Thursday 9 September 2010
This can be achieved because of our highly qualified and experienced teachers and our small classes.
Being an ‘all-through’ school, now from two to eighteen years, we have the distinct advantage of having specialist teachers ‘in-house’. In Lower 1 children benefit from specialist teaching in Art and Design, Music and PE. In Lower 3 they then benefit from specialist French classes and in from Lower 5 onwards specialist ICT.
The pupils thoroughly enjoy their weekly trip to the Art studios where they are taught painting and drawing, collage, papier maché and clay modelling.
During their class Music lessons they love to sing, are taught how to play the recorder from Lower 3 and then are taught keyboard, percussion and guitar. There is a Lower School choir which all pupils from Lower 3 to 7 are members of. It is not compulsory, but they all want to sing in it.
The Modern Languages department visit the pupils in their classrooms. From Lower 3 to Lower 7 they are taught French. The programme is in liaison with the class teacher and the theme for each term is in connection with their class topics. Songs, poems, rhymes and rap bring a new dimension to the curriculum with fun being the most important element when learning French.
When the pupils visit the gymnasiums they again start at Lower 1 stage where ball skills, fine motor and gross motor skills are concentrated on, as well as gymnastics, dance and team games. The progression continues through the school and they have tuition in Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, Hockey, Badminton, Gymnastics, Dance, Tennis and Athletics, to name but a few.
Lower 6 and 7 are bussed out to our wonderful playing fields at Milltimber. Here they play Hockey in the Autumn and Spring Terms and then they have Tennis and Athletics for the build-up preparations for our annual Sports Day in June. All pupils from Lower 3 are bussed to the University’s swimming pool at Hilton for a weekly swimming lesson. This culminates in a most exciting (and noisy!) swimming gala at the end of the Autumn Term.
In ICT, the class teacher also liaises closely with the specialist teacher to coordinate class projects or other topics to be covered at each year group. The pupils visit the Computer Suite weekly and each work at an individual computer.
Naturally in the Lower School the class teacher is the key figure and will teach all the core subjects in Maths, Language and Reading. We follow the Scottish 5-14 Curriculum and we assess the boys and girls in relation to the levels from A to F when they have completed and understood each of the strands required to achieve the level to be tested.
We feel reporting is an extremely important part of any child’s education. In the Lower School at Albyn we aim to see parents at Parent Interviews in October and June, have two mini reports in December and February and a more detailed report in June. With this reporting programme you will have either verbal or written communication from your child’s class teacher at intervals of approximately six weeks.
However, I also operate an ‘open door policy’ and ask that parents come to see me any time. I have found that a little problem will not develop further if it is addressed and dealt with in its early stages.
The pupls are delightful at Albyn, so friendly, well-mannered and enthusiastic. They gain a great deal of self-confidence because of the many opportunities they have at Albyn.