LEARNING
Nurturing children’s interests and talents,
preparing for the future
LEARNING
A formal British education
ISCB is an International British School based in Platja D’Aro (Costa Brava). We do follow the British National Curriculum () in all Primary classes, from Yr1 to Yr6, and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework for Early Years and Reception.
Recruitment process
As a British School visit vital that are teachers are English native speakers and they have been trained in Uk or have gained years of experience teaching the British National Curriculum. Therefore, we have secured a very robust recruitment process where the majority of our teachers are recruited in UK, they know the British Curriculum upside down, and also how to work with mixed age groups, where planning is based on students’ individual talents and strengths. Exhaustive and rigorous interviews and lesson observations are followed by a thorough process of pre-employment checks (Professional references, DBS and criminal records).
Safe guarding
As a school, and in compliance with our legal duty of care, Safeguarding is our main paramount priority (*policy), followed by our students social and emotional wellbeing (Communication, Self-Awareness/Self-Esteem and Friendships/Relationships). Making sure we are keeping all our students safe from harm, abuse and/or neglect.
Forest School Program
We complete our curricular offer with a Forest School Program, lead by Forest School Trained practitioners. Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.
Learning outdoors
Learning outdoors, holistically or organically from the nature is one of our main targets as a school. Outdoor activities are organised in natural settings, such as the forest, the mountains or the beach, with multiple benefits for students: improved personal relationships as well as increased self-esteem and self-knowledge. Different curricular areas are addressed in the Forest experience and environmental awareness develops and grows through team-building, creativity and problem-solving, all the while reinforcing positive relationships with peers and we adults. It also promotes physical exercise and being exposed to seasonal weather.
Social pedagogy
At ISCB we also have a very specific approach to emotional wellbeing and social-emotional development. We believe in restorative practice based on social pedagogy when it comes to relationships, crisis and friendships. There has been an ever-growing number of organisations exploring the potential of social pedagogy, and many different small and big projects have emerged across the UK.
It provides an overarching and coherent framework that focuses on holistic well-being and learning based on a positive concept of children as ‘rich’, competent and active agents. It offers sound theoretical concepts about the importance of developing strong, authentic relationships in order to support the inclusion of individuals into society.
LEARNING
We have a very clear approach to behaviour
We aim to nurture and develop RESPECT, SELF-ESTEEM, EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE, POSITIVE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS and INDEPENDENCE.
We understand all behaviour as a form of communication. We establish as a backbone of our approach to behaviour that 60% of all communication is nonverbal and children rely heavily on nonverbal communication. While we do understand behaviour as communication, and as professionals we recognize and validate our students’ feelings and struggles our mission a school is enabling them to become successful members of the wide society.
UNICEF Rights of the children
Along the lines of pursuing a robust and transversal emotional education, we a school are committed to the UNICEF Rights of the children and we are in our journey to become a Rights Respecting School. When becoming are RRS: Children are healthier and happier, Children feel safe, Children have better relationships and Children become active and involved in school life and the wider world.
All of the explained above frames and describes a very respectful, healthy and inclusive educational community, that strongly believes that academic learning will be ensured, once all those values are authentically embedded and integrated and once the learning environment is also designed for it. We offer a stimulating, engaging and challenging multicultural environment where the intellectual, emotional and creative potential of each student is developed, optimised and respected.
At every instance, our school’s pedagogy supports high academic achievement, intellectual, creative and emotional development for each child, and the fostering of a lifelong passion for learning.
Inclusion
Inclusion will be at the heart of who we are. No two children are born alike, and so we respect and recognise the different needs, interests and strengths of every student. Our students are encouraged intellectually, socially and emotionally to achieve their full academic and personal potential.
- SEN
- Case studies
- Self-reflective professional community
As a complement to our curriculum, being a school based in Spanish and Catalan territory, we have the compulsory obligation to teach Spanish and Catalan as a Modern Foreign Languages. Our students are taught 3 hours Spanish and 3 hours Catalan every week*.
* Students holding an International Passport could opt out Catalan and opt for boosting Spanish or English sessions.
At ISCB we set suitable challenges for each child, high expectations, providing inspiring academic challenges for pupils whose attainment is significantly above the expected, and responding to pupils’ needs and planning to overcome potential barriers to learning.
No two children are born alike, and so we respect and recognise the different needs, interests and strengths of every student. Our students are encouraged intellectually, socially and emotionally to achieve their full academic and personal potential.
EDUCATIONAL STAGE
Early Years
The Early Years Foundation Stage is comprised of our Nursery and Reception classes, with children aged between 3 and 5 years. The Early Years programme lays the foundation for every child to play an active part in their own learning, building life skills and learning tools through creative activities in a secure and nurturing environment, ensuring that the first experiences of school are stimulating, positive and paced according to the developmental needs of the individual. Parents and carers are active participants in the child’s first steps in formal education.
We follow the National Early Years Curriculum which is divided into 7 areas of learning:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
At ISCB children play, explore and take an active role in their learning. They benefit from a unique outdoor learning environment which provides an extensive range of learning opportunities and allows Forest School to be present on daily basis. Through encouraging independence, children demonstrate their creative and critical thinking and raise their own questions to extend their learning. Our teachers carefully plan the curriculum based around student needs and interests, providing the appropriate challenge at all times.
EDUCATIONAL STAGE
Primary
Children begin their Primary education in KEY STAGE 1, which is comprised of Year 1 and Year 2, honing in on the building blocks of reading and writing, using the skills of independence and creativity acquired in Early Years to build their knowledge of phonics.
They begin to put sounds together to make words and teachers ensure that each one progresses at his or her own pace by using personal interests and motivation as the springboard for learning to write through writing oneself. Reading one’s own text, reading in small teacher-led groups and excitedly sharing at home our rapidly developing literacy skills, all provide constant motivation and stimulation for our emergent readers and writers.
The foundation skills in Mathematics are built through active learning and problem-solving in a range of authentic contexts, maximising our natural resources outside the classroom, and assimilating the essential concepts in the four basic operations through first-hand experience.
We take our enthusiasm for learning on through KEY STAGE 2 (Year 3 through to Year 6) building on the skills-based learning approach initiated within our Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The imaginative, diverse and creative curriculum we teach is very carefully planned to meet the needs of our children and all topics have links to The Sustainable Development Global Goals as well as the Rights of the Child. Differentiated lessons pinpointing children’s personal learning targets are identified throughout the curriculum; assessment is both formative and summative, allowing teachers to build up a picture of the ‘whole child’.
We encourage children to develop the confidence to investigate and enquire, to solve problems and to take responsibility for their own learning. We aim to enrich their learning experiences, broadening their social horizons and cultural interests.
OPEN ENROLMENT
Apply for admission
Our easy and straightforward admissions process is designed to help you get in touch with us quickly and comfortably by completing this simple contact form. Please read on for information that will help you in the process of applying and/or finding out more at International School Costa Brava.
