The Rishworth House Early Childhood Development programme provides a safe and adventurous environment for its pupils, where they are able to enjoy learning through play and where they grow in confidence
An important part of the curriculum is the development of gross and fine motor coordination and pre-writing.
Assessment tests are carried out every month to gauge each child’s progress.
Specialist teachers come to the department for VPA, ICT and Physical Education.
Left: ECD A Blue is our 4-year-olds class, where now that they are used to the school environment they continue learning experience.
Middle: ECD A Yellow is our 3-year-old class, where we begin to mold them and start their learning experience.
Right: ECD B is our 5-year-old class, where our children now start to wear school uniforms and prepare for Grade 1.
In Grade 1 the children have an exciting learning programme in which play is involved in their number work and reading.
We teach reading using Jolly Phonics with the aid of fun videos and audios. Number values and bonds are done, covering concepts of plus, minus, sets of, comparisons, etc.
The Grade 1 curriculum includes Art, VPA, ICT and Physical Education with specialist teachers.
The school offers remedial lessons to pupils who may need extra help.
The Grade 1 pupils participate in the end of year Christmas play.
Extra-curricular activities include choral-speaking, zumba, karate, music and drama lessons to develop pupils’ confidence.
Grade 2 is the stage where pupils build on the skills learnt in the first grade, with the introduction of new concepts.
It is an exciting year during which children become more confident, independent and fluent in their use of English. At this stage fluency in reading is developed and greater comprehension skills are emphasised. Grade 2 children are exposed to a wider variety of reading books and are encouraged to retell stories about things they have read.
Grade 2 children write their first Cambridge Global English examinations.
In Maths, mastery of multi-step addition and subtraction using word problems is another skill taught at Grade 2 level, to prepare them for simple multiplication which will be an important Grade 3 skill.
The children have a full and varied timetable including VPA, ICT, Art and Physical Education.
The Grade 2 children participate in the National Institute of Allied Arts Choral Speaking as well as in the end of year Christmas play.
Grade 3 is an important stage in the children’s primary education, as it is the transition stage from infant level to the senior part of the school.
Concepts learnt at infant level are developed and extended, with new concepts being introduced, especially in Maths.
From Grade 3 level children are encouraged to vie for a place in the school’s sports teams and choir, and Grade 3 children are expected to participate in at least one club.
Grade 4 is a continuation of the transition from the infant classes to the upper classes.
There is greater emphasis on the consolidation of concepts that form the foundation for their analytical, problem solving and organisational skills.
We broaden the children’s reading ability and develop a culture of reading in the children. We also introduce study techniques as they are prepared for longer examination sessions.
Children develop their investigative skills through research in Science, Agriculture and Heritage Studies and are given regular project assignments. The projects are showcased at the end of each term and awards are given to the children with the best projects.
Grade 4 pupils take part in the National Institute of Allied Arts musical and poetry festivals.
Grade 4 children also write their Cambridge Global English examinations.
Grade 5 pupils are taught to be more independent thinkers, with problem solving and organisational skills.
We consolidate all that has been taught over the previous years of schooling, namely Mathematics, English (spelling, reading, language), content subjects and Shona.
Pupils are encouraged to use the library and borrow books that are in line with what has been recently covered in class.
Pupils undertake weekly Science and Social Studies projects and groups do class presentations.
Grade 5 pupils also take part in the National Institute of Allied Arts musical and poetry festivals.
There is a big leap from Grade 5 to Grade 6. The work load increases, as does the speed of learning. The children have to be able to work independently, and be organised, motivated and responsible for their own success.
They are seniors now, so as seniors, their leadership potential is assessed.
The third term is a tough one academically, as preparations begin for the high school entrance exam in Grade 7.
Grade 6 children also write Cambridge Global English examinations, as well as Cambridge Primary Maths and Science.
After the final exams, more group work is undertaken and assessment will focus less on individualism and more on teamwork ability.
Grade 7 marks the final year of primary education and the focus is on consolidating all that the pupils have covered in order for them to sit for the Common Entrance examinations into high school in June, and the Zimsec examinations at the end of the year.
All classes from ECD to Grade 7 have two VPA lessons per week. They learn the basic principles of music literacy, the theory of music, rhythmic reading and writing, sight reading of different music notations, (staff and solfa), body percussion – making reference to the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), the Global Music Academy and the new Zimsec Visual Arts and Performing Arts syllabus.
We have a school choir that participates in the National Institute of Allied Arts vocal and instrumental Eisteddfod.
Pupils can learn to play different musical instruments: piano, guitar, mbira, recorder, percussion and marimba. More attention is given to musical instruments during music club.
The infants do a nativity play while the rest of the children perform in the annual Christmas carol concert.
The school has a library which is used by all grades and which contains both fiction and reference books, all arranged by reading ability and by grade. The children take great pride in their library and make frequent book donations. In addition, pupils from Grades 1 to 4 hone their reading skills by using the New Way reading scheme.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is now part of the educational experience worldwide and regarded as a new ‘literacy’ alongside reading, writing and numeracy.
The ICT modules introduce pupils, typically aged 5 to 14 years, to the key ICT applications they need to acquire in computer literacy and to understand the impact of technology in our daily lives. Learners will develop key ICT skills in a range of applications including computer programming, word processing, digital graphics, databases, spreadsheets, email, presentations, video/animation, the internet and web authoring. They will also consider wider issues such as eSafety and the adaption of their work to suit their audience.
Rishworth House has a proud record in all sports and has a fine tradition of participation, sportsmanship and fair play on and off the sports field. We provide physical education classes, skills coaching and team building in many sports.
The sports offered include:
Athletics, Volleyball, Cross-Country, Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis and Basketball
Every afternoon, the school is abuzz with children eagerly practising at one of their scheduled afternoon sports sessions as they prepare for inter-school matches.
Our aim is to encourage participation in all sport by all our children. It is our belief that involvement outside the classroom is very important in the overall development of individuals and it facilitates the growth of an improved sense of self in each participant. We also recognise that sport plays an important role in the development of both physique and character.