In Key Stage Two, we continue the learning through themed projects known as Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs). As in Key Stage One, this hooks the students into the topic and provides an exciting vehicle to deliver the National Curriculum for England. Recently, these have included themed days such as ‘Mexico Day’ or ‘Viking Day.’ In others ILPs we have held art exhibitions or have gone on external visits. We believe that by providing enriching experiences, learning will be more memorable. External visits are planned carefully to ensure they link strongly with the learning taking place. The aim of these visits is to provide something which may not be possible in school; taking the children to explore the street art of the city, giving them the opportunity to discover the scientific forces that allow rollercoasters to move or to learn about conservation in the ocean. Additionally, we use visits to teach children about the culture of the UAE, such as a visit to the falconry centre to learn about a beloved sport in the UAE. All visits across GEMS Founders School are carefully planned and full risk assessments are carried out before visits are authorised. Our teachers promote the use of a range of digital technology within the Imaginative Learning Projects to innovate and express their learning.

As children progress into Key Stage Two teachers continue to embed a love of reading. Children build on their prior learning, deepening their skills of decoding, comprehension and inference through whole class and guided reading sessions, using books chosen carefully to match both their interest and their level of competency in reading. Reading strategies are delivered through small group teaching and independent tasks. During guided reading, children look at punctuation, vocabulary and give their opinion about what they are reading. They develop strategies to retrieve information and make inferences from the text which improves their comprehension when reading.  Pupils’ book band levels are checked regularly to ensure each child is on the correct level. This takes into account both their ability to decode words as well as their comprehension skills. 

Our approach to writing in Key Stage Two gives students the opportunity to engage with high quality texts, which carefully match our current themes, through hearing lots of rich language and being truly immersed in a purposeful environment. The teaching of writing is applied to many subjects across the curriculum and encourages the application of taught skills. By creating carefully planned lessons within a sequence, students are given the opportunity to practice and refine their writing culminating in a ‘Hot Write’ at the end of each unit. 

In Key Stage Two, children continue their Maths Mastery journey, continuing with the already now familiar ‘Power Maths’ programme  which provides many opportunities for children to develop confidence and fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. Lessons follow the same structure as in Key Stage One lessons; ‘Discover’, ‘I do’, ‘We do’ and ‘You do’.

Assessment is ongoing and takes a variety of forms in Key Stage Two. Most of our assessment is completed formatively during daily lessons. This can take the form of questioning, quizzes, marking, verbal feedback and through working with groups and observations.  However, teachers also assess periodically in particular subjects.  All internal assessment carried out at GFS inform teachers of the pupils’ next steps in learning. It is vital for teachers to know where the children are in their learning in order for them plan effectively for the future. We try not to put too much of an emphasis on the assessments so that we avoid the children feeling pressured. On many occasions children don’t realise they are having an assessment.

To prepare students for the future, in Year 6, the students transition into the Secondary school with an introduction to a typical timetable with taster lessons in a range of subjects, Q and A sessions and early teacher introductions.  The benefit of being an all through-school on one site allows for creativity and flexibility in this transition for our leaners.

Key Stage Two consists of four year groups: Year 3, 4, 5 and 6

In Key Stage Two, we focus our learning through themed projects called Imaginative Learning Plans. This hooks the children into the topic and provides an exciting vehicle to deliver the National Curriculum for England. With this, we provide enriching experiences such as in-school visits, out-of-school trips, themed experience days, exciting investigations and residential visits. We believe these foster life skills and provide new situations for children to discover more about themselves. Learning technologies are incorporated regularly within lessons to enhance the curriculum further. 

Key Stage Two consists of four year groups: Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 which is split into Lower and Upper Key Stage Two. It is often in Key Stage Two where children really start to develop their independence and discover their unique interests. It is for this reason, that we encourage so much variety into our topics and lessons, to allow children to explore their lines and enquiry and develop their curiosity. Towards the end of Key Stage Two, students are introduced to elements of the Secondary curriculum through a Transition day. 

The National Curriculum for Key Stage Two comprises of Core and Non-Core Subjects:

Core Subjects

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Computing
•  Arabic (for Arabic speakers)
• Arabic (for non-Arabic speakers)
• Islamic Studies (for Muslim students)

Other Subjects

• History
• Geography
• UAE Social Studies
• Moral Education 
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) 
• Music
• Physical Education (PE)
• Art and Design (Integrated in LKS2, taught standalone in UKS2)
• Design and Technology (Integrated)
• Languages - French (Year 5 and up)

It is our ultimate goal that all of our children develop an intrinsic love of reading and become lifelong readers and learners.

Children are taught skills such as decoding, comprehension and inference through whole class and guided reading sessions, using books chosen carefully to match both their interest and their level of reading. We recognise the children’s need to develop strategic comprehension skills and we teach this in small groups. Teaching objectives are pre-planned and sessions are characterised by explicit teaching of specific reading strategies and oral responses. During guided reading, children look at punctuation, vocabulary and give their opinion about what they are reading. They develop strategies to retrieve information and make inferences from the text which improves their comprehension when reading.

Pupils’ book band levels are checked regularly to ensure each child is on the correct level. This takes into account both their ability to decode words as well as their comprehension skills. Each child has a reading record book for staff and parents to write in. Reading targets are set by the teacher and recorded in the children’s reading record book.

Our school also encourages children to subscribe to a reading programme called ‘Bug Club’. Bug Club is an online reading world which provides levelled e-books for the children to practice and reinforce their reading skills at home. Our teachers assign books based on children’s reading levels and monitor their progress and engagement of their reading at home.  These books are very interactive and loved by pupils. Interactive activities, characters they know and love, and rewards keep the children motivated. Visiting Bug Club each week and completing the learning activities support the children to become confident and independent readers.

Within Key Stage Two, our approach to writing gives students the opportunity to engage with high quality texts, which carefully match our current themes, through hearing lots of rich language and being truly immersed in a purposeful environment. When text types are introduced, voice and actions are used to embed understanding of key skills. The teaching of writing is applied to many subjects across the curriculum and encourages the application of taught skills. By creating carefully planned lessons within a sequence, students are given the opportunity to practice and refine their writing culminating in a Hot Write at the end of each unit. 

In GFS, we use the mastery approach to teaching the mathematics curriculum across the Primary School. We follow the ‘Power Maths’ programme to teach a broad and challenging curriculum which provides many opportunities for children to develop confidence and fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value.

Every lesson starts with a Discover task to get children to solve a problem that aims to generate curiosity. During the Discover section, we maintain a strong emphasis on using practical apparatus, such as concrete objects like counters, bead strings, ten frames, etc. to support the children to gain a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics and explain their method and their thinking process.

Power Maths also takes the approach “I do, we do, you do’:

I Do - In the first step, the teacher models the appropriate way of performing the skills included in the new concept being taught.

We Do - After the teacher models the correct way to perform the new concept being taught, the class work through some examples together.

You Do - This step is where students demonstrate their initial level of understanding of the new concept being taught through independent practice. This allows for a deeper level of learning to develop.

In Key Stage Two, we assess in many different ways. Most of our assessment is done formatively during daily lessons. This can take the form of questioning, quizzes, marking, verbal feedback and through working with groups and observations. 

However, we also assess periodically in particular subjects.

For summative assessments, we do the following: 

• Assessed independent writing periodically through the year
• End of unit assessments and end of term assessments in Maths
• End of unit assessments in Science
• End of term reading assessments
• End of term VGPS (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation & spelling) assessments
• GL Progress Tests (Y4 and up)
• CAT4 Tests (Y4)
• TIMSS (Y5)

All internal assessment done at GFS is to inform teachers of next steps in lessons. It is vital for teachers to know where the children are in their learning in order for them plan effectively for the future. We try not to put too much of an emphasis on the assessments so that we avoid the children feeling pressured. Many times, children don’t realise they are having an assessment.

In order to engage the children in their learning, we like to create exciting opportunities for them to get involved in. This usually takes the form of an exciting hook into their topic and an event or showcase at the end of their topic for them to work towards. For example in some topics we may have a themed day such as ‘Mexico Day’ or ‘Pirate Day.’ In others we may have an art exhibition or go on an external visit.

External visits are planned carefully to ensure they link strongly with the learning taking place. The aim of these visits is to provide something which may not be possible in school. For example, taking the children to explore the street art of the city, giving them the opportunity to discover the scientific forces that allow rollercoasters to move or to learn about conservation in the ocean. We believe that by providing enriching experiences, learning will be more memorable. Additionally, we use visits to teach children about the culture of the UAE, such as a visit to the falconry centre to learn about a beloved sport in the UAE. All visits are carefully planned and full risk assessments are carried out before the visit is authorised. 

Our teachers lead after school activities throughout the year. ASAs run after the school day and offer a range of enrichment opportunities for the children, including activities such as dance, cooking, sports and arts & crafts.