The longest stage and a time of great development
Primary is the longest stage of school, spanning six years during which children undergo significant development, growing from young children into pupils. These are years of discovery and growth, when they acquire knowledge, independence, good working habits and new ways of relating to others and learning.
At our school, this development is also a shared experience. All Primary classrooms are located on the same floor of a building that also houses the gym, assembly hall and library. A glass curtain wall creates continuity between the spaces and encourages visual interaction between the different year groups.
This proximity encourages cooperative projects across different stages of Primary and activities involving the whole section. Throughout the school year, pupils take part in recreational and artistic activities and share celebrations such as the Grape Harvest Festival, Christmas concerts, Science Week and Culture Week.
To a large extent, Primary continues the methodologies introduced in Early Years, such as EMAT and Ludi Primaria, while progressively introducing new areas of learning. These include robotics and programming with LEGO Education, which present pupils with stimulating challenges and creative activities designed to develop logical thinking, ingenuity and problem-solving skills.
Pupils learn by building and programming robots and by designing video games with Scratch, a programming language created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Based on blocks of code, it enables them to begin understanding and creating their own structures and algorithms.
Digital skills in English
We have gradually and naturally introduced new technologies into the school as another tool to support learning. Tablets and digital pens have enabled pupils to develop digital skills and learn to organise their time, tasks and materials more effectively. Throughout Primary, they become familiar with platforms such as Drive and Classroom, as well as a range of applications selected by their teachers.
In addition to the English lessons included in the curriculum, Primary pupils study subjects and take part in activities in English, including Chess, Robotics and Physical Education. This allows them to acquire and use English naturally in different learning contexts and everyday situations.
Supporting children’s holistic development
Neuroscience has provided extensive evidence of the benefits of physical activity for cognitive processes involved in learning, including memory, attention, executive functions and information-processing speed. For this reason, Primary pupils have three hours of Physical Education and Healthy Habits each week, also making the most of the school’s privileged natural surroundings.
In addition to the gym, we have multi-sports courts and the woodland surrounding the school, where some activities also take place. Pupils work on laterality and general motor skills such as jumping, turning and movement, while developing more specific skills related to coordination, balance, throwing, catching and accuracy. They also experience different sports and equipment, including rackets, hockey sticks and badminton rackets.