, we will share with you your child’s Learning Journey throughout the Lower Primary at Amity through termly reports, Parent Teacher Conferences and Class Dojo.
Behaviour
We follow a positive behaviour and anti-bullying policy at Amity. We actively promote and encourage positive behaviour and supportive relationships between our students. Staff and children within the school use kindness, encouraging language and praise, both in lessons and around school, so that positive behaviour is instantly recognised. Amity’s school values encourage children to celebrate their differences whilst being compassionate and respectful towards each other. We encourage all children in the Lower Primary to have ‘kind hands, kind feet and kind words’ and treat each other with kindness and consideration. All children are supported and encouraged to make positive choices and to form successful relationships with their peers and staff.
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
We have an Open Door policy, and we encourage parents to contact us whenever they have a concern or they need support with anything.
Class Dojo and email
Class teacher email addresses will be shared with parents on Orientation Day to ensure you can communicate and share information effortlessly. In addition, you will have access to Class Dojo, which is an App we use to share children’s learning with parents. Class teachers will share photos and learning activities of the class and groups of children three times a week to allow parents to see what learning occurs within the classroom. Class Dojo also has a message function that allows parents and teachers to message each other privately. This is another way for you to make contact with your child’s class teacher quickly.
Parent Information
Parents are invited to a range of parent information meetings and workshops throughout the academic year to learn more about the curriculum in Lower Primary.
Reports
Reports are sent home on a termly basis. These provide a comprehensive overview of your child’s progress.
However, please feel free to make an appointment at any time if there is anything you would like to discuss.
Useful Contacts
fsreception@amityabudhabi.ae
nurse@amityabudhabi.ae
cashier@amityabudhabi.ae
Parent Teacher Consultations (PTC)
At each PTC you will have the opportunity to discuss your child’s targets, progress and personal and social development. Appointment times will be available for you to book a time slot during the week preceding PTC.
Parent Workshops
These will be held on subjects such as Phonics, Maths in the Early Years and Reading and will be designed to show parents how we teach these areas of learning and how they can support their child at home.
Open Mornings
This is an opportunity for you to come into school and work alongside your child to see what activities they do on a typical day, how they learn and to celebrate their achievements to date.
WELLBEING
We firmly believe that wellbeing is equally as important as academic success and that one cannot be achieved without the other.
The wellbeing and happiness of all our pupils is our main priority and lies at the heart of all we do. We know that to achieve and flourish every pupil needs to feel respected, valued and able to celebrate their uniqueness and individuality. We recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives, in just the same way as physical health, and the impact of wellbeing upon learning and achievement. Our children in Lower Primary experience a nurturing and supportive environment that has the potential to develop self-esteem, confidence and give positive experiences for overcoming adversity and building resilience. We believe passionately in creating an environment that is caring, safe and, above all, kind.
THE HOUSE SYSTEM
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
We aspire to provide an inclusive and holistic education provision to all our pupils.
At Amity School, we are committed to cultivating a supportive ethos throughout our community. This commitment is in our values and culture, ensuring all our pupils feel welcomed, accepted, safe, and valued. We aim to create an environment where every student can thrive, regardless of background or individual needs. Inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do. We believe every student has the right to feel a sense of belonging. From the moment a child walks through our doors, they are greeted with warmth and acceptance. This welcoming atmosphere is foundational to our educational philosophy. When students feel safe and valued, they are more likely to engage in their learning and reach their potential.
Understanding each student's strengths and needs is essential. We use various assessment tools to identify these aspects. By doing so, we tailor our educational approaches to better support each student. This individualised attention helps students meet academic standards and develop self-confidence.
We provide comprehensive support for students with Additional Learning Needs (ALNs), including individualised education plans, specialised teaching assistants, and access to educational tools and technologies. Collaboration is vital to our approach. We work closely with parents, carers, and external professionals to ensure each student receives comprehensive support.
SHAIHZAD
KHAN Head of Inclusion skhan1@amityabudhabi.ae
Our Inclusion Team:
• Work with small groups and individual pupils
•Support core skills, social skills, sensory needs and specific learning differences.
•Implement individualised education plans and action plans.
•Promote positive solutions to overcome barriers to learning.
•Support classroom accommodations and differentiation.
•Work in partnership with parents and hold regular review meetings.
•Work collaboratively with teachers, pupils, pastoral teams, school counsellors, Educational Psychologists, occupational therapists and other outside agencies.
•Enable pupils to make their best academic and personal progress possible through tailored provision, encouragement and support.
•Follow the School Inspection Framework set out by the Ministry of Education, UAE and also the United Kingdom Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014).
EAL SUPPORT
We have a dedicated, well- resourced EAL Department who support pupils who are new to English, or are continuing to develop their competency in English and therefore require additional support in their acquisition of the language of instruction.
Personalised Approach
EAL support is differentiated based on a learner’s proficiency in English. This assessed by an EAL teacher when they begin school and subsequently tracked each term.
The primary focus of the EAL Team is to ensure that all pupils learning English as an additional language are given the opportunity to fully access the curriculum and overcome any barriers to learning. This is achieved by developing both their social and cognitive language skills, as well as their reading and writing skills through the use of specific EAL software, which strongly promotes the use of a learner ’s home language, practical activities and structured lessons. EAL support ranges from personalised provision in class or withdrawal of 1:1 or small groups with a dedicated member of the EAL team.
New students will be approached by the EAL Team at the beginning of the Term to assess their English Language level to identify the learning support required.
Justyna Skowronski jskowronski@amityabudhabi.ae
Head of EAL
Our main aim is to ensure that all EAL pupils have an environment in which they can thrive both socially and academically.
If your child is learning English as an additional language, one of the most valuable ways you can support your child at home is to develop their literacy skills in their first language before learning to read in a second one. Translating curriculum content and homework in your first language is another great way to develop vocabulary and comprehension.
