Junior Primary
WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL – WHERE BAREFOOT IS BEST
Junior Primary
Tree Tops extended into the Junior Primary phase in 2004 and offers complete Foundation Phase education: Grade R to Grade 3.
The Junior Primary classes enjoy a structured, but relaxed, learning environment. Their school day is extended and, in addition to the ‘core curriculum’, they have an ‘intramural’ sports programme and weekly Design and Technology, or Science lessons, as well as isiZulu as a First Additional Language. Afrikaans is introduced as a second additional language from Grade 1.
Features of our Junior Primary – deliberately, delightfully different!
- A sense of community – ‘a village school in the city’
- Teachers who know about the development of young children and see Junior Primary education as part of a continuum of early childhood development
- Small co-educational classes
- A uniform made for work and play
- A strong emphasis on delivering the core curriculum (Mathematics, Languages and Life Skills) in the most interactive, child-friendly and stimulating way possible
- An extended day (through to 2.00pm for Grade 3) which encompasses an intramural sports’ programme
- Science lessons, and ‘workshops’, with an emphasis on problem-solving and incorporating hands-on activities
- A strong environmental ethos, with regular learning experiences in the ‘countryside’, permaculture vegetable gardening, indigenous gardening and recycling (all in line with the Eco-Schools’ vision)
- A natural garden setting, where buildings are of ‘home-like’ rather than institutional proportions
- A relaxed caring atmosphere with an emphasis on personal rights and responsibilities
The Junior Primary Curriculum
Subject content is selected to form a relevant foundation for life-long learning, critical thinking, problem-solving and transference of skills, knowledge and experience. The values and principles articulated in Tree Tops School’s Mission Statement are considered and incorporated,
Programmes are designed to
- develop knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in a child-centred and interactive manner
- take cognisance of past and present research on child development
- ensure different types of learning styles and intelligences are catered for
- be relevant to the child’s world, while equipping children to cope successfully with the next grade and with life itself
The educational programmes for Grade 1 to Grade 3 are based on the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for the Foundation Phase, and then extended.
The programme contains the core curriculum (Language, Mathematics and Life Skills) although, at Tree Tops, certain learning experiences are developed well beyond the required assessment standards, namely:
- Science, especially Natural Science, with a particular emphasis on environmental issues
- Physical Science
- Design and Technology
- Art, Music and Drama
- Values Development
- Diversity and Tolerance
During programme delivery, teachers seek to identify childrens’ strengths and weaknesses, to allow for extension or additional support as required.
Learning takes place in a relaxed, happy and emotionally supportive environment, where risk-taking is encouraged and ‘fear of failure’ consciously mediated against.
Junior Primary Sport
Tree Tops believes that developing a wide variety of physical competences enhances children’s health and self-esteem. The emphasis is on participation, team-spirit, doing one’s best and learning a variety of sporting codes (and the importance of sportsmanship!).
All children in the Junior Primary participate in the sporting programme and are regularly grouped according to their level of ability, rather than their age, so that their skills are extended. Tree Tops has a longer school day for children in the Junior Primary, in order to accommodate an intramural sporting programme and every child is involved in two and a half hours of organised sporting activity each week.
While the Windmill campus has a swimming pool and space for gymnastics, we continue to use playing fields available within walking distance of the school for other sporting codes.
Sporting activities provided include; swimming, gymnastics, as well as cricket, hockey, rugby, soccer, touch rugby and athletics.
Junior Primary Design and Technology
There is a strong accent on, and appreciation of, the natural world at Tree Tops and our environmental awareness forms an integral part of the ethos of the school. In contrast to this, Technology as a subject looks at the man-made world. It does, however, explore the impact of technology on the environment and encourages responsibility. Through Technology Education children are encouraged to ask “why?” and to understand the world around them. They love exploring simple everyday objects (something like a tin opener) and understanding how they work. Technology is about human responses to needs and combines knowledge, skills and resources in problem-solving exercises – the value of Technology Education goes far beyond just ‘making things’ and the focus is on problem-solving, rather than just the product.
With the emphasis on group work and sharing of ideas, as well as open-ended questioning, Design and Technology is a hugely exciting and rewarding subject for both teacher and learner.
In the latter part of 2009, Tree Tops was fortunate to receive a generous donation from The Victor Daitz Foundation for the purpose of fully equipping our Technology and Science Room.
Music, Drama and Dance
Our Junior Primary children also have weekly Music, Drama and Dance Lessons – which includes singing, acting, movement and dance, introduction to different genres of music and different instruments.
Aftercare
Tree Tops offers an Aftercare Programme, at each campus, which is run by trained facilitators and teachers. This ensures that the norms and methodologies employed in both the morning and afternoon programmes are congruent.
The atmosphere in our Aftercare Session is caring, relaxed and fun…a ‘home from home’ environment for those children who spend a longer day at school.
