English Curriculum

Cambridge international Program and English National Curriculum

The English Primary School is a accredited Cambridge International School, which means that the English curriculum must include at least two subjects from the Cambridge programme: we have chosen English as a Second Language and Global Perspectives for Years 4 and 5.

Global Perspectives adopts a skills-based approach, with the aim of encouraging children to reflect on international issues from different perspectives: personal, local, national and global.

The children also sit the Cambridge Young Learners language tests: Starters (Year 2), Movers (Year 3), Flyers (Year 4) and KET (Year 5), which they prepare during their English lessons.

The programme is aligned with the English National Curriculum and sees the children engaged in various English language subjects for 11 hours a week.

Years 1 and 2 follow the English ‘Letters and Sounds’ programme, to learn to recognise the different phonetic sounds: reading and writing activities, starting from nursery school, are based on this programme, which introduces phonics and spelling from Year 1 onwards, as well as science (STEAM and Coding), geography and art; these subjects, taught in English, provide further exploration and expansion of the topics covered in the Italian curriculum.

From Year 3 onwards, the curriculum follows that of “ upper primary” curriculum, with the introduction of an integrated approach, combining the study of spelling and grammar with reading comprehension and written expression, offering a variety of literary genres ranging from fiction (narrative) to non-fiction (informative) texts, suitable for various levels, with particular emphasis on developing reading skills and the ability to draw inferences.

From Year 4 through to the end of Year 5, in addition to the subjects already included in the curriculum for previous years, Global Perspectives is introduced, which is “… an educational model that helps pupils develop key skills, such as critical thinking, research and collaboration. This innovative and stimulating, skills-based programme places academic study within a practical and real-world context. It offers pupils aged 5 to 19 the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to succeed at school, at university and in their future careers. The curriculum ensures continuity in the development of skills in research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, collaboration and communication. It encourages students to explore and form judgements on global issues that genuinely interest and engage them.”