Key Stage 2

What is Key Stage 2? 

In the four years that children are in Key Stage 2 (7-11 years of age) they experience a rich and varied curriculum.  The year groups are organised into Year 3 (7- 8 years old), Year 4 (8-9 years old), Year 5 (9-10 years old) and Year 6 (10-11 years old).  Children’s development is characterised by an increasing level of independence and, alongside the acquisition of essential skills, knowledge and understanding of how to learn, their attitudes and personal development are also central aspects.

How is the curriculum delivered in Key Stage 2?

Each of the four year groups follows an adapted form of the National Curriculum of England.  The four ‘core’ subject areas are Information Communication Technology (ICT), Mathematics, English and Science.  Alongside these are a number of ‘Foundation’ subjects.  These subjects include; Geography, History, Art, Design Technology (DT) and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Children are taught all subjects through a combination of cross-curricular studies and individual subjects.  This ensures ample opportunities to teach essential content discretely and directly whilst also giving scope for children to make links between subjects.  The diverse experiences offered to children ensure that children in Key Stage 2 value and enjoy their learning.

Some of the highlights in Key Stage 2 include special ‘topic theme days’ such as ‘Greek Day’ in Year 3; ‘Tudor Day’ in Year 4; ‘Victorian Day’ in Year 5 and ‘1940s Day’ in Year 6.  In addition, year groups are flexible in their curriculum delivery often focusing on specific aspects of the curriculum for a short time, giving rise to events such as ‘Science Weeks’ or ‘Design Technology Days’. Years 4 to 6 also all undertake overnight residential trips in support of the curriculum as well as making use of the services and opportunities available within the local community: Year 4 visit Lake Caliraya, approximately two hours from Manila, to undertake team building and outdoor education activities.  Year 5 visit Subic, approximately three hours from Manila, for two nights, to learn about the locality linked to their Geography topic.  Year 6 spend two nights on Corregidor Island, a historic island in Manila Bay, which complements their History and Geography topics.  Year 6 also visit Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand for five nights, a valuable trip which supports a range of different curriculum areas.

All children in the Key Stage are taught some subjects by delivered by specialist teachers rather than the class teacher.  In addition to Music and the comprehensive Physical Education curriculum, a focus of Key Stage 2 is given to the acquisition of an additional language to ensure that children are able to achieve progression over four years in line with the expectations of the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages.  At The British School Manila children can choose between French and Mandarin.

Throughout the year all children in Key Stage 2 take part in two class assemblies. These give the children the opportunity to showcase work they have been covering in class and to perform in front of an audience. 

Learning environment

A great deal of importance is placed on the learning environment of the children.  Colourful, well-resourced classrooms and ‘shared areas’ are well designed to help provide a variety of learning areas for children.  Our belief that a sound grasp of ICT is fundamental to engagement in modern society is reflected in the excellent access children have to ICT suites.  Similarly, each year group has their own book collections that complement the main Primary School Library. 

The children’s smiles and laughter that can be heard daily across the School are indicative of our belief that fostering a love of lifelong learning is an essential aspect of day-to-day life in Key Stage 2.  For those children who require additional support; well-qualified Learning Support Assistants work closely with class teachers to ensure access to the curriculum for all students.  Similarly, each year group have Primary Support Assistants who work within classes alongside teachers.

Teacher/Parent partnership

Emphasis is placed on teachers and parents working together in partnership to address the individual needs of each child; this is actively encouraged through use of the children’s diaries, regular meetings and an open door policy. Personalised learning programmes together with structured and systematic assessment systems, small class sizes and excellent communication with parents all help to contribute to the success of children in Key Stage 2.

Preparation for Key Stage 3

The programme offered in Key Stage 2 helps shape the children into more independent learners and prepares children well for the rigours of Key Stage 3 in the senior school. Teachers in Year 6 work closely with their senior school colleagues in order to ensure the transition from primary to senior is smooth and to ensure the children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.