At Deira International School we strongly believe in the importance of creating a firm foundation for our children as life long learners. In the Foundation Stage department, we strive to create children who inquire, collaborate and have a drive for knowledge. Our Foundation Stage teachers spend time getting to know each child’s personality and learning styles and this allows us to tailor our curriculum to individual children’s needs. Through personalised learning we are able to engage all children and help them fufil their potential.
As a British Curriculum school we follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum (FS).
Using the FS we ensure the children cover 17 areas of learning through fun, engaging activities both indoors and outdoors. As a foundation stage we have a strong ethos of play based real life learning. We encourage children to lead their own learning and as teachers our job is to facilitate that learning and keep them moving forward. Teachers are constantly tracking children’s progress and ensuring that they know what the children’s next steps are.
Our aim in the Foundation Stage is for children to be happy and confident learners who enjoy coming to school each day. We provide an environment where children thrive and gain the skills to be the thinkers, creators and innovators of the future.
We firmly believe in Parents as Partners and in the Foundation Stage department we use an app called Tapestry to support the link between home and school. Each Foundation Stage 1 and 2 child has a Tapestry account where their learning is documented through photos, videos and teacher observations. Tapestry is a two way tool for teachers and parents. As well as providing parents with a clear understanding of a child’s learning in school, it also provides teachers with an insight into the children’s home life. Children love to come into school and share with the rest of their class observations that have been added by parents about their weekend, holidays and special events. This allows teachers to create an all-round picture of a child’s life including people and places that are important to them outside of school. We value the diversity of the children at Deira International School and this two way communication system allows us to understand our children at a much greater level. As well as sharing learning through Tapestry we also regularly invite parents into school for our Parent Sharing sessions. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to join their child in the classroom and share in their learning.