Academic Excellence

Curriculum Overview

Our educational philosophy is based on a curriculum that considers the four pillars of Education for the 21st century that Jacques Delors (2001) refers to UNESCO, in the form of a report, comprises:

Mehnaz Fatima School implements all six learning areas of the National Curriculum. Teachers plan, teach, assess, and report Mathematics, Science, Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Technologies, and the Arts. The school leadership team develops timetables that are relevant to the school context while ensuring adherence to recommended time allocations for the teaching of all areas. All teachers ensure that students and their needs are at the center of the curriculum planning. In delivering the curriculum, teachers design, plan and implement all aspects of the relevant achievement standard for each learning area and subject provided each year. Teachers use the curriculum elements, such as the content descriptions, to guide teaching and learning sequences that give students the opportunities to develop the three dimensions of the learning levels which are knowledge, understanding, and application. Teachers collaboratively design unit plans for each learning area based on the achievement standards and content descriptions for the respective learning area utilizing student’s data.

A yearly overview of each learning area is designed to ensure that all areas are covered each year. Year-level unit plans consist of the relevant areas of the achievement standards being taught and the teaching and learning sequence and differentiation being made to meet the needs of students. Teachers continually plan, monitor, and review curriculum delivery at the school because students’ needs are continually changing. Short-cycle planning is utilized to evaluate, modify, and adapt teaching and adapt to the needs of the students. Monitoring student achievement is an ongoing process involving both formative and summative assessments. Teachers provide regular feedback to parents regarding student progress through informal meetings as well as through formal communication opportunities such as Parent-Teacher meetings every month.

Effective teaching and learning occur when teachers have both a deep knowledge of the curriculum and the skills to use high-impact strategies. In addition, support is given to teachers to build their knowledge and capability to ensure consistency of practice across the school. Teachers attend regular professional development sessions, plan collaboratively and engage in Review and Response meetings to improve students learning. A common model of teaching and learning, such as Visible Learning practices, Effective and Expected practices, as well as High Yield strategies, have been put in place across the school. Time and resources are allocated for teachers to plan and monitor the implementation of the curriculum collaboratively with the Learning Leader.

A high-quality education implements differentiation within the curriculum to embrace the whole child. Mehnaz Fatima school system has a support mechanism, and processes in place to identify and support student learning. Student positive engagement for learning encompasses support across academic, behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains using the three tiers of support. Each of the tiers targets all areas of education and embraces the student and their individual needs and strengths. This allows the students at Mehnaz Fatima to access and engage in the curriculum and school community. Preventive and proactive practices that enhance learning are implemented to support high-quality education and Curriculum engagement for all.

Hussun ParveenSection Head