PRIMARY SCHOOL ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Adriancentury.Frost MA (oxon)
Dear Parents, Amity is an extraordinary school. We are blessed with a world-class campus and state-of-the art, unique facilities that cater for the varied intellectual, artistic and sporting talents of our diverse student community. However, great schools are the product of not only their facilities, but the quality of the relationships that exist within them. Amity students benefit from a rich collaboration of parents, staff and peers from all around the world. By embracing the opportunity to foster an environment of tolerance and empathy, our school is home to a diverse community that inspires teachers and students alike, to strive for excellence. The importance of individual happiness is core to the school's ethos. By ensuring that our pastoral programmes are robust and effective, we cultivate a strong school community that cares not only for each other, but also for the community of Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the world beyond. The National Curriculum of England, which is taught in all years, is complemented by an extensive programme of co-curricular activities that develop skills such as leadership, creativity, critical thinking and entrepreneurship. A student leaves Amity not only literate, articulate and numerate but in possession of skills and character attributes that will afford them success in their future professional and personal lives as global citizens in the mid-twenty-first
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ONDINE ULLMAN Assistant Head Upper oullman@amityabudhabi.aePrimary
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Before the start of Term 1, you will be given your child's teacher name and email address to contact them with any concerns or queries. The teacher is the first point of contact.
Warm Michelleregards,Nayler MICHELLE NAYLER Head of Upper mnayler@amityabudhabi.aePrimary
The Primary Curriculum has been curated to combine traditional pedagogy with innovative methods to drive the highest academic standards for all our pupils. By delivering a broad and enriching programme, children are encouraged to make links with their learning and study concepts in great depth, thus allowing them to fully embed knowledge and skills. The curriculum is centred around topics that lead to the pupils' immersion in what they are discovering. It is underpinned by skills for success such as collaboration, creativity and
Having studied Psychology at University, I enjoy reading child developmental research and current best practices in education; fostering a culture of learning for all in our community.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to you to Amity International School. My name is Michelle Nayler and I am the Head of the Upper Primary School. My experience spans over 18 years, teaching and leading in a variety of excellent schools around the globe. I have worked in maintained and independent schools in the UK as well as British International Schools in Bangkok and Tokyo. I am now entering my fourth ear at Amity and always enjoy the welcome as I walk through the doors into a vibrant buzz of learning and positivity. With children’s learning at the centre of my ethos, I am passionate about teaching, learning and innovation, drawing on my previous experiences.
A Message from the Head of Upper Primary 5 critical thinking. We embed these skills into our curriculum and through our entrepreneurship programme, culminating in real-life opportunities to showcase business acumen. I look forward to meeting with you during the course of the academic year and wish you and your families every success.
UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
• Personal, Social, Emotional, Moral & Health Education/Mindfullness
We strives to produce well-educated, tolerant and intellectually curious individuals who are ready to take a full, active and positive role in the life of their local, national and international community.
• Promoting Physical Health and Extra Curricular activities
The school approach encompasses several aspects in creating an open, positive and supportive environment for all pupils:
WELLBEING
• Early identification of pupils who have well-being or mental health needs
AIMS AND ETHOS 6 7 Aims
Our aim is for every child to reach their full potential and have the opportunity to excel in a range of subjects. We strive to ensure that every child is challenged and we pride ourselves on delivering an excellent education. We fundamentally believe that children can only excel and achieve when they are happy.
The well-being 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 well-being are to our lives, in just the same way as physical health, and the impact of well-being upon learning and achievement. We believe passionately in creating an environment that is caring, safe and, above all, kind, and that well-being is equally as important as academic success. One cannot be achieved without the other. and Ethos
We promote positive mental health and well-being that aims to help children become more resilient, happy and successful and to prevent problems before they arise.
• Strong pastoral systems
• Supporting and training staff
Towellbeing.prepare students for an ever- changing, fast-paced world, we encourage growth in all aspects of their lives. That’s why we provide an all-round education that allows students to develop intellectually, academically and socially, both inside and outside of the classroom. We want our School to be a place where children experience a nurturing and supportive environment that has the potential to develop self-esteem and give positive experiences for overcoming adversity and building resilience.
• Positive relationships
• Promoting resilience
Pastoral care is the cornerstone of our provision and secure in our community. We work with the children daily and monitor their academic, social and emotional
Those children who display exemplary effort in either their behaviour, their schoolwork or individual targets are awarded the Star of the Week award. They are presented with a certificate and their effort is celebrated in our weekly assembly.
Our school values (Collaboration, Diversity, Inspiring Excellence, Togetherness) encourage children to celebrate their differences whilst being compassionate and respectful towards each other. We follow a value-based approach to learning which seeks to promote an educational philosophy based on valuing self, others and the environment. Each month the whole school community work on and celebrate a key value together. Staff 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. We actively promote and encourage positive behaviour and supportive relationships between our students.
At Amity Primary School 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 Welife.
We follow a positive behaviour and anti-bullying policy. 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. Children in the Primary School are awarded Dojo points for demonstrating excellent behaviour, promoting the school values and actively participating in their learning. The children are very enthusiastic about their Dojo points and enjoy the opportunity to ‘spend’ their points by choosing from their class ‘shopping list’.
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 Everyenvironment.childis 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. We take our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain very seriously and ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of our school. Home learning Home learning expectations vary between lower and upper primary. In upper Primary we use online platforms to support learning : Century Tech, Accelerated Reading, Times Table Rockstar. https://ttrockstars.comhttps://www.century.tech
CURRICULUM
98 BEHAVIOUR
First Week: Sunday 29th August 2021
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 be adjusting and settling in. The Academic Team will be on hand to work with you to ensure that the transition will go as smoothly as possible.
TIMETABLE
*Optional items. For more information abount uniform, required items and orders: Uniform Information Page
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TIME 7.20 - 7.50 7.50 - 8.30 8.30 - 9.10 9.10 - 09.50 09.50 - 10.10 10.10 - 10.50 10.50 – 11.30 11.30 - 12.10 12.10 - 13.00 13.00 - 13.40 13.40 - 14.20 14.20 – 15.00 Monday RegistrationTimeLesson1Lesson2Lesson3BreakLesson4Lesson5Lunch/CCAsLesson6Lesson7Lesson8Lesson9 Tuesday RegistrationTimeLesson1Lesson2Lesson3BreakLesson4Lesson5Lunch/CCAsLesson6Lesson7Lesson8Lesson9 Wednesday RegistrationTimeLesson1Lesson2Lesson3BreakLesson4Lesson5Lunch/CCAsLesson6Lesson7Lesson8Lesson9 Thursday RegistrationTimeLesson1Lesson2Lesson3BreakLesson4Lesson5Lunch/CCAsLesson6Lesson7Lesson8Lesson9 Friday RegistrationTimeLesson1Lesson2Lesson3BreakLesson4Lesson5 NavyShirtBoysShortsBlackSocks WhiteNavyBlouseGirlsSkortSocks PE Kit Polo SportsSwimmingPEShortsShirtBag*Costume*WhiteShoes AccessoriesSunHatBookBagSwimmingCap*Rucksack*NavyBlackSchoolSweater*TieShoes
Below is an example timetable for a typical day in Primary. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 will also have Modern Foreign Languages on their Arrangementtimetables. for drop off and pick up will be sent to you closer to the beginning of Term 1. In order to support our youngest children adjust to Primary School, Parents of Year 1 children have the option to pick up at 1:00 pm every day, upon prior arrangement with the Class Teacher.
•We recommend applying sun cream before •Onschool.PE days, children come to school dressed in • their PE kit and sports shoes. Please also check our Bag Policy
Uniform The Uniform is an important aspect of student life at Amity. It creates a sense of belonging and being part of a community. Children are expected to wear the school uniform without adaptations. Hair ties/bands/clips should be simple, non-distracting and with no unnecessary adornments. Shoes must be all black and polishable. Trainer-style shoes are not Logosacceptable.arenot allowed. Children in Year 3 to Year 6 must always wear their tie in school (it may be removed when playing on the eld).
Equipment The children are required to bring a labelled water bottle and lunch box (if they are bringing packed lunch). They will also require a labelled book bag to collect books from the library. Stationery is provided however, if they would like to bring one pencil case with pens, pencils, rubber, ruler and sharpener they are welcome.
EXPECTATIONS
•All uniform items should be clearly labelled with •Children should wear a sun hat at all times when outside. We have a ‘no hat, no play’ policy.
Personalised Approach
12 13 THE
EAL support is differentiated based on the learner’s proficiency in English, which is 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 lessons range from personalised provision in class or withdrawal of 1:1 or small groups with a dedicated member of the EAL Newteam.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. HOUSE SYSTEM
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.
EAL SUPPORT
Before starting at Amity International Lower Primary School, all pupils are allocated to one of the four houses : Hosn, Jahili, Mezyad and Murabba. The main purpose of the house system is to develop a sense of identity and belonging and to celebrate our achievements. It allows students, and staff, to feel more connected and involved with the community around them. The House System facilitates discussions between the most junior and most senior of school, fostering a friendly competitive spirit along the way. We host a number of events throughout the year to exercise enjoyment of friendly competition. These Farzana Bhaiyat fbhaiyat@amityabudhabi.aeHeadofPrimaryEAL 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.
@
ToFollowcashier@amityabudhabi.aenurse@amityabudhabi.aefsreception@amityabudhabi.aeContactsusonSocialMediahelpinformyouofthetopicsyour children will be completing, you will receive Curriculum Overviews and Infographics outlining the connecting topics over half terms and terms. Parent Workshops We hold Parent Workshops and Open Mornings on different topics. We look forward to welcoming you, restrictions dependent.
We have an Open Door policy, and we encourage parents to contact us whenever they have a concern or they need support with anything.
Academic Reports
Gary Willis Deputy Head Co-Curriculum and gwillis@amityabudhabi.aeCommunity
CO-CURRICULUM
Throughout the year Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and wellbeing with their teacher. It is very important that Parents attend PTCs. Should you be unable to attend on those days, we are always willing to arrange a mutually convenient time for an appointment to discuss any concerns you may have. Assessment We employ a range of assessment measures to track pupil’s progress and benchmark them against international standards and age-related expectations. We are driven by the fundamental belief that all children have the potential to develop and improve. We assess internally in a variety of ways using responsive teaching methods: feedback, discussion, quizzes, comprehensions are just a few techniques used daily. In addition to this we use a number of external assessment tools in Year 3Year 2 to Year 6. GL standardised assessment for English Mathematics and Science take place annually and feed into the attainment grades reported to parents. Useful
KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL LIFE
Parent-Teacher Consultations (PTCs)
At the end of each term, reports are sent home to show the students’ progress. However, please feel free to make an appointment if there is anything you would like to discuss. 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 to our students, such as 450-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 teacher’s knowledge and enthusiasm, provide the perfect setting for the outstanding development of our young actors, artists, athletes, dancers, musicians, sailors, swimmers, along with various other specialisms and areas of interest. Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) take place during or after school. Students enjoy a variety of activities, trips, visits and events, designed to enhance their cognitive, physical, emotional and social development, as well as enrich their lives whilst studying at Amity. A wide variety of activities are available to the students to ensure they explore multiple interests and learn valuable skills that reach beyond the curriculum.
Clubs and societies run by our teachers are free of cost. Programmes run by external providers are paid.
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Students register for activities at the beginning of every term. All of our information will be shared on Class Dojo or emailed directly to you. Please make sure you have given us the correct email address for contacting you, and you update us if your details change.
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Pupil-centered learning is a key value of our curriculum and the use of BYOD supports this philosophy by giving pupils more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and to access learning whenever and wherever they wish.
•Promoteplanspositive solutions to overcome barriers to
EDUCATIONINCLUSIVE
The BYOD agreement has been designed to ensure that all members of the school community are given the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to thrive, as we move further into the digital age.
•Implement individualised education plans and action
How does it support learning?
•Nurture creativity, curiosity and innovation, communication and collaboration.
•Deliver creative, engaging and innovative learning experiences which meet the needs pupils.
•Facilitate access to learning when and where •Individualiseneeded. teaching and support.
•Work collaboratively with teachers, pupils, pastoral teams, school counsellors, Educational Psychologists, Occupational therapists and other outside agencies
•Create informed local and global citizens who are socially and personally responsible, and future-ready.
•Workdifferentiationinpartnership with parents and hold regular review meetings
We aspire to provide an inclusive and holistic education provision to all our pupils. We aim to promote a highly supportive ethos which is reflected in the values and culture of our entire school community so that all our pupils feel welcome, accepted, safe and valued. Our highly qualified team ensure all students with additional needs are catered for and their school life is enjoyable and engaging. We aim to identify both strengths and areas of need in order to impact positively upon achievement, participation, learning and self-confidence. Provision for pupils of determination is the responsibility of all at Amity. Every teacher is a teacher of pupils with special educational needs.
BYOD Explained At Amity we are dedicated to a learning environment that gives pupils access to appropriate technology that enhances learning, unlocks potential and connects learners locally and globally. We acknowledge the importance and benefits of integrating digital technologies into the classroom and believe that implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme will enable us to provide an even richer learning experience for our pupils, ensuring that they develop the knowledge and skills that they will need to meet the challenges of an ever changing future.
Our Inclusion Team:
Pupils have been born in a time when the ubiquity of digital technologies is becoming a reality. For them, technology is part of the environment, not just a resource as it was for their parents. Our aim is for pupils to get the best out technology and use it as a tool to support and enhances their learning. We aim to embed the use of digital technologies into the school curriculum, where it is appropriate and beneficial to teaching and learning. Digital Technologies will enable us to:
•Encourage pupils to be inquisitive learners.
Maria Walker Special Educational Needs mwalker@amityabudhabi.aeCoordinator
•Supportlearningclassroom accommodations and
•Follow the United Kingdom Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014)
BYOD Years 3 - 5
BYOD is a solution where pupils bring their own device to school to use in their day-to-day classwork and learning. Please see the below document for information on the Device & Purchase Guide
•Support core skills, social skills, sensory needs and specific learning differences
•Promote critical thinking, problem solving and decision •Communicatemaking.and share learning and achievements with parents and the community.
•Enables pupils to make their best academic and personal progress possible through tailored provision, encouragement and support
We operate a Bring Your Own Device Programme in Year 3, 4 and 5.
•Work with small groups and individual pupils
Al Bahya, E10, Exit 39, Abu Dhabi - UAE Call: +971 2503 9000 Email: www.amityabudhabi.comreception@amityabudhabi.ae