PRIMARY SCHOOL

WELCOME FROM THE PRIMARY COORDINATOR

Dear families,

We are Cristina and Mike, the Coordinators of Primary Education. We really consider ourselves lucky to be a part of this school and its educational programme, which puts learning above everything else.

Our goal is very clear: that every child in Primary has the opportunity to reach their full potential. There are a number of things that can help ensure this happens.
First of all, our children learn through the connections between their previous knowledge and their subjects, as well as the links to our surroundings and the real world. We follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) at the Primary level, and it allows us to offer an education that is interdisciplinary and ensures a more rounded learning experience for children.

We live by the philosophy of “learning by doing” starting in Early Years. This allows us to offer positive learning experiences in which the student is encouraged to touch, research, experiment and create.

We think there is a huge difference between knowledge and skills, and that more time needs to be set aside in class for our children to improve the skills they need to succeed in a constantly changing world.

We want our children to be good communicators, creative and cooperative, able to adapt to changes and to solve problems: we think these skills will be essential in the future.

However, we understand that children who are not happy will not give their best. This is why their wellbeing is our priority.

Welcome to our community and thank you for trusting us.

Cristina Béjar 
c.bejar@fontenebroschool.com

Bilingual English-Spanish Education System

This is a decisive stage between the ages of 6 and 12. Our main goal here is to develop the skills of each child, developing skilled future citizens who are able to adapt to a changing global environment. We provide them with a firm basis on which they can build a better world.

We focus on personalised learning, boosting the skills of each student, teaching thinking and creativity strategies. We also endeavour to develop their abilities and values. To reach this goal, we work with:

STAGE SUBJECTS

ENGLISH SUBJECTS

  • Social Science
  • Social Nature
  • Communication Skills
  • ICT
  • Arts
  • Drama
  • English

SPANISH SUBJECTS

  • Lengua y Literatura
  • Matemáticas
  • Educación Emocional
  • Educación Física
  • Música
  • Valores/ Religión

OTHER SUBJECTS 

  • French or German (From 4th Primary)

INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY CURRICULUM

INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY CURRICULUM 

 

A program with a methodology designed to guarantee deep and active learning. From the first year of our primary school, he teaches a double curriculum: international and Spanish. This stimulates curiosity from the connections between subjects, and in the process we impart enriching knowledge.

 

The 10 things that IPC can teach your child

  1. The International Primary Curriculum is followed in 1,000 schools in 65 countries around the world. It was launched in 2000 after three years of development by a group of outstanding experts in children’s learning from different countries.
  2. The goal of IPC is to get children to focus on a combination of academic, personal and international learning. We want our children to enjoy learning, to develop inquisitive minds and the confidence they need to become good citizens of the world. Children develop a sense of their own nationality and culture while maintaining a profound respect for other nationalities and cultures.
  3. Children learn in a series of work units. Each unit is based on a topic of interest that is relevant to children today, such as: Human Beings, Climate Control and Feeling the Force. Each work unit involves between four and eight hours of work on average, and the children study many of their subjects within a common topic, so that their learning is relevant to them.

Personal objectives

  1. Linking the subjects means that our children can make plenty of connections as they learn. We now know that the more connections there are in the brain, the better the child’s capacity to learn.
  2. Developing skills is a very important part of IPC. This also applies to the personal learning goals, which boost our children’s capacities for adaptation, perseverance, consideration, cooperation and respect.
  3. The IPC is not just about learning topics. Although learning is based on topics, the results of learning are broad enough to ensure that our children are learning exactly what they need to.
  4. The IPC focuses on a combination of knowledge, skills and comprehension. Nobody can accurately predict what kind of work and life opportunities our Primary children will come across as adults. Many of the jobs they will have do not exist today, especially in the areas of ITC, technology and science. The IPC therefore takes a skills-based approach to teaching children to be adaptable and flexible and have a global outlook. Children are prepared to live and work in a world in constant change.
  5.  The IPC was designed to work with children of all levels with all kinds of learning styles, and to encourage group learning as well as individual learning.
  6. Parents are sent a letter at the start of each IPC unit to let them know what their children will be studying. It explains the content of the programme and how the parents can help from home if they want to. This starts from the second term.
  7. The continuous development of the IPC ensures that children are studying a curriculum that is up to date and highly relevant, based on the latest research in brain function and children’s learning.

SUMMATIVE OR PERFORMANCE TASKS

The purpose of this type of work is to develop research, problem-solving, reflection and application of knowledge skills.

IMPORTANCE OF ICT

We understand the role that information and communication technologies (ICT) play in learning and student motivation. To build the technological abilities that our society demands, all our classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, we have a computer room, and students use iPads in classrooms.
Besides teaching our students to be ICT users, we also teach them to be creators. Our students get an in-depth insight into this technology through programming, while developing skills such as logical thinking and problem solving. Our annual participation in the Junior First Lego League gets the students interested in science and technology.

LANGUAGES

As is the case in other stages, Primary Education is bilingual. English is a classroom language, along with Spanish, and 60% of the classes are taught in English. To provide external recognition of language learning and to track our children’s progress, the English course covers preparation for the Cambridge exams, from Starters to the Preliminary English Test (B1).
We have native Teaching Assistants to boost our children’s oral and communication skills.
French or German is added to the curriculum as a third language from Year 4 of Primary.

Emotional Education: We believe that having emotional intelligence is important for life in society, which is why the school has created an Emotional Education programme. In this programme, our educational psychology team comes into the classroom to provide our students with the tools they need for a world in constant change (self-respect, empathy, assertiveness, managing emotions and social skills). The school is also part of the Botín Network of Responsible Schools, a programme that fosters emotional, intellectual and social development, and promotes communication and social harmony in schools.

Eco-school: We want to make our children aware of the importance of caring for the environment and responsible consumer habits from a very young age.

Organic garden: This is where our students plant vegetables and learn the importance of the sustainable use of resources and their environmental impact.

Music and art education have their place in Primary education as the universal language of emotion.

Physical education, health and wellbeing: The school has joined the Programme of Schools Committed to Sport to promote a healthy lifestyle and to help students and their families make a commitment to this. In Primary education, our children have one hour of swimming a week in their school timetable.

EMOTIONAL EDUCATION

We believe that being emotionally competent is vital for the individual and their life in society, which is why the school develops an Emotional Education program where our psycho-pedagogical team enters the classroom to provide our students with essential tools in a world of constant change. (Self-esteem * Empathy * Assertiveness, emotion management and social skills). In addition, the center is part of the Botín Foundation’s Network of Responsible Education Centers, a program that promotes emotional, intellectual and social growth, promotes communication and improves coexistence in schools.

ECOSCHOOL

We want to make our children aware of the importance of caring for the environment and responsible consumer habits from a very young age. In addition, we have a Oerganic garden. This is where our students plant vegetables and learn the importance of the sustainable use of resources and their environmental impact.

MUSIC AND ART EDUCATION

Music and art education have their place in Primary education as the universal language of emotion.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Physical education, health and wellbeing: The school has joined the Programme of Schools Committed to Sport to promote a healthy lifestyle and to help students and their families make a commitment to this. In Primary education, our children have one hour of swimming a week in their school timetable.