Foundation Years

At RISS our Foundation Years consist of Grades 6, 7 and 8 (ages 11 to 14 years). This is a very exciting and precious time in a young person’s life. It is also a period of transition as students move into secondary school and adolescence.

At RISS, we recognise that each student will experience this new journey differently. Our core values of Relationships, Respect, Courage and Responsibility stand at the centre of our practice. We aim to provide an environment and opportunities where students can feel comfortable and confident in their learning, and social and emotional development.

In an inquiry-based setting, we strive for our students to take an active role in their learning. The Foundation Years is a creative programme where students follow a range of subjects that enable them to enter the Middle Years as well-rounded and balanced individuals. In an international school with more than 70 different nationalities, we celebrate diversity. Our students all have potential, and bring their gifts and talents. We aim to provide opportunities to develop these in various settings: pastoral programme, foreign/heritage language Programme, Learning Diversity programme, extra-curricular activities and also our classrooms.

As a school, we also strive to evolve and enhance our students’ learning by providing unique learning opportunities. The RISS Rose programme was phased in with Grade 6 in 2021 and is designed specially for this purpose. For more information on these opportunities please follow the link to our RISS Rose Programme page.

We provide specific support for our new Grade 6 students, who are transitioning into secondary school and welcome students who join our school community throughout the year. It is important to us that all new students’ learning continue smoothly and that they have the opportunity to find their feet and feel at home at RISS.

Our students are entitled to be happy and fulfilled. With our aims and opportunities we offer, we strive for all students to enjoy their youth, enjoy their learning journey and challenge themselves.

Curriculum offer in Foundation Years:

Grade 6	Grade 7	Grade 8
*Core subjects*	*Core subjects*	*Core subjects*
English Language Arts English as an additional language (only for students who need the additional English support) Dutch Mathematics Integrated Science Integrated Humanities Art and Design ICT Drama Music PE RISS Rose	English Language Arts English as an additional language (only for students who need the additional English support) Dutch Mathematics Integrated Science Integrated Humanities Art and Design ICT Drama Music PE RISS Rose	English First language English as an additional language (only for students who need the additional English support) Dutch Mathematics Integrated Science Integrated Humanities Art and Design ICT Drama Music PE RISS Rose
Foreign languages (electives) Students select two languages.	Foreign languages (electives) Students select two languages.	Foreign languages (electives) Students select two languages.
French Spanish German Chinese	French Spanish German Chinese Heritage Language Self study course	French Spanish German Chinese (if they have taken this as a subject before) Heritage Language Self study course

Curriculum Scope and Sequence Grade 6,7 & 8

The curriculum scope and sequence documents at RISS outlines the key knowledge, skills, and concepts students learn in each grade and how these develop over time. Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure learning builds progressively, enabling students to deepen their understanding and grow in confidence as they move through the school. This approach provides clarity, coherence, and continuity across subjects, while supporting teachers to make meaningful connections between topics and year groups. The scope and sequence is a living document and is regularly reviewed and refined in response to student needs, assessment insights, and evolving educational best practice, ensuring our curriculum remains rigorous, relevant, and responsive.

Scope and Sequence Grade 6

Scope and Sequence Grade 7

Scope and Sequence Grade 8

Single Subject Strand

English Language Arts

Deepening our understanding of language and literature through English

Interdisciplinary lenses

Communication, connections, perspective, communities, relationships, identity.

Objective

Develop reading, writing, speaking, listening skills
Exploring a variety of forms and genres
Broaden intercultural understanding
Expand knowledge of the world

Key Skills

Reading for pleasure and with a specific purpose in mind
Creative expression, becoming aware of authorial choices
Writing and speaking in different registers
Using a variety of sources, both primary and secondary

Examples of Units in Grade 6 at RISS:

Growing a Community: Fiction and Non-Fiction
What we read: Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman and various non-fiction articles on Newsela.com
A skill we practise: Presenting a non-fiction source to you classmates
Drama Kings and Queens
What we read: Excerpts from various plays, including Shakespeare and Ancient Greek theatre
A skill we practice: Writing a monologue or soliloquy

Mathematics

Deepening our understanding of Mathematics

Interdisciplinary lenses

Identities, relationships, time, place and space, form, logic, connections.

Objective

Mathematics is so much more than just numbers and calculations. It is about discovering how it is intertwined in our daily lives, exploring the wonderful world of quantitative reasoning. Our inquiry based approach unlocks the world for exploration in topics such as algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics to list a few.

We aim to foster a love for the subject and throughout the school year we have several opportunities for students to showcase their passion and skills for Mathematics e.g. Pi Day and the annual Kangaroo Challenge to name only two.

Key Skills

Operations and applications of integers, exponents, common fractions, decimal fractions, ratios and proportions, and interchanging between different forms.
Identifying and simplifying basic algebraic expressions and equations.
Identifying numeric and geometric patterns.
Analyse and compare basic functions and relationships.
Apply basic knowledge of geometry to space and shape and the real life applications thereof.
Investigate different forms of measurement and identify approaches to solve applications problems.
Collect, record, organise, represent and summarise statistical data, and report on findings.

Languages and EAL

Deepening our understanding of Communication and Languages

Interdisciplinary lenses

Communication, English, Modern languages, Humanities.

Objective

Join the wonderful world of Languages! If you want to learn a new language in a fun, lively, authentic and safe environment, then the RISS EAL and Language Department is the place to be. We don’t mind if you make a mistake, that is the best way to learn a new language. Plus, throughout the year, we have fun activities so that you can showcase your Heritage Language and also showcase how well you have learned a new language. We embrace all cultures and languages while fostering relationships between students and teachers. We are happy to offer you the chance to learn English as a language, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, and Chinese.

International Language Day is celebrated in March throughout the school, where both Mother Tongue languages are revered and languages new to students are practiced, i.e. Chinese, French, German, Spanish and English as an additional language. This gives students the opportunity to showcase what they have learned so far with their peers.

We are happy to offer you the chance to learn English at different levels, Dutch, French, Spanish, German and Chinese.

Key Skills

Reading
Speaking
Listening
Writing

Science and Technology

Deepening our understanding of Science and Technology

Interdisciplinary lenses

Culture, systems, evidence, patterns, models, movement, interaction, functions.

Objective

Being able to formulate questions and investigate using the scientific method in order to find answers.
Using models (e.g. of the Solar system) to get a better understanding of the function and interactions of different parts of a system.
Understanding how all things are made up of small parts that - in living organisms - work together to perform a diverse range of complicated tasks.

Key Skills

Formulating research questions
Designing experiments that are fair and reliable
Taking precise measurements
Processing data
Communicating results in a written and oral form

Examples of units taught in grade 6:

Nature of Science: What are scientists and how do we do science?
Building Blocks of Life: How do we know something is alive? What makes up the building blocks of life? How do different systems work together?
The Earth and Beyond: What do we know about the Earth in the solar system? How do we know these things? How is our solar system part of a larger structure in the Universe? What is beyond that?
What's the Matter?: What is the difference between solid, liquid and gas? Can we make a model to predict what happens to our material e.g. when it is heated? Let's test our predictions in the lab!

Humanities

Deepening our understanding of Humanities

Interdisciplinary lenses

Power, place, change, time, community, society, values.

Objective

Understanding the differences and similarities between human societies over the chronological course of human history.
Applying different concepts to a variety of human contexts.
Understanding how classic humanities subjects (at RISS) such as geography, economics, business, ICT, psychology, and history interconnect with the human experience.

Key Skills

Critical analysis of primary and secondary sources
Reasoning (Drawing conclusions, debating, etc.)
Presentations
Research Skills
Map skills
Essays
Oracy
Video development

Sports and Extra Curricular Activities

Deepening our understanding and practice of Sports and Extracurricular Activities

Interdisciplinary lenses

Nutrition & Wellbeing, Aesthetics, Communication, Relationship, Ethics.

Objective

Students engage in a programme designed to promote personal development, health and physical activity.
There is a further focus on the promotion of lifelong engagement in physical activity, finding meaning through engaging in both mentally and physically challenging situations, individually or as part of a team.

Key Skills

Effective Communication (verbal/non-verbal)
Responsibility
Respect
Team Work
Spacial Awareness
Adaptability

The Arts

Deepening our understanding of The Arts

Interdisciplinary lenses

Aesthetics, Change, Communication, Identity.

Objective

"The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional [artists]. It is to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.” (Kelly Pollock 2013)

Students develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding along with creative and critical thinking, as they explore and respond to art forms from their own and other cultures and contexts.
They develop the skills and techniques required to create, perform and present original artworks. They also develop awareness of the artistic process as reflective individual and collaborative theatre practitioners, musicians and visual artists.
Through the arts, students explore what it means to be human, and in doing so, shape their character as citizens in a changing world.

Key Skills

Drama: performing, directing, devising, researching, interpreting, devising, rehearsing, analysing, evaluating, reflecting
Art: drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, designing, analysing, evaluating, reflecting
Music: composing, performing, listening, analysing, evaluating, reflecting

For more information, please contact the Head of Foundation Years: Marietjie Swart.