International Curriculum

To meet the educational needs of our pupils, Harbour International uses the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) combined with elements of the British curriculum to ensure and maintain a high standard of education.

Details about our curriculum can be found below. 

International Primary Curriculum

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is a specially designed curriculum for international primary schools. The teachers use this programme to develop pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding across a wide variety of subjects. Personal development and international understanding are at the heart of the curriculum. IPC lays out a clear process of learning and specific goals for every subject. Every unit starts with an “Entry Point”. The entry point is an activity for children that begins each unit of work and provides an exciting introduction to the work that is to follow. At the end of every unit the children celebrate their learning in the “Exit Point”. 

More information about the IPC and how it is used in our school can be found here. 

 

Mathematics

In 2020, our school began using the mathematics programme ‘Maths No Problem’. The scheme is based on the world-renowned Singapore approach to Maths and was the first scheme to be recognised by the Department of Education in England. 

Maths No Problem ensures that there is a strong conceptual understanding of maths as opposed to rote learning of facts. It utilises research from educational psychologists Jerome Bruner and Richard Skemp.

Learning begins with concrete resources. After plentiful hands-on experience, this moves to pictorial representations such as a diagram of a problem and finally to abstract representations, for example, 3 + 4 = 7. This is called the CPA approach.

How does it look in practice?

The programme encourages students to explore a problem (and see what they know already). Through structured discussions, the children will then explore, compare and contract strategies. Teachers use questioning throughout every lesson to check understanding and opportunities for independent learning and deepening understanding are also an integral part of the programme. 

You can watch some videos of Dr. Yeap explaining some of the methods and strategies of Maths No Problem here.

After focusing on the training of our staff and the successful implementation of the programme in groups 2 to 8, we will focus this school year on group 0 and 1. Teachers from these groups will continue their training in this innovative approach to teaching early years mathematics. 

English, reading and language literacy. 

As a school we aim to engage children in a love of reading and inspire them as writers, through the exploration of high-quality texts within lessons. Teachers carefully plan and deliver lessons using teaching methods that ensure all children make good progress in their writing, vocabulary building and comprehension, embedding their learning over time.  

The children are taught reading through small guided reading sessions using Oxford Reading Tree levelled reading books. Spelling and grammar are taught weekly and these components are then applied during writing sessions. The curriculum takes into account each individual child and their level of learning, with teachers differentiating to ensure that all children are assigned work that is suited to them. 

The children also have access to our library at least once a week where they can take home two books that interest them. 

At the beginning of this school year, we have introduced two programmes designed to enhance the development of reading and writing for young learners. These will be piloted and monitored for the next two years with the aim to further support our students and help them reach their full potential in literacy.

The first pilot programme is called ‘’Talk for Writing’’ (for groups 2-8). This method focuses on enhancing our current writing curriculum. It allows young children to imitate the language needed for a particular topic orally, before reading and analysing it, and eventually writing their own version. This approach uses a structured framework to enhance children’s writing skills through three key stages: Imitation, Innovation and Application. 

The process begins with the Imitation phase, where students become familiar with a model text by reading, discussing, and internalising its structure and language. This stage encourages students to understand the rhythm, vocabulary, and grammatical patterns of quality writing, fostering their ability to recognize and use effective language features.

In the Innovation phase, students then adapt the model text, making it their own by changing elements such as characters, settings, or events. This part of the process is highly engaging for students and builds their confidence as they experiment with their ideas, while still having the structure and language of the model to guide them.

Finally, the Application phase allows students to apply the skills they have learned by creating their own original texts. This is where they put everything into practice, drawing from the skills and techniques they have gained throughout the earlier stages.

A new phonics programme called ‘’Sounds Write’’ has also been introduced (groups 1 to 3) and will be piloted for the next two years. It is a programme which teaches children to read and spell.  

English as Another Language (EAL)

Our EAL teachers work with non-English speaking children from groups 2-8 to support their learning of English as Another Language. The children are supported by the EAL teachers in small groups and in the classroom to help them acquire the English language skills necessary to access the full curriculum.

More information about this programme can be found on: https://international-blijberg.cms.socialschools.nl/learning-harbour/eal-english-additional-language/

All about the Netherlands.

Students are immersed in Dutch culture, customs, celebrations and traditions. This approach aligns with the transient nature of our school community, where most families stay with us for an average of three years. By focusing on cultural understanding, we ensure that all students, regardless of their background, can fully participate in and appreciate the richness of Dutch life during their time in the Netherlands.

More information about this programme can be found on: https://international-blijberg.cms.socialschools.nl/learning-harbour/AllabouttheNetherlands/

Technology 

Technology covers a wide range of learning for the children. Groups 1 and 2 are introduced to many different kinds of technology like timers and walkie-talkies. Students also start working with chromebooks for a variety of activities. We look at digital books and start simple coding and sequencing. In groups 1 and 2 students are also introduced to the safe use of the internet to find information and pictures as well as ways to collaborate on projects.

Groups 3 and 4 students learn about use of email, spreadsheets and databases. They “collect” images from the web and present them using presentation software. Students in these groups expand their knowledge of coding and start to use more advanced concepts. We also explore safe internet use and what to do if they encounter cyberbullying. 

Students in groups 5 and 6 start learning about different types of technology and its applications. They create wikis and websites and are introduced to different computer languages and security features. Group 5 and 6 students use their knowledge of coding to create interactive toys and games. They work with 3-D design.

In groups 7 and 8, students explore more deeply what technology is and what it does. They learn a variety of computer languages as well as applications for these. They create apps and interactive games and animations. They also explore data, what it’s used for and how it’s collected.

To support this learning, students use many different gadgets. We have Dash robots, raspberry pi units, and Beebots as well as chromebooks and iPads. Various software is used for the different activities including Blockly, Scratch, code.org, Tinkercad, musiclab, Google photos as well as the education suite from Google.

Physical Education/gym

Twice a week, our students from group 2 to 8 take part in Physical Education lessons delivered by a qualified teacher.  Children from group 0 and 1 have P.E. classes only once a week but they are given plenty of opportunity during the school day to develop their gross motor skills (through directed play and activities designed to focus on this).

Students in groups 1 to 3 work on their basic motor skills, getting to know their bodies and how to control them. By playing games, they learn how to run, climb, jump, throw, catch, etc.  

Students in groups 4 to 7 enjoy a more sport-oriented approach. They learn a broad variety of both team and individual sports during the year, from basketball, badminton, or volleyball to BMX, kin-Ball, or roller-skating, among others.  

Our P.E. goals are:  

• to educate our students in IPC values through fun and physical activity.  

• to make sure that all our students enjoy physical activity and find the sport they like.  

• to boost our students' self-confidence.  

• to promote a healthy lifestyle.  

• to develop and improve both motor and social skills.  

Children in group 4 will attend weekly swimming lessons at the local pool. 

Music lessons: 

At Harbour International, music lessons are offered by a music specialist once per week starting in group 2. Each 45-minute session is planned to provide children with a wide range of learning experiences that nurture and stimulate their development as young performers and creators. Listening and responding to music is also at the core of their musical experience in the classroom. Our aim is to support our students’ growth with the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective components that music as a subject in schools provide.

At lower primary level, musical encounters in the classroom focus on singing, music and movement activities, and exploring pitched and unpitched instruments. A sound-based approach to traditional and other forms of notation is also included as part of the program. Towards upper primary, the focus is on improving their performing skills through singing and playing a variety of instruments, learning about in-depth analysis of music, broadening their music repertoire, and exploring a diverse number of creative tasks that enrich their artistic experience as young learners.