Our Holistic Learning Journey in Primary

By combining two world renowned curriculums, the English National Curriculum (ENC) for English and Maths, and the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) for our main topics, we are able to offer a complete education to our primary children which supports their holistic learning journey.

The benefits of the English National Curriculum are that it is internationally recognised, which suits the families who attend our school. It also supports children in learning to be fully rounded individuals, not just in terms of strong academics. A benefit of both curriculums is that they offer clear learning goals and stages, allowing parents and children alike to celebrate their progress throughout the year and years.

As an international school we have many families, and therefore children, who are on a cultural learning journey every day. Not all our families speak English at home, which is why in recent years we have attributed extra importance to English across all learning moments throughout these formative years, ensuring that students develop more specialist vocabulary in their progress to becoming truly bilingual. Our approach to Maths, using the White Rose mastery approach, has created cohorts of strong mathematicians, who not only understand the theory, but know how to apply it. White Rose Maths is known for challenging students to ask themselves why and to use practical applications, which in turn creates a deeper connection between mathematical concepts and the student.

Research shows that it is important that students learn knowledge, skills and understanding both as discrete subjects, but also how each discipline connects to one another. Looking at all subjects under the umbrella of a central theme, allows students to be introduced to geography, history, science, and art in a more immersive way. For example, our Year 4 classes have the opportunity to learn through the theme of Chocolate – looking at where cocoa beans are grown, how the beans are processed to make chocolate, the process from grower to buyer, the history of chocolate, the ethicalness of sustainability and fairtrade, different states and melting points of chocolate, designing the packaging for new chocolates and many other related questions and topics. At LCIS, we love seeing the lightbulb moment when our students get excited by their subject and engage with a topic.

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is now taught to over 1,000 schools across 90 countries around the world and has been designed to ensure rigorous learning, whilst providing both children and teachers learning opportunities that are exciting, meaningful and active.

"My favourite aspect of IPC is the way it develops students' personal traits and equips them with transferrable skills they can apply in any situation, both in an educational setting and in the community." says Mark O´Brien, Assistant Head of Primary and Curriculum Lead.

As well as academic rigour, the curriculum is underpinned by eight Personal Goals; these are individual qualities and dispositions, which are essential for children to develop in the 21st century. As they work towards these Personal Learning Goals, they gain key skills that help them develop emotionally and socially. In addition to knowledge, skills, and understanding, Personal Learning Goals are designed to develop character and attitudes. IPC's unique goals empower children to confidently state: I am Adaptable, I am a Communicator, I am a Collaborator, I am Empathetic, I am Ethical, I am Resilient, I am Respectful, I am a Thinker. 

Our passionate body of teachers at LCIS continuously strive for excellence.  They do this by ensuring that they stay abreast of new teaching methods and curriculum updates. Having subject leads who keep up to date with current research ensures that our teaching staff are well trained, maintain a high expertise and are world-class educators. Coupled with a true passion for education, the energy in our classrooms is tangible!