Early Years

Our curriculum is aligned to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) based on seven areas of learning

At Artal, we believe that the Early Years are fundamental in helping children form positive dispositions towards learning that will set the tone for the rest of their educational careers.

Artal uses a wide range of supportive math and numeracy programs

We deliver a market-leading math program that offers teachers a wealth of resources that can be used across Early Years and into the primary school ages. Based on a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach, our math program encourages children to explore math and numeracy using structured imagery and apparatus in order to understand and explain mathematical concepts.

Endless opportunities for problem-solving and reasoning

Carefully designed progression to build knowledge and skills

Teaching tools like pre-emptive suggestions to address gaps

Assessment system ensure students accessing curriculum

Primary School

At Artal, our primary school curriculum encompasses the best global methodologies and most modern techniques available.

Our approach to teaching and learning embraces the creative and the innovative. Our four prong approach ensures coverage, provides early identification and intervention of learning needs, and creates a rich and robust learning experience for our children in the foundation topics of literacy and language, arts and design, geography, science and engineering, and social studies.

Learning through play, learning through the environment, and learning through meaningful and engaging experiences are key elements that build the foundations for a love of learning. Students are free to explore, discover, inquire, and investigate making learning fun, exciting, rewarding, and deeply meaningful.

Each of our learning units culminates in an imaginative learning project which provides a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of the child’s learning ensuring a truly cross-curricular approach to learning.

In addition to the structured framework of the British EYFS, we fully embrace the philosophies of the Reggio Amelia approach. This methodology allows children to work through problems and ideas by asking their own questions and generating their own theories and testing them. Children become inquirers, observers and keen learners while making the environment and outdoor spaces a significant part of their learning journey.

LITERACY INSTRUCTION

Our partnership with Read Write Inc. means we deliver the highest quality phonics, reading and writing instruction available.

Children in nursery classrooms learn vocabulary through role-play, discussion, building sentences and using productive questioning. Nursery children are taught to say the sounds of letters with the help of mnemonics, to blend the sounds into words and read simple ‘blending books’. This gives them a flying start before going into the Reception class.

In Reception, our students become primary school ready tacking phonics, decoding, reading fluency, handwriting, and more. Our program supports our teachers to teach our children to read with fluency and accuracy with comprehension as the focal point. They learn to form each letter, spell simple words correctly, and compose step-by-step ideas. Primary school readiness is critical and Artal is prepared to ensure every student is prepared for the rigors of the primary ages.

MATH & NUMERACY

Artal uses a wide range of supportive math and numeracy programs. We deliver a market-leading math program that offers teachers a wealth of resources that can be used across Early Years and into the primary school ages. Based on a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach, our math program encourages children to explore math and numeracy using structured imagery and apparatus in order to understand and explain mathematical concepts. Reception students are introduced to the award winning math program. Our program is fully aligned to the National Curriculum of England and supports the very high standards of the 2019 Ofsted Framework. It stands apart by:

• Offering endless opportunities for problem-solving and reasoning

• Featuring carefully designed progression to build on knowledge and skills year on year

• Offering teaching tools like preemptive suggestions to address gaps

• Having a built-in robust assessment system to ensure all students are accessing the curriculum

SPECIALIST CLASSES

Arabic Language is a prominent part of our daily schedule and our Early Years students receive daily language immersion focused on development of phonemic awareness and early reading woven with studies of Saudi heritage and Islamic values. Our approach introduces the beauty of Islam and richness of the Arabic language in an age-appropriate, highly creative way to instill a love and pride in our children’s roots. Even our youngest learners have access to specialist classes throughout the school week. Our classes include:

• Visual Arts

• Physical Education

• Music

• Library

• Coding, Robotics and Engineering

• Drama and Performing Arts

ENDLESS LEARNING POSSIBILITIES WHICH RESULTS IN HIGH SELF-CONFIDENCE & SELF-ESTEEM

Educator as facilitator & co-researcher

Environment as the third teacher

Research & Investigation

Long term project based learning

Observation & documentation

Image of the child

Enrichment Learning Program

Artal students have a plethora of learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom in our Enrichment Learning Program.

Our ELP’s provide students the opportunity to pursue passions, explore new experiences, receive academic support or extension, or just to have fun! Our program includes sport and fitness, visual and performing arts, clubs and teams, and fun hobbies. Our program offerings rotate and evolve throughout the year and vary depending on the age group.

Sport

Visual Arts

Ballet

Drama Club

Choir

Arts

Visual Arts

Ballet

Drama Club

Choir

Stem

Robotics Club

Engineering Club

Coding Club

NASA Kids Club

Earth Science Club

Lego WeDo Club

Academic

Book Club

Young Authors

Beast Academy Math Club

Arabic Language Club

Reading Intervention

Math Intervention

Other

Junior MBA Club

Ballet

Young Chefs Club

Eco Club

Al-Ehsan Club

Our Unique Methodology

ENGAGE | Let's think

Engage through stimulating activities that have a real purpose and inspire observation and questioning.

DEVELOP | Let's Learn

Develop a deeper understanding of the topic by learning new knowledge and skills.

INNOVATE | Let's Explore

Apply new knowledge, skills and understanding in a real life context.

EXPRESS | Let's Present

Apply new knowledge, skills and understanding in a real life context.

Our Programs

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM

Art is thriving at Artal. Our visual and performing arts programs offer a richness to inspire and stimulate artistic pursuits!

During the school day, students receive visual arts instruction that goes beyond drawing and coloring. Students sculpt, paint, work with multimedia, study techniques and methods of famous artists of Europe and the Arab world and have opportunities to display and celebrate their work in showcases. Our performing arts program offers opportunities in drama, ballet, and music with music and drama both being specialist class subjects for primary students embedded in our curriculum.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM

Artal provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching literacy. Our program is used by more than a quarter of the UK's primary schools and is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers, excellent spellers, and willing writers.

Engage in literacy building skills through the use of guided reading, write using a Writer’s Workshop model proven to accelerate and build solid writing skills, and continue to develop their English language study of grammar and spelling. Genre studies range from lab report writing to poetry and creative writing and more with opportunities for student publication to become published authors.

FUSION PROGRAM

Artal is committed to development of 21st century skills and one way we deliver is through our fully bespoke FUSION curriculum only found at Artal Schools.

FUSION is a blend of the latest robotics, coding, computational thinking, programming, and digital literacy curriculum from across the globe. Students are exposed to a wide range of learning technologies including robots to program, coding platforms, and computational thinking challenges. In our FabLab students have access to a maker space where they can become scientists, inventors, and innovators.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Artal is committed to development of 21st century skills and one way we deliver is through our fully bespoke FUSION curriculum only found at Artal Schools.

Check out the After School Enrichment Learning Program Activities tab to learn more about how physical education and sport is a focal point of our daily lives ensuring our students learn the value of an active and healthy lifestyle. We offer an array of sport and athletic enrichment activities.

Arabic Language, Islamic & National Identity

Artal is a heritage rich school. The Arabic language, Islamic, and National Identity program is strongly embedded in everything we do. Our goal is to create globally minded citizens who carry forth a strong sense of national identity, pride in their Arab roots, and Islamic values. Students have equal opportunities to express themselves in both languages and we nurture the dual language nature of our school.

For our non-native Arabic speaking children and non-Saudi children, this presents a beautiful opportunity to explore and expand their minds immersing into a rich culture and study of language. These students are provided with a non-native Arabic track class instruction differentiated to introduce them to the basics of the language and launch their studies of Arabic fully supported by their own bespoke program.

In our Early Years program, students are exposed to the richness of the Arabic language alongside English. Saudi culture and religious values are interwoven into explorations into the Arabic language building literacy skills alongside celebration of our students’ backgrounds and culture.

In our Primary School, Saudi staff is also present throughout the school day supporting our native English speaking academic staff as students are always encouraged to develop their dual language skills no matter what class they are in. Arabic language instruction is not restricted to Arabic language class timings.

We foster the religious and national identity during an array of events throughout the year including

Saudi National Day

Al-Janadriyah Festival

World Arabic Language Day

Ramadan & Eid

Hajj