Students enter the Primary School in
Grade One after their fifth birthday
continuing on to Grade Six before entering Grade Seven of our
High School. As a school we are able to offer continuity of
learning from the age of three to the threshold of college or
career. The entire school is co-educational and presently the
Primary School caters to about five hundred and twenty
students.
In the lower grades of the Primary School
(Grades One to Three, students are taught in mixed ability
classes of under twenty five. In the higher grades, Grades
Four to Six, classes contain a maximum of thirty students. A
Grade Head who is responsible for the general organization and
educational planning for the year group leads each grade team
of teachers. Our Curriculum Coordinator oversees the content
and continuity of the curriculum at each grade level and
across the entire Primary School. Specialist teachers teach
certain subjects and presently these subjects are Information
Technology, Spanish, P.E. and Swimming, Music, Library Skills
and Special Needs. We are also fortunate in having our own
Guidance Counsellor for the Primary Years who in addition to
classroom counseling sessions on such issues as Conflict
Resolution and Decision Making oversees all aspects of our
students’ welfare.
The Head
of Primary and Deputy Head work as partners in ensuring that a
secure, supportive and positive atmosphere is maintained for
our students, one where high academic standards are expected
and maintained and where good relationships are fostered with
parents and all those involved in your child’s education.
Whilst we
provide here at Queen’s College a rich and varied curriculum
for all students, in addition we expect our students to:
Learn
independently and appreciate learning
Solve
problems: know where and how to get relevant information for
solving problems and use technology as a problem solving
tool
Analyse
and evaluate information
Be a
creative, imaginative thinker
Develop a
love of literature and a high level of comprehension
Possess
good collaborative skills
Possess
good speaking, writing and listening skills
Possess
critical thinking, reasoning and questioning skills
Possess
disciplined work habits
Understand the importance of being a lifelong learner
Respect
honest differences of opinion and tolerate diversity
Conduct
themselves with honesty and integrity and practice Christian
values in their daily lives
Be an
independent and responsible citizen
Demonstrate a responsibility towards the wider community
The
three major vacations are Summer, Christmas and Easter.
In addition there is a Fall Break and a Spring Break, each
lasting about a week. The academic year is divided into three
12-week terms. These terms are not normally defined by
any of the school vacations other than summer vacation.
Fees are due before the start of each term: July 15th,
December 1st
and March 1st.
The academic year contains 180 days. Students are expected to
attend school regularly.
Currently the school day in the Primary School begins at 8.30
a.m. and finishes at 3.00 p.m. The class register is taken at
8.30 a.m. and students arriving after this time are considered
to be ‘late’. On Fridays school closes for Primary and ELC
students at 12.30 p.m. Adult supervision on the playgrounds
commences at 8.15 a.m. There is a short recess during the
morning and lunch is eaten at 12.35 p.m. until 12.50 p.m.
after which time students have a recreational period of 35
minutes.
There
are four classes in Grades One to Three, consisting of twenty
five students or fewer. In Grades Four to Six class sizes are
a maximum of thirty to a class. [Back to Top]
Our
students participate in a
wide range of curriculum- related trips and visits. The trip
might be within the
immediate locality such as a walk across the road to visit the
National Trust or a trip to the Pirates’ museum or Dolphin
Encounters here in New Providence. Students also visit a
family island for one or several days, or take an educational
trip outside the Bahamas. Currently Grade Six offers an annual
trip to Atlanta where the groups visit the Martin Luther King
Memorial, C.N.N. studios, Ruby Falls, the World of Coca Cola
and other local attractions.
The
Primary School traditionally holds a Christmas Play or Carol
Service each year
CHINA
DAY
As a
culmination of the Grade Six study of China, parents are
treated to a cultural presentation about China; highlights
this year included a festival featuring the Chinese Dragon, a
re-enactment of a Chinese folk tale and an explanation of the
Chinese Zodiac.
FAMILY DAY
Each
year Grade One celebrates the family. The children learn about
the importance of families, the interdependence of family
members and the role that each person plays within the family.
The students celebrate their learning with a presentation for
parents followed by activities led by parents who share their
skills and knowledge with the students.
I’M
SPECIAL
The ‘
I’m Special’ programme takes place in Grade Two. Throughout
this programme students are encouraged to recognize their
unique talents and abilities. Each year the students showcase
and celebrate their talents with a performance for parents
followed by a family lunch.
OCEANS DAY
Students
in Grade Three complete an Oceanography programme working in
partnership with Dolphin Encounters. Our students exchange
their indoor classrooms for the local beaches and complete a
series of field excursions to discover concepts related to the
ocean as an eco-system. Their studies culminate in an
exhibition of their work and a mini-musical ocean production,
‘Ocean’s Day.’ when students graduate as ‘Young
Oceanographers’.
LEAVERS’ SERVICE
Before
our Grade Six students move on into the High School, they mark
the end of their Primary years by participating in a special
church service followed by lunch with staff and family
members.
CLASS
ASSEMBLIES IN GRADES FOUR TO SIX
Each
class presents an assembly twice per year. Parents are always
invited to attend these and our students are given an
opportunity to demonstrate their skills in speech, drama,
dance and music.
Each
student is placed into one of the four teams HEATH, DYER, KING
or ROGERS.
Students
earn team points for good work, behaviour and participation in
sporting and swimming events. At the Sports Days and Swim
Galas, competition is fierce as the four teams compete for
first place.
In
addition to the internal examinations taken at the end of each
term, students also sit the national G.L.A.T. (Grade Level
Assessment Tests) in Grades Three and Five. In these
examinations our students consistently score well above the
national average.
Currently students in Grades Two and Six also sit the Stanford
10 ability tests during the first term of the academic year.
The results of all tests are used by teachers to diagnose and
address areas of the curriculum that require special
attention.
We
believe that homework should stimulate the imagination and
creativity as well as reinforce what has been taught in the
classroom. Our homework covers a wide range of activities, but
throughout the primary school there is a consistent emphasis
upon reading for pleasure and purpose.
In the
upper primary years, the amount of homework increases to keep
pace with the more challenging demands of the curriculum,
preparing students for the demands of the High School.
The
school’s homework policy is set out in more detail in the
Homework Policy leaflet.
We
expect our students to show a commitment to tell the truth and
act with honesty at all times. We encourage them to take
personal responsibility for their words and actions, and
understand that these can and do affect others. We require
our students to demonstrate an appropriate degree of
responsibility and initiative, make reasonable and reasoned
judgments on moral issues and act upon them accordingly.
Children are accepted into the school for Grade One if their
fifth birthday falls before September 1st of that
academic year. All prospective students take a screening test
to determine suitability for entrance at this point.
Students entering a higher grade are placed according to their
age. Acceptance is based upon a good level of performance in
the entrance test for the grade level and the availability of
spaces.
For additional information on the admissions
process, please click here.
These
are designed to be enjoyable, character and skill building
activities that foster interests and pursuits outside the
range of the normal curriculum. These clubs are normally held
at lunchtime and are based on the interests and skills of the
staff and so may change from year to year.
The
Parent Teacher Association aims to foster good relationships
between all parts of the school community. All parents and
teachers are automatically members of the Association. The PTA
is responsible for organizing fund-raising and social
activities and for inviting visiting speakers to address
parents on topics of educational interest.
We
consider the support and involvement of parents to be a vital
part of the learning process and crucial to your child’s
educational success. In the Primary School we strive to build
strong parent teacher partnerships that foster trust and
co-operation between home and school. During the school year,
parents are invited to Parent Evenings where the work of the
school is explained and parents also receive grade newsletters
and a weekly school newsletter ‘The Comet’.
Parents are sent written reports at the end of term and are
invited to attend an individual parent/teacher conference in
the first two terms. Since we consider communication between
home and school vital, parents are also welcome to speak with
teachers by appointment at other times during the year.
The
on-campus tuck shop serves and delivers pre- ordered lunches
for primary school students, though the majority of our
students bring a healthy packed lunch to school each day. The
tuck-shop also serves breakfast that may be purchased before
school opens.
Students enter the Primary School in
Grade One after their fifth birthday
continuing on to Grade Six before entering Grade Seven of our
High School. As a school we are able to offer continuity of
learning from the age of three to the threshold of college or
career. The entire school is co-educational and presently the
Primary School caters to about five hundred and twenty
students.
In the lower grades of the Primary School
(Grades One to Three, students are taught in mixed ability
classes of under twenty five. In the higher grades, Grades
Four to Six, classes contain a maximum of thirty students. A
Grade Head who is responsible for the general organization and
educational planning for the year group leads each grade team
of teachers. Our Curriculum Coordinator oversees the content
and continuity of the curriculum at each grade level and
across the entire Primary School. Specialist teachers teach
certain subjects and presently these subjects are Information
Technology, Spanish, P.E. and Swimming, Music, Library Skills
and Special Needs. We are also fortunate in having our own
Guidance Counsellor for the Primary Years who in addition to
classroom counseling sessions on such issues as Conflict
Resolution and Decision Making oversees all aspects of our
students’ welfare. 
