A PROFILE of The Junior School

The Junior School is a co-educational day school which caters for children between the ages of 3+ and 11 years. i.e. Pre-reception up to Year 6. The school is expanding so that it will be able to accommodate the secondary years 7 to 13.

We pride ourselves on a high level of academic attainment and teaching excellence. The broad education which we offer is based on the British National Curriculum. Whilst placing emphasis on the basic skills of both literacy and numeracy, we maintain a balanced approach to all other areas of the curriculum. We appreciate the need to foster the whole development of each child.

The traditional values of hard-work, self-discipline, respect and consideration for others are of paramount importance. Children are encouraged to achieve and maintain these values throughout the school.

In order to meet the needs of children from the local community we have an active Greek Language Department. Non-Greek speakers are also taught Greek at a more rudimentary level starting from Pre-Reception.

Our teaching staff is committed to developing the potential skills of each pupil. High levels of attainment are encouraged in academic, creative, practical and sporting activities at all times.

Teaching and learning in a well-structured caring and happy atmosphere creates a positive environment for both staff and pupils. This is the essence of what The Junior School stands for.

HISTORY OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

The Junior School was established in 1944 by the British Council, along with an enthusiastic group of parents, who wished to provide a school which would be suitable for expatriate British children in Cyprus . It was intended that the school should also provide places for other children whose parents desired this facility.

The school remained under the direction of the British Council until 1948 when it became a non-profit making company incorporated in Cyprus , known as The Junior School. The school is now a company limited by guarantee, and any parent or guardian of children who attend the school, can choose to become a member of the company. The school has remained a non-profit making institution and the only income received is from school fees.

The school grew rapidly during the 1950`s to cater for the increased number of expatriate children. Today, the population of the school is international, with over 30 nationalities represented and more than 14 languages spoken.

The present buildings were first occupied in 1951.Since then, numerous additions and renovations have been made in order to meet the growing needs of the children. These additions have been generously funded by The British High Commission, The British Council, The American Embassy and the PTA.

A building development programme has now been established to ensure that the school facilities are modernized and made adequate for present-day demands. An efficient cooling and heating system has been installed in all classrooms. The school also provides wheelchair access.

ORGANIZATION

The Junior School is divided into THREE STAGES:

• THE FOUNDATION STAGE – Pre-Reception and Reception
• KEY STAGE ONE – Years One and Two
• KEY STAGE TWO – Years Three, Four, Five and Six

The school is organized in parallel classes with two or three classes to each year group.

Children are assigned to classes according to their age which is subject to the Cyprus Ministry of Education requirements.

When a child comes from a different educational system, an adjustment may be made in class assignment.

In KS1 and KS2 it is our aim to limit the class size to 24 children each. In this way the children will receive maximum attention in all their learning activities.

Pre-Reception and Reception classes have nursery nurses as well as qualified teachers. We also have teachers` assistants to support KS1 classes.

The approximate number of children enrolled in the school is 400+.

A house system is in operation for KS2. The houses are named after the three founder-teachers of the school. STONE (RED) – KENNY (BLUE) – GAYFORD (YELLOW), and a foundation governor CHRISTODOULIDES (GREEN).