Junior School

Curriculum

The Junior School delivers the English National Curriculum enhanced with SPGS International’s own programme of learning which includes Chinese language and culture combined with the ethos of St Paul’s from the UK.

There are five main elements of our curriculum:

We want children to have as broad an education as possible, so our Junior School environment is a combination of many elements and flavours. We produce interested, articulate children who are passionate about their learning and are inspired to take their work to the next level.

Our sister school in the UK has a global reputation for academic results and we build on this foundation allowing children to maximise their learning. The Junior School recognises that every child has their own unique set of skills, and we foster these allowing each child to fulfil their potential in all areas. Teaching staff individualise lessons so that each child learns at a pace and level that is suitable for them.

The Junior school curriculum comprises the following stages of the British National Curriculum:

• Early Years Foundation Stage (Ages 3-4)
• Key stage 1 (Ages 5-6)
• Key stage 2 (Ages 7-10)

The UK national curriculum is a world renowned and globally recognised curriculum that ‘provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.’

Subjects covered in our Junior School include:
English, Mathematics, Science, Chinese, Art & Design, Computing, Design & Technology, Geography, History, Music, PSHE, Drama and PE.

Each Junior School classroom is led by the foreign Homeroom Teacher and bilingual Chinese Co-Teacher, who work in partnership to ensure students are exposed to the best and latest teaching methodology.

In addition to their classroom teachers, students have specialist foreign teachers for Art & Design, Music, PE, Drama and Science, and benefit from Teaching Assistants in key subjects (English, Chinese and Maths). Children in Early Years and Year 1 also have Classroom Carers who help with classroom sanitisation, children’s personal hygiene, and nap and meal times.

The main language of instruction at SPGS International School Chengdu is English (with the exception of language classes and some cultural co-curricular classes) but our co-teaching philosophy ensures that children are supported in both English and Chinese to accelerate their English (and Mandarin) language acquisition and academic learning pace.

Field trips are an important part of the learning process and all children benefit from thematic excursions as part of their academic studies to help consolidate and extend their classroom learning.

Building on our close ties with the UK, we also encourage children to work collaboratively on projects and topics with counterparts on the other side of the world using technology and digital experiences.