Curriculum

• In the early years, play is the foundation of development and learning. Play fosters social interaction. It ignites creativity and imaginative thinking and provides the opportunity for children to transform their emerging knowledge and understanding into active, concrete experiences. 
• Through purposeful play, children explore and discover, create and problem solve, question and find answers, work together and individually, develop physical and perceptual skills.
• At Sapphire Urban School, children participate in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor experiences that foster learning while having fun. An abundance of choice is on offer in our classrooms which allow free flow between learning zones to encourage children to lead their own learning, enabling self-expression and personal interests to develop.

• Through active learning, purposeful play, creativity and critical thinking we encourage a love of learning and develop lifelong learners equipped for a diverse and changing world. Children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning is ignited through exploring, inquiring, creating and child-directed play. Our flexible learning spaces adapt to each child’s readiness, learning style and interests to foster engagement and involvement as they encounter all areas of the curriculum.
• Our experienced teaching team shape the curriculum to suit the developing needs and interests of every child through a range of learning opportunities designed to be enjoyable, engaging, challenging and motivating. The inviting indoor and outdoor spaces provide free-flow movement that encourage self-initiated activities, guided lessons, and small and large group interactions.
• Teachers continuously assess children in their everyday activities and play, whilst also assessing their more focused work. This allows us to support, stretch and challenge our children as individuals.

The Learning Framework for Early Childhood (3- 6 Years)
The Framework is outcomes and competence based. It focuses on results rather than on goals, aims and objectives; it greatly emphasises observable and measurable skills, competences and values to be acquired by the children. 

The Learning Framework strictly condemns examinations that are given to young children; great emphasis is put on continuous assessment.

Caregivers Guide to the Learning Framework (3 – 6 Years)
This Guide provides guidance on how to assess the child, record the progress, and report to those who need the progress reports on the child. This allows for regular monitoring of individual learners’ progress, diagnosis of learning difficulties and providing necessary assistance.

The Caregiver’s Guide also provides information on the teaching and learning experiences that enhance the holistic development of a child. Emphasis is on learner-centeredness, and provides for increased learner-teacher contact time, different ability groups and use of familiar language for initial literacy.

Home based learning
At Sapphire Urban School, we offer home based learning for nursery kids by use of tablets. The school has customized tablets where age appropriate learning programs are uploaded. Children, supported by their parents/guardian, can learn from the comfort of their homes. The programs are interactive, inclusive, gamified and child-centered. Progressive assessment reports are also generated.

Teachers are continuously assessing each child’s learning, development and understanding. Teachers use the feedback they get from this ongoing assessment to plan the next steps for every child. Parent-teacher meetings are scheduled in November and May and written progress reports are sent home in December and July.