WE THINK DIFFERENTLY
As a school, we are fiercely independent and proud of it. We want our students to know this independence too, in the way they think. So we avoid force-feeding them with long lists of facts or making them memorise data. This is called “learning by rote” and it is currently the popular teaching method in many developing countries. Instead, we show our students how to question, evaluate, infer and create for themselves.
This philosophy underpins our curriculum, our teaching style and everything we do as a school.
All results indicate that we have the right approach and we are extremely proud to be listed amongst the top elementary schools in the country.
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
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Communication and Language Development
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Literacy
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Mathematics
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Expressive Arts and Design
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Understanding the World
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Physical Development
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten children are aged 3-5. The students study for three years with K3 serving as a foundation year to prepare them for primary level. By then they will have studied the three key languages in full immersion and have learned reading and writing skills appropriate for this age group. The Letters and Sounds program greatly improves their communication.
Children are taught in fenced school buildings to ensure their safety. The classrooms are cozy with plenty of toys as well as a discovery play area where they develop their creative skills.
The curriculum is based on the “Early Learning Goals” which develop the following aspects of the individual:
ELEMENTARY
The Primary School starts in Year 1 at the age of 6-7 and finishes in Year 6 at age 11-12. Children in these classes continue to learn through discovery and pupil-led learning activities. They receive weekly homework which includes mathematics and science, social studies, reading and spelling.
They continue to visit the library at least once a week where they develop a love of reading and choose their own books with the assistance of the librarian who will ensure that borrowed books are at the appropriate reading level. This encourages your son or daughter to develop their own personal reading alongside their class-based reading programme.
In addition to Kinyarwanda, English, French and Mathematics the pupils’ curriculum takes a more specialised approach as they study Science (biology, chemistry and physics), Social Studies, Arts and Crafts, and Computing as well as their enjoying regular Gym classes.
OUR CURRICULUM
We combine the national curriculum with the Cambridge curriculum. Our Cambridge programme runs from K1 to P6 to which we add French and other subjects that fall within the Competency Based Curriculum of Rwanda. Thus we successfully run both curricula in tandem and we will continue to follow this model.
As for our French teaching, this covers not only the language but also mathematics and general knowledge based on social studies and science, thus preparing the pupils for the DELF examinations.
In addition to academics, our music, dance and drama programme is considered to be one of the most competitive theatrical presentations of children's talents in the country. Every Friday afternoon our dance teachers spend time together with the children in the school main hall - it's a lot of fun and the results have been tremendous.
Gym is another part of our outdoor curriculum and factored into individual class time tables so that every child is able to participate.