“The educational community generally agrees that a
dynamic curriculum should provide an educational experience
which: 1. promotes fundamental values among students;
2. facilitates their holistic development; 3. motivates and prepares them to be lifelong learners;
4. enables them to live a full and productive life in a
shrinking global village; 5. prepares them for the world of work, where change is a
fact of life.”
(National Minimum Curriculum p. 21)
The open words of the new National Minimum Curriculum are
clear and understood by all. At San Miguel this is what we
are trying to strive at and achieve.
The National
curriculum describes definite national targets for all
children aged between 5 and 16 years and specifies the
educational programmes required to meet these targets at
each stage of education. It consists of ten subject
curriculum areas:
Focusing and tracking are emphasised during literacy sessions. This is done in various
ways, for example, the teacher could plan a literacy session
in the visual room or in the hydrotherapy pool. Interaction
and responding to sound/vibration and the manipulation of
different objects, are skills developed during such
sessions. Pupils have the opportunity to respond to their
immediate environment, social routines and experiences; to
enjoy and develop interest in story telling and develop
functional fine motor skills and body awareness. Pupils are
involved in making simple visual and tactile records of
familiar people, events and stories.
Mathematics
Pupils have the opportunity to
develop their awareness of events in their immediate world
through experience and exploration. They may develop
awareness of pattern and quantities; some pupils will
encounter mathematical information relating to space, shape
and quantity and anticipate events and actions; most pupils
will require activities relating to Perception, Exploratory
Play, Listening and Communication Skills.
Religious activities are held in
the assembly hall as a school based activity. Class teachers
together with their staff prepare religious activities,
which are implemented during assembly in the morning. Pupils
have the opportunity to build on their own experiences and
knowledge of activities. They experience some of the
characteristics and people associated with a variety of
religions and begin to appreciate the world and the
diversity of the people in it. They are enabled to express
their feelings.
Pupils learn about historical
events and day routines in this area of the curriculum. Our
pupils feel confident when they know the environment around
them. They also learn about weather conditions and its
effect on the environment and on themselves.
Pupils will learn about the passage
of time through daily routines and contact with objects and
people using terms about time. They look at photographs from
the past and of themselves as young children and now. They
have the opportunity of handling artefacts from the Museum.
Pupils explore their immediate
personal space. They have contact with a range of people and
experience and explore places and environments in their own
surroundings and close to school. They have the opportunity
to develop an awareness of familiar places and events.
Pupils build on their own
experiences and on the exploration and investigation of
their immediate environment. They take part in scientific
enquiry by exploring people, materials and other living
things and respond to sensory experiences.
Here the focus is mainly on body
movement and awareness. Sensory stimuli are important to
achieve such goals. Pupils have the opportunity to acquire a
range of skills, actions and whole body movements. They have
opportunities to take part in games and to use equipment.
They begin to move and use acquired skills with greater
intent and purpose. Pupils have access to a Hydrotherapy
pool for both leisure and educational purposes. Mobility
programmes are also designed for various pupils by the
physiotherapists and implemented by classroom staff during
school days and by parents after school. The school is
equipped with specialised equipment consisting of various
types of gait trainers to meet the individual needs of each
pupil.
Art: In this unit, pupils experience colour, shape
and texture by different textures. In Art and design, pupils
experience a range of materials through their senses and
explore, with support, by seeing and touching.
Music: Pupils are encouraged to focus on sound
stimulation and exploration. They will also experience
different types of music such as Chinese, classical, pop
etc. Pupils are encouraged to listen and to respond
physically to a wide range of sounds and music. They have
the opportunity to be part of a music making group and to
explore songs, chants, sounds and rhymes. They play tuned
and tuned instruments either independently or with support
and experience how sounds and silence can create different
effects.
Drama: Pupils experience drama through role-play,
movement or story telling.
In these sessions, pupils learn about themselves, their families and friends.
Making choices, personal hygiene and learning how to care and share things with
those around them is also essential to help them be more independent. Pupils are
given a wider spectrum of different cultures and traditions. All this makes the
students more aware of the environment and the people around them. They have the
opportunity to express their feelings and to experience a range of interactions
with familiar people. They experience and develop social skills such as turn taking,
playing and working with others. They learn how to make choices and recognise and
communicate their likes and dislikes.
A lot of resources in the school are available so as to
support teaching staff to implement the schools’ curriculum.
Resources such as the hydrotherapy pool, ball pool, the
visual room; ICT equipment, resource library and other areas
and equipment help pupils to access the curriculum.
The centre will be following the National Curriculum.
These subjects include English, Maltese, Mathematics, Religion, Social Studies, History,
Geography, Science, Design & Technology, Personal and Social Development, Home Economics
and Creative Arts.
Focusing and tracking are emphasised during literacy sessions. This is done in various
ways, for example, the teacher could plan a literacy session
in the visual room or in the hydrotherapy pool. Interaction
and responding to sound/vibration and the manipulation of
different objects, are skills developed during such
sessions. Pupils have the opportunity to respond to their
immediate environment, social routines and experiences; to
enjoy and develop interest in story telling and develop
functional fine motor skills and body awareness. Pupils are
involved in making simple visual and tactile records of
familiar people, events and stories.
Pupils have the opportunity to
develop their awareness of events in their immediate world
through experience and exploration. They may develop
awareness of pattern and quantities; some pupils will
encounter mathematical information relating to space, shape
and quantity and anticipate events and actions; most pupils
will require activities relating to Perception, Exploratory
Play, Listening and Communication Skills.
Religious activities are held in
the assembly hall as a school based activity. Class teachers
together with their staff prepare religious activities,
which are implemented during assembly in the morning. Pupils
have the opportunity to build on their own experiences and
knowledge of activities. They experience some of the
characteristics and people associated with a variety of
religions and begin to appreciate the world and the
diversity of the people in it. They are enabled to express
their feelings.
Pupils learn about historical
events and day routines in this area of the curriculum. Our
pupils feel confident when they know the environment around
them. They also learn about weather conditions and its
effect on the environment and on themselves.
Pupils will learn about the passage
of time through daily routines and contact with objects and
people using terms about time. They look at photographs from
the past and of themselves as young children and now. They
have the opportunity of handling artefacts from the Museum.
Pupils explore their immediate
personal space. They have contact with a range of people and
experience and explore places and environments in their own
surroundings and close to school. They have the opportunity
to develop an awareness of familiar places and events.
Here the focus is mainly on body
movement and awareness. Sensory stimuli are important to
achieve such goals. Pupils have the opportunity to acquire a
range of skills, actions and whole body movements. They have
opportunities to take part in games and to use equipment.
They begin to move and use acquired skills with greater
intent and purpose. Pupils have access to a Hydrotherapy
pool for both leisure and educational purposes. Mobility
programmes are also designed for various pupils by the
physiotherapists and implemented by classroom staff during
school days and by parents after school. The school is
equipped with specialised equipment consisting of various
types of gait trainers to meet the individual needs of each
pupil.
This consists of three areas of the curriculum:
In these sessions, pupils learn about themselves, their families and friends.
Making choices, personal hygiene and learning how to care and share things with
those around them is also essential to help them be more independent. Pupils are
given a wider spectrum of different cultures and traditions. All this makes the
students more aware of the environment and the people around them. They have the
opportunity to express their feelings and to experience a range of interactions
with familiar people. They experience and develop social skills such as turn taking,
playing and working with others. They learn how to make choices and recognise and
communicate their likes and dislikes.