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Cambridge Primary

Cambridge Primary provides a strong foundation for students from Stage 1 to Stage 6. The curriculum consists of 9 subjects helping schools to deliver core subjects as well as develop creativity, expression and well-being.

Subjects

The Cambridge Primary engages students in the following subjects:

            • Mathematics
            • English
            • Science
            • Global Perspectives
            • Digital Literacy
            • Computing
            • Robotics and Coding
            • Afrikaans (First Additional Language)
            • IsiZulu (Second Additional Language)

Mathematics: 

            • At Bradford Schools we encourage life-long enthusiasm for analytical and rational thinking. Students develop a holistic understanding of the subject, focussing on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships. Students become mathematically competent and fluent in computation, which they can apply to everyday situations.
            • A unique feature of our primary and lower secondary mathematics curriculum is ‘Thinking and Working Mathematically’, which comprises eight characteristics: specialising, generalising, conjecturing, convincing, characterising, classifying, critiquing and improving.
            • Students will systematically develop their mathematical skills in Numbers, Geometry and Measure, and Statistics and Probability. They recognise the interconnections of mathematical concepts.
            • Bradford Schools educators engage students in real-life scenarios that encourage students to use various principles of counting and develop number fluency, demonstrating flexibility, efficiency and accuracy in the computational strategies that they choose.
            • Lessons are designed to engage and stimulate students to develop spatial awareness and explore various contexts in which they must apply number skills. Students conduct investigations that are enquiry-based to analyse, interpret and reflect on information.

In Mathematics, our students:

            • engage in creative mathematical thinking to generate solutions.
            • improve numerical fluency and knowledge of key mathematical concepts to make sense of numbers, patterns, shapes, measurements and data.
            • develop a variety of mathematical skills, strategies and a way of thinking that will enable them to describe the world around them and play an active role in modern society.
            • communicate solutions and ideas logically in spoken and written language using appropriate mathematical symbols, diagrams and representations.
            • understand that technology provides a powerful way of communicating mathematics, one which is particularly important in an increasingly technological and digital world.
            • Our Mathematics Program incorporates the Singapore Maths teaching model and Matific.

Singapore Maths

As part of the school’s vision to provide constant and consistent innovation in education, the school adopted the Singapore Maths teaching model. Singapore Maths model has a strong focus on problem-solving skills. It helps facilitate understanding of concepts, develops a strong conceptual foundation in Mathematics and helps build a strong Maths foundation through spiral progression. It also involves the acquisition and application of Maths concepts and skills in a wide range of situations, including non-routine, open-ended and real-world problems. The Singapore model has risen to the top of the OECD’s global education rankings and is adopted by most successful schools. Our ultimate goal is to teach students a lifelong love of Mathematics.

Matific

Matific is a web-based learning program that integrates home and school learning in the areas of Mathematics. The benefits of Matific include inter alia:

            • Consolidating learning and practicing skills,
            • Motivating students,
            • Proven results in improving the understanding of maths concepts through providing a fast-paced and exciting way to improve mathematical fluency;
            • Providing step-by-step animated support for all mathematical concepts – these can be used to introduce a topic or by pupils to reinforce learning;
            • Helps with listening skills and ability to work independently; and
            • Gives parents an insight or involvement in their child’s day-to-day learning experience.

All students have the opportunity to complete Maths activities at their desired time. Class Teachers set specific challenges and activities for individuals and groups. All students are allocated a unique username and password which allows them to access/sign in to the Matific Program using any compatible computer or mobile device both at school as well as outside the school environment. (Learn more at: www.matific.com)

English: 

            • At Bradford Schools we empower our students in their application of English, and encourage life-long enthusiasm for reading, writing and spoken communication. Students are encouraged to work independently and collaboratively which supports their overall intellectual, creative and social development. We aim to equip students with transferrable language skills for interrogating, interpreting, critiquing, and producing spoken and written texts.
            • In English, our students:
            • become confident communicators, able to apply their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills effectively in everyday situations and in studying a range of subjects.
            • see themselves as readers, engaging with a range of texts for information and for pleasure, including texts from different times and cultures.
            • see themselves as writers, using the written word clearly and creatively for a range of different audiences and purposes.
            • develop speaking and listening skills for effective presentation and collaboration, sharing and responding to ideas to achieve a shared understanding or goal.
            • develop a broad vocabulary and an understanding of how to apply grammar and linguistic conventions appropriately.
            • develop skills to evaluate spoken and written texts, making decisions about how convincingly they represent different values and opinions.

Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills THRASS® 

THRASS® is an important part of our English Program. THRASS® is a unique phonics program that has been specifically designed to teach students about the 44 speech sounds (phonemes) in spoken English and their related 120 key spellings (spelling choices or graphemes) in written English. It has been developed to allow students to start reading as soon as they wish to. It gives every letter of the alphabet its correct name, but that one name can create many, many sounds. What makes THRASS special is the fact that it moves away from the “One Letter Makes One Sound” method of teaching phonics and teaches students that letter names can make different sounds depending on the ‘job’ they have to do in different words. For example, the letter “a” makes a different sound in each of the following words: ant; baby; banana; zebra; swan and ball (www.thrassafrica.com). We have witnessed, firsthand, how this allows young students to experience the magic of reading.

Science:

Bradford Schools supports students in developing life-long curiosity about the natural world and enables them to seek scientific explanations for the phenomena around them.

Students will develop a holistic approach to science by considering scientific thinking and practical skills alongside knowledge and understanding which is vital for explaining the world around us. This approach provides students with the knowledge and skills they require to access and excel at science in later phases of education and to make informed choices, including considering sustainability issues and meeting the challenges facing our environment. This encourages our students to apply analytical skills and to feel confident to explore ideas and find solutions to real-life problems.

Digital Literacy

Our Digital Literacy Program is designed to prepare students to use numerous forms of technology that are present throughout today's society. The program has age-appropriate milestones for student groups and software programs and learning tools are designed to be engaging and fun to significantly enhance the learning experience and desire to learn.

Our Computer Lab is fully equipped with child-friendly computers outfitted with resources that our students can physically use and understand.

The ultimate aim is to allow each student to access resources, structured activities and games required to acquire basic computer skills – these include basic hardware and software, typing and mouse skills as well as how to use the Internet for research and homework.

Robotics and Coding 

The Robotics and Coding Curriculum has been designed to equip our students with fourth-industrial revolution skills for the fast-changing world. The curriculum aims to teach students how to solve problems, think critically and work creatively. Robotics and Coding lessons incorporate learning about what makes up a robot, how to design and build robots, how robots are used to solve problems in the real world, how to create and control the navigation and observing how robots react to sensors.

At the beginning of each year, students receive their robotics kits and are fascinated by the hands-on approach as they learn to build their robots from scratch. The construction activities become more challenging as they progress from one stage to another. 

Global Perspectives 

Global Perspectives seeks to get students to think more globally and understand issues from different perspectives. It helps students be more aware of the world around them and understand how personal, local, national and global issues are interconnected. The purpose of the program is as follows:

            • To teach students to interrogate, analyse and evaluate what they see or hear;
            • To develop active and engaged students;
            • To develop students who can narrate their learning;
            • To allow students to recognise, examine and express their own and others’ perspectives. This will improve their understanding of the world and allow them to participate fully in its future; and
            • To encourage students to appreciate why different opinions and perspectives are important across the world.

Global Perspectives is made up of six Challenges a year. The Challenges are integrated into existing teaching or lessons. Each Challenge is six hours long, subdivided into a range of activities, and covers a range of skills. The skills are taught through a wide range of topics using personal, local and global perspectives.

Students produce team projects that are used to assess how skills have developed throughout the program.

Raising a new generation

of creative and innovative thinkers