The Curriculum at Port Regis
A broad-based curriculum is followed, reflecting the National Curriculum but extending well beyond its boundaries, to provide the enrichment and challenge which will prepare pupils for Common Entrance and Senior School Scholarships at a pace and level appropriate to their needs. There is some streaming in the Lower School, whilst in the Upper School (for children aged 10 and above), all pupils are streamed according to ability in English and other major subjects.
All children are screened for dyslexia and other learning difficulties, and those who need it receive extra support in English, Maths and French from our Educational Support Unit. At the same time very able children can be "fast-tracked" into Beta and Alpha, our Scholarship forms.
English
English is about communication in speech and writing. Whatever you want to do later in life, you will need to be able to communicate. At Port Regis we encourage speaking, listening, reading and writing in a variety of situations and for differing purposes.
English in the Lower School largely follows the Primary Strategy for Literacy. In C Form, (Year 6), the syllabus diverges and follows the ISEB syllabus as children get closer to Scholarship and Common Entrance examinations in A Form, (Year 8).
Maths
The Maths department is based in Cunningham Hall where facilities are excellent. There are five dedicated Maths classrooms in total, all equipped with data projectors and interactive whiteboards and a wide range of resources.
Maths is taught by class teachers up to Year 4 or 5. Thereafter, teaching is delivered by maths specialists. Setting, according to ability, is introduced in Year 4. Work is carefully differentiated to build confidence through a thorough understanding of basic skills, at the same time encouraging a spirit of enquiry and enthusiasm for mathematics.
Teaching broadly follows the Primary Strategy up to Year 5 with a greater emphasis on the requirements for Common Entrance and scholarship exams from Year 6.
Science
Science for all but the youngest year-groups is taught in the Cunningham Hall of Technology. The department includes five specialist teachers, aided by a lab technician. There are three fully resourced laboratories, each designed to teach Physics, Biology and Chemistry, as well as a large preparation and storage room.
Languages
French is taught throughout the school with careful differentiation within each year-group ensuring that pupils work at a level which provides both a feeling of success and sufficient challenge. For pupils joining Port Regis in our later years, we have much experience in ensuring that their needs are catered for by placing them in appropriate sets, by differentiating for them individually and by arranging individual extra tuition for them, if so desired. In each of our 3 top year-groups, one set studies Spanish instead of French and will take Spanish Common Entrance. In the top three years, all MFL lessons are taught by specialists. There are a number of annual events in the school calendar run by the MFL department, including a trip to Normandy in the Summer term and a French Day, often finishing with an evening variety show for parents. Our expert and experienced team of 6 MFL peripatetic teachers offers pupils the opportunity to have individual or small-group tuition in Mandarin, Japanese, German, Italian, French or Spanish. Hebrew lessons can also be arranged.
Most children also learn Latin, and Greek is taught to the Scholarship stream.
Humanities
History, Geography and Religious Studies are taught by class teachers in the youngest forms, but from the C forms (aged 10) these subjects are taught by specialists in their own classrooms. In these, as in other subjects, we work to Common Entrance and Senior Scholarship curricula, but we believe firmly that exam success is not enough and that children's interest in and enthusiasm for learning and enquiry is of the greatest importance.
The History department's principal aim is to encourage a love of the subject and to stimulate interest and curiosity in it. Children are introduced to the analysis of artefacts in the earliest stages and, as they move up the school, they learn to evaluate written sources. Different styles of learning are specifically catered for and skills are developed in note-taking and essay-writing, both narrative and analytical. The children learn through a variety of media, including interactive whiteboards, PowerPoint presentations and audio-visual materials, as well as a number of popular visits. The department enjoys an excellent academic record at both Common Entrance and Scholarship level.
Geography should be approached through the study of real places, using thematic studies and through the acquisition of skills. We aim to develop this study through inquiry, giving pupils the opportunity to ask questions, examine evidence, search for patterns and attempt explanations of the world in which they live. Emphasis is on practical activity and fieldwork. We see the subject contributing to teaching and learning across the curriculum, notably in the vital and topical area of environmental education. Our aim is to establish continuity and progression of geographical teaching and learning throughout the school.
In Religious Studies, children will have awareness and a certain amount of knowledge and respect for the six major world religions and an understanding that ‘faith’ is a vital part of life for most peoples and nations around the world. They will come to understand that faith can be personal and life-enriching for each individual. They will have a thorough knowledge of the major stories of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and where and when they occur in history. Pupils will have learnt principles of right and wrong from the examples of the men and women whose lives they have studied in detail. They will be able to relate these principles to contemporary issues of the day.
Please click here to see a list of the scholarships and awards achieved in 2011.
