NBA Barwa City – Primary School Curriculum

PRIMARY

Key Stage 1 & 2

Our Primary Schools include Year 1 to Year 6 across Key Stage One and Key Stage Two. As our students transition from Early Years to the Primary School, they continue to grow as independent learners. Class teachers and subject specialists work together to develop and stretch each child’s thinking, develop their abilities to observe, question and engage in investigative work across all curriculum areas.

As the students grow and continue to learn, they build on their abilities to be more independent in their, we continue to stretch the range of challenges that they are exposed to. They are encouraged to explore key topics across all the subject areas available, and build their depth of understanding.

Our contextual teaching style enables our students to continuously make real world connections, to allow their learning to come alive and ensure that the skills that they learning are not forgotten as they move forward through the school. Our aim is to connect thoughts and learning to the real world in which our children live.

Primary School Subjects

English History Mathematics
Arabic 1st Language – Native speakers Art/ Design & Technology Geography
Arabic 2nd Language – Non native ICT Science
Citizenship Islamic Studies – Muslim Students French
Philosophy for Children (P4C) Qatar History– Arabic/English Music
Physical Education (PE)

English programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2

National curriculum in England

The Purpose of Study – English National Curriculum

The English National Curriculum provides children with a broad and balanced education that helps them develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding they need to succeed in school and in life. It is designed to support every child by giving clear steps for progress in each subject.

The curriculum encourages children to think, question, and apply their learning to real-life situations. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and working with others, as well as building confidence and independence. Alongside academic subjects, it also helps children develop social, moral, and cultural awareness, preparing them to be respectful, responsible, and active members of their community and the wider world.

The purpose of study is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential, both academically and personally, in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Curriculum Overview

At The Newton Group, we offer the English National Curriculum which is carefully adapted to our Doha context. Our focus is on delivering excellent academic standards while also developing 21st Century skills and strong moral values.

We provide a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all students, regardless of ability, culture, or nationality, and encourages a genuine love of learning. The curriculum equips students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding they need to make informed choices in life and succeed in an ever-changing world.

Through a holistic approach, we nurture curiosity, communication, and emotional growth. Alongside the core English National Curriculum subjects, students also study Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Qatar History, ensuring a well-rounded and culturally rich education. All subjects are listed below:

EnglishMathematicsScienceArabic
Information Technology (IT)

History

 

GeographyFrench
Islamic Studies or CitizenshipPhysical Education (PE)Art & DesignCharacter Education
P4CPhonicsLibrary LessonsQatar History

Our Primary School

Our Primary School covers Year 1 to Year 6 and provides children with a broad and balanced education. It includes core subjects (English, Mathematics and Science) and a wide range of foundation subjects, taught by both class teachers and specialist teachers.

Throughout Primary, children not only gain knowledge but also develop important life-long skills such as independence, resilience, and critical thinking. Learning is made meaningful by bringing it alive—making strong connections to real life and, where possible, taking it beyond the classroom through practical experiences, projects, and enrichment opportunities.

Our aim is to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning, preparing every child to thrive both in school and in the wider world.

Reading

The programmes of study for reading at key stages 1 and 2 consist of two dimensions:

  • word reading
  • comprehension (both listening and reading).
It is essential that teaching focuses on developing pupils’ competence in both dimensions; different kinds of teaching are needed for each.

Skilled word reading involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Underpinning both is the understanding that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. This is why phonics should be emphasised in the early teaching of reading to beginners (i.e. unskilled readers) when they start school.

Good comprehension draws from linguistic knowledge (in particular of vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world. Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction. All pupils must be encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum. Reading widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.

It is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.

Writing

The programmes of study for writing at key stages 1 and 2 are constructed similarly to those for reading:

  • transcription (spelling and handwriting)
  • composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).
It is essential that teaching develops pupils’ competence in these two dimensions. In addition, pupils should be taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. These aspects of writing have been incorporated into the programmes of study for composition.

Writing down ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words. Effective composition involves forming, articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.

Spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and glossary

The two statutory appendices – on spelling and on vocabulary, grammar and punctuation – give an overview of the specific features that should be included in teaching the programmes of study.

Opportunities for teachers to enhance pupils’ vocabulary arise naturally from their reading and writing. As vocabulary increases, teachers should show pupils how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. They should also teach pupils how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than one meaning. References to developing pupils’ vocabulary are also included within the appendices.

Pupils should be taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use Standard English. They should be taught to use the elements of spelling, grammar, punctuation and ‘language about language’ listed. This is not intended to constrain or restrict teachers’ creativity, but simply to provide the structure on which they can construct exciting lessons. A non-statutory Glossary is provided for teachers.

Throughout the programmes of study, teachers should teach pupils the vocabulary they need to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language. It is important that pupils learn the correct grammatical terms in English and that these terms are integrated within teaching.

School curriculum

The programmes of study for English are set out year-by-year for key stage 1 and twoyearly for key stage 2. The single year blocks at key stage 1 reflect the rapid pace of development in word reading during these two years. Schools are, however, only required to teach the relevant programme of study by the end of the key stage. Within each key stage, schools therefore have the flexibility to introduce content earlier or later than set out in the programme of study. In addition, schools can introduce key stage content during an earlier key stage if appropriate. All schools are also required to set out their school curriculum for English on a year-by-year basis and make this information available online.

Attainment targets

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Schools are not required by law to teach the example content in [square brackets] or the content indicated as being ‘non-statutory’.

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You can also call us on +974 50059697 / 30162469 / 30176995 or email us directly at registration@newtonschools.sch.qa

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