Primary School

Uncovering Potential – Early Years 3 to Grade 5

Children are naturally curious about the world around them and love to question and inquire. Our children are supported through the early years in getting to understand themselves and their environment, and in learning essential skills and knowledge. We offer our children the opportunity to learn through a wide range of rich, meaningful and multisensory practical experiences, in both indoor and outdoor learning environments.

Our Primary School is a welcoming, safe and nurturing school that offers a sense of belonging. Using children’s strengths and talents, we provide a challenging, stimulating environment, and support in order to enable children to flourish in a collaborative international community. We aim to make learning creative, inclusive, meaningful and fun.

The Primary School includes three years of Early Years/Kindergarten, followed by Grade 1 through to Grade 5. A normal day in Primary School runs weekly from 8:30 until 15:40 from Monday to Thursday and from 8:30 until 14:00 on Friday.

Personal Goals

The IPC Personal Goals underpin those individual qualities and learning dispositions we believe children will find essential in the 21st century. As global citizens with opportunities to explore an array of diverse occupations, there is an increased need for different and revised knowledge, skills and understandings. So therefore children need a classroom environment that encourages them to become lifelong learners and demonstrate:

  • Inquiry
  • Resilience
  • Adaptability
  • Thoughtfulness
  • Communication
  • Morality
  • Respect

Opportunities for children to experience, practice and develop these characteristics are embedded into the learning experiences.

The IPC is unique in defining International Learning Goals that help young children begin the move towards an increasingly sophisticated national, international, global and intercultural perspective and develop a sense of ‘international mindedness’. Here at the FIS we have adopted ‘International Mindedness’ as our ninth personal goal.

Each IPC unit has embedded within it, across the different subjects, learning-focused activities that help children start developing a global awareness and gain an increasing sense of themselves, their community and the world around them, as well as inspiring positive action and engagement with global issues. In addition to this, each thematic IPC unit of work includes specific tasks related to International as a subject in its own right.

International Primary Curriculum (IPC)

The curriculum for Primary students at the FIS is centred around the IPC: The International Primary Curriculum. The IPC is currently used in over 1000 schools in 65 countries around the world. The FIS implemented the IPC program in 2006, it has proved very successful and it is used effectively to deliver our curriculum being constantly updated through IPC courses and in house training.

International Mindedness

The goal of the IPC is for children to focus on a combination of academic, personal and international learning. We strive to have children enjoy their learning; develop enquiring minds, develop the personal qualities they need to be good citizens of the world, and develop a sense of their own nationality and culture, at the same time developing a profound respect for the nationalities and cultures of others. We also want children to develop all the skills they will need in order to confidently face the world of tomorrow.

IPC units of work

The students learn through a series of IPC units of work. Each unit of work has an interesting and relevant theme. Examples of these themes includes: Circus, Treasure, Rainforest, and Our Place in Space. Each unit of work lasts on average between five and eight weeks and children learn many of their subjects through this one common theme so that their learning has meaning to them. Linking subjects means that children make connections with their learning. Brain research shows that the more connections that the brain can make, the better a child can learn. The IPC has been designed for children of all abilities and all learning styles, and encourages learning in groups as well as individual learning.

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

The IPC focuses children’s learning on a combination of knowledge, skills and understanding. As the world becomes more global the single career gives way to a lifelong portfolio of different occupations and there is an increased need for different and revised knowledge, skills and understandings. Here at the FIS it is our goal to make positive attempts to help our students to develop these skills and become lifelong learners, resilient, adaptable, thoughtful, and cooperative.

English Language Arts (ELA)

We aim to develop confident students through an exciting and engaging language arts program. We empower our students with the skills to read, write, speak and listen both critically, strategically, and creatively. Thus, we equip them with the tools to become lifelong, independent learners. Students are taught meaningful language activities through a variety of media integrated wherever possible to our IPC units of inquiry.

Mathematics Curriculum

We aim to develop confident mathematicians who are passionate about their learning. We strive to teach for understanding of mathematical concepts, the “why” something works, and not only the “how”. Therefore allowing the students to transfer and apply their knowledge to new situations. This is ensured by providing ‘real life’ scenarios for students thus developing mathematical reasoning, enquiry and problem solving. We encourage the use of multiple strategies to solve mathematical problems and include hands on activities. The use of manipulatives, visuals and games are all used to support the consolidation of understanding.

Responsible Behavior Guide

Our Responsible Behavior Guide is in place in our Primary School to support students and members of staff. Through following the plan, we ensure a caring and cooperative environment in which effective learning takes place and all individuals may flourish. Our school community is guided by the following principles:

  • Be safe
  • Be responsible
  • Be respectful
MasteryStudent performance is secure and meets grade level expectations. Student independently demonstrates skills and an understanding of concepts.
DevelopingStudent performance is moving steadily toward grade level expectations. Student exhibits some independence and may require occasional support or additional time to demonstrate skills and understanding of concepts and/or procedures.
BeginningStudent performance is starting to progress toward grade level expectations. Student requires consistent support or additional time to demonstrate skills and understanding of concepts and/or procedures.

The Franconian International School encourages communication that fosters close cooperation between parents, teachers, and students. Conferences take a variety of formats including three-way conferences, student-led conferences, and parent-teacher conferences. There is a scheduled conference time in semester one. This is an opportunity to address learning goals. In semester two another scheduled conference will take place to review the learning growth throughout the academic year.

You can always communicate specific questions about your child’s progress directly to the teacher in person or via email following the Home School Partnership and Conflict Resolution Procedure.

Supply lists and stationery packs for school year 2022/2023

(Please note that the supply lists for the school year 2023/2024 are being maintained at the moment. They will be uploaded on June 1, 2023.)