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Primary Years

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Primary Years

The Primary stage of education is immensely important for every child, as it is here that the foundations of literacy, numeric reflection and thinking skills are laid down for the future. At Rainbow International School Uganda we aim to nurture skilled, confident children who are inquirers both within the classroom and in the world beyond. We address every facet of their existence – social, physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual – in addition to academics. The course has been devised keeping in mind the best research and practice across a whole range of national/ international systems. To facilitate best development in every child we keep our class sizes manageable and student teacher ratio healthy. The Students work in ever changing groups to encourage learning from each other as well as allowing children to process other opinions and to develop listening skills & critical thinking abilities. This does not limit their learning to the teachers ability alone but encourages “out of the box “thinking as that is a skill required by students in the future.
Nursery children are constantly encountering new experiences and are seeking to understand them to build on what they already know. They learn in many different ways: playing, talking, observing, planning, questioning, exploring, repeating, reflecting and responding to adults and each other. In Nursery, we aim to plan learning experiences that consider children’s needs and achievements in order to help them progress. The children’s personal, social and emotional development is vital as it impacts on all areas of their lives. This provides a sound foundation for success in learning. The Nursery class offers a safe, secure, supportive and caring environment, which is vital for children to maximise their all round development. The children are offered a range of experiences and opportunities through active learning. The children learn through play and investigation. They are encouraged to talk, observe, plan, question, investigate and explore, through a variety of activities which are continually adapted to suit learning needs and styles. Well-planned play is a key way in which children learn with enjoyment. Through using the classroom and outdoor environments children learn and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. The children are encouraged to talk, discuss and share their learning experiences. They are offered stimulating and exciting learning opportunities where they learn as a class, in groups, or as individuals. Children are treated as individuals and learn at their own level and pace to achieve their full potential. Each child is encouraged to be as independent as possible and confident in their own abilities. We have high expectations of what the children can achieve.

Our Learning Focused School

At RISU we talk about what the children are learning as opposed to what they are doing.

Each child is an individual and we are interested in how they progress and achieve rather than attainment. We assess children throughout the year to measure their learning; the change that occurs in their knowledge, skills and understanding as a result of the learning experiences they have.

Within RISU, we are a learning focused community. Both the staff and children continually develop their learning, this in turn brings the school community together.

International Mindedness

In today’s increasingly interdependent world, it is more important than ever to ensure children are prepared for their roles as global citizens. At RISU we strive to educate and develop children into 21st Century Learners – internationally minded individuals who respect and celebrate diversity.

Each IPC unit has embedded within it, across the different subjects, learning-focused activities that help children start developing a global awareness and gain an increasing sense of themselves, their community and the world around them, as well as inspiring positive action and engagement with global issues.

In addition to this, each thematic IPC unit of work includes specific tasks related to International as a subject in its own right, as well as encouraging schools to explore the unit from the perspectives of both the ‘host’ country (the country ‘hosting the school’) and ‘home’ country (the country which children call ‘home’).

Our definition of International Mindedness here at RISU is;

International Mindedness is the ability to respect and value the cultural and linguistic diversity of our school community, by developing an understanding through learning about, from and with each other.

At RISU we believe learning is most effective when learners:

  • Invest in the value of learning
  • Are actively involved
  • Are given a safe space to rehearse
  • Can use the appropriate subject vocabulary or key words
  • Can use the language of learning and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways
  • Are given the opportunity to reflect
  • Can transfer the new into a variety of different situations
  • Negotiate risk
  • Make meaningful choices

The eight personal learning goals in the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) are:

  • Adaptable
  • Collaborator
  • Communicator
  • Empathetic
  • Ethical
  • Resilient
  • Respectful
  • Thinker

These goals are an integral part of the IPC’s philosophy, aiming to develop the personal qualities and dispositions students need for success in the 21st century

Throughout Early Years we aim to make the children develop an understanding of these goals by using age appropriate language. Each of the goals are linked to an animal to help the children remember what they mean.