Junior Curriculum

During Key Stage 2 pupils learn to change the way they speak and write to suit different situations, purposes and audiences. They read a range of texts and respond to different layers of meaning in them.

They explore the use of language in literary and non-literary texts and learn how language works. Pupils learn how to speak in a range of contexts, adapting what they say and how they say it to the purpose and the audience. Taking varied roles in groups gives them opportunities to contribute to situations with different demands. They also learn to respond appropriately to others, thinking about what has been said and the language used.
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During Key Stage 2 pupils develop an understanding that writing is both essential to thinking and learning, and enjoyable in its own right.Pupils at in the Junior School read a range of materials enthusiastically and use their knowledge of words, sentences and texts to understand and respond to the meaning. They work hard to increase their ability to read challenging and lengthy texts independently.

Children are encouraged to reflect on the meaning of texts, analysing and discussing them with others. They learn the main rules and conventions of written English and start to explore how the English language can be used to express meaning in different ways. They use the planning, drafting and editing process to improve their work and to sustain their fiction and non-fiction writing.

Our approach to Numeracy in the Junior School is to make the subject as practical as possible. A strong emphasis is placed upon learning by doing; the children spend time investigating and manipulating physical objects to support their understanding.

Wherever possible practical equipment is used to extend children’s learning, and this is particularly relevant at Key Stage 2 when dealing with the many varied and often complex concepts involved in spatial awareness and measurement.

Investigations, problem solving and applying knowledge to real life situations are all key elements of our maths curriculum. However they are supported by a firm grounding in the basic rules of number, mathematical language and essential concepts, such as fractions, percentages and decimals. ​

At Key Stage 2 pupils learn about a wider range of living things, materials and phenomena. They begin to make links between ideas and to explain things using simple models and theories.

The students apply their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas to familiar phenomena and everyday things, carrying out more systematic investigations and working on their own and with others.

They use a range of reference sources in their work. They talk about their work and its significance, and communicate ideas using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts and graphs.​

Children receive lessons in computing in our purpose-built state of the art computer lab. It is fully equipped with 30 computers, work areas and an interactive whiteboard.

Our children are taught key skills and how to use key applications. These range from word processing and drawing packages to creating animations and editing audio files. In addition children have access to the computers in their classrooms to work on tasks and projects. Every classroom also has an interactive whiteboard which the children regularly use to enhance and consolidate their learning and computing skills.

During Key Stage 2 pupils learn about significant people, events and places from both the recent and more distant past. Using different sources of information to investigate the past both in depth and in overview, they learn dates and historical vocabulary to describe events, people and developments.

Our Key Stage 2 History topics include Aztecs, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, World War II as well as studies of Caymanian and Caribbean history. Through a topic-based approach, students find out how people affect the environment.

​As a Christian school children we teach children about the Christian faith. We aim to teach the values of the Christian faith through discrete lessons but also through the ethos and culture of the school in our everyday actions. It is our aim that our children grow up with an understanding and respect for each other.​

Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils also learn about the major world religions, recognising diversity in religion, learning about similarities and differences both within and between religions and beliefs and the importance of dialogue between them.

Spanish and French are both taught by specialist language teachers. Some of the topics covered include hobbies, food, likes and dislikes, numbers, animals, colours, leisure and clothing. Our emphasis is on speaking, listening and developing vocabulary, to enable children to communicate effectively.

Children are introduced to grammatical concepts from Year 3 upwards and are encouraged to use these in written and oral situations.

​Pupils learn about themselves as growing and changing individuals with their own experiences and ideas, and as members of their communities. They learn about the wider world and the interdependence of communities within it. They develop their sense of social justice and moral responsibility and begin to understand that their own choices and behaviour can affect local, national or global issues and political and social institutions. They learn how to take part in school and community activities. They learn how to make confident and informed choices about their health and environment and to take more responsibility, individually and as a group, for their own learning.​

We encourage pupils to develop their creativity and imagination; they build on their skills and improve their control of materials, tools and techniques. They increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art, craft and design in different times and cultures. They become more confident in using visual and tactile elements and materials and processes to communicate using a range of materials and processes, including ICT, for example, painting, collage, print making, digital media, textiles, sculpture and pottery.

• This year Year 3 have linked their art work to main topics and themes. They have painted scenes of Ancient Egypt, decorated sarcophagi with symbols and hieroglyphs and explored pattern making.
• In Year 4 the children have explore the visual aspects of the coral reef; the patterns found in turtle shells and the scales of fish, the colours and patterns found in moving water and reflections on the surface.
• Year 5 have investigated the printed patterns of handmade materials from a range of cultures around the world. They have explored repeating patterns and the use of colour and texture.

During Key Stage 2 pupils work on their own and as part of a team on a range of designing and making activities. They think about what products are used for and the needs of the people who use them. They plan what has to be done and identify what works well and what could be improved in their own and other people’s designs. They draw on knowledge and understanding from other areas of the curriculum.

Music is an important part of our school and has long since been the heart of Cayman Prep & High School. Children receive weekly music lessons taught by a specialist teacher. Pupils engage in a variety of activities that promote their knowledge and understanding of critical listening, performing and composing.

Pupils regularly join together to share class work in assemblies and special performances. The four primary school choirs, primary band, recorder ensembles and other groups regularly perform at school functions and music festivals on the island. The instrumental music program allows students to receive individual tuition during or after school hours and includes lessons in piano, flute, saxophone, recorder, clarinet, violin, cello, voice and guitar.