Welcome to St. Ignatius Catholic Primary School

A very warm welcome to our Primary School where we serve children from 3-11 years old. 
We hope that our website is useful in providing the information you need. We feel very privileged to work with such a wonderful community of staff, children and parents. Grounded in our Catholic values, we welcome everyone to our school. One of the strengths of St. Ignatius is in our diversity. We are proud of the fact that whilst the majority of our pupils are Caymanian, the remaining families hail from continents across the globe, bringing a rich diversity of cultures and experiences to embrace. 
Using a U.K. based curriculum, we aim for high academic standards, with a focus on reading and mathematics. Our results at the end of Primary School demonstrate that we achieve this aim. We are always eager to ensure that these academic standards are supported by a broad and balanced curriculum and we strive to ensure that our Primary pupils have a range of opportunities throughout the school in spirituality, arts, drama, music, sports -and most importantly -in social and emotional development, which we foster from the moment the children enter the school.
If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us or arrange a visit to see our school in action. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

 

 

 

Welcome to our Nursery and Reception. We follow the U.K. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme which is broken into 7 areas of learning. The three that are defined as the core areas are: Physical Development, Communication and Language and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The Foundation Stage starts at birth and ends when children are five, at the end of Reception. There are seven areas of learning and these areas are taught throughout the week. Children are continually assessed on all these areas in the week by teachers observing them and interacting with them. At the end of Reception teachers use all the evidence throughout the year to assess what Early Years Goals have been met. We meet with parents at intervals to discuss their child’s progress. There is a focus on child-initiated learning in the Foundation Stage, fostering many different new skills and interactions.

 

Religious Education: Spirituality is very much at the core of everything we do at St. Ignatius and is evident throughout the day. We always start with morning prayers; we have prayers before lunch and a going home prayer. Children learn about the life of Jesus and bible stories.

 

 

Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

 

 

Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food. The development of fine and gross motor skills aids other skills such as pencil grip and control later on.

Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities. Children who are emotionally secure at home and at school make better learners.

 

 

Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest. We aim to develop a love of reading through provision of books, reading stories to the class, reading with individuals, beginning to teach phonics and sending books home with children.

 

 

Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure.

 

 

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

 

 

Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

 

 

Children are naturally inquisitive (as you know!) and if something takes the children’s curiosity we allow ourselves to plan around their needs and interests.

 

 

We have lots of opportunities for children to choose activities inside and outside. During their play teachers and teaching assistants are communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, facilitating learning and setting challenges.

 

 

Music, Physical Education, Drama and Spanish are taught by specialised teachers.