Junior Primary

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GRADE 1 TO GRADE 3

Welcome to ‘big school’!

Our Junior Primary offers a warm and nurturing start to your child’s educational journey.

With two small classes per grade and the support of dedicated Teacher Assistants, we ensure that each child receives the individual attention they need. Learning takes place in a variety of stimulating environments, both indoors and outdoors, across our expansive campus, all designed to encourage curiosity and a love of learning. 

Learning in the Junior Primary is rooted in team work and guided discovery. We embrace a range of learning styles, ensuring every child feels confident and supported in their own unique abilities.  

Children regularly work in small groups, sharing ideas, exploring strategies and learning from one another under the careful guidance of their teacher. Whether solving mathematical problems, taking part in reading sessions, or engaging in language enrichment guided by a speech therapist, pupils benefit from focused, interactive experiences that build both academic strength and communication skills. Thinking Maps enrich our curriculum by helping children develop cognitive and critical thinking skills from an early age.

This collaborative approach allows teachers to meet individual needs while encouraging children to take an active role in their learning. By constructing their own understanding, children develop confidence, curiosity and a deeper grasp of key concepts across subjects.
While we lay a strong academic foundation, we also place great value on nurturing emotional and social intelligence, encouraging independence and living out our school values rooted in Christian principles.

“Through this holistic approach, we aim to develop happy, confident and capable learners, ready to excel both in and beyond the classroom.”

LEARN. GROW. EXPLORE.

Life in Our Junior Primary

Time2Read Literacy Programme 

Time2Read is a structured, educational literacy programme used to develop essential reading and spelling skills. It builds a solid foundation in phonemic awareness and sound-symbol relationships through carefully sequenced teaching. The programme uses decodable reading and interactive activities to support all learning styles, building fluent reading, spelling and writing skills ensuring confidence and enjoyment.

NumberSense Mathematics Programme 

The NumberSense Mathematics Programme is designed to build deep mathematical understanding and fluency. It recognises that mathematical concepts are highly interrelated and that regular, meaningful practice is essential for children to gain understanding and fact fluency. The well-structured curriculum allows children to work both independently and collaboratively while reinforcing key concepts and encouraging critical thinking, flexibility and confidence in applying their knowledge to new mathematical problems.

Thinking Maps

Our curriculum is enriched through the use of Thinking Maps, which encourage both divergent and independent thinking. These visual tools help children organise and process information, especially during theme-based work, while guiding their thinking in a meaningful way. Thinking Maps have been adopted across the whole school, fostering consistency in the way children learn and reflect. 

Inclusive Learning Approaches

We cater to a wide range of learning styles and needs, ensuring every child feels secure and supported. Whether through collaborative group work, hands-on experiences, or quiet reflection, each child has the opportunity to find their place in the classroom. 

Brain Breaks

Short, structured breaks throughout the day help children reset and refocus. Brain Breaks are a key part of our daily routine, supporting emotional regulation, reducing stress and improving productivity and engagement in class. 

Special Events & Cultural Opportunities 

Our termly special assemblies and many cultural activities give children the chance to express themselves and showcase their strengths. Highlights include Care Bear Awards, which celebrate kindness and caring behaviour. Our annual participation in the Speech and Drama Festival showcases poetic abilities. We also enjoy taking to the stage every November for a Nativity Play.

Amazing Adventures 

Learning is extended beyond the classroom through exciting outings and real-world experiences. These help to bring classroom themes to life. One of the most memorable milestones is the Grade 3 pupils’ first overnight school trip, an experience filled with fun, independence and adventure.

Learning Support/Small Groups

At Cowan House, we recognise that children learn in different ways and at different paces. In Grade 3, children who require additional support in mathematics and literacy are taught in smaller groups for these subjects. While following the same curriculum as their peers, they receive targeted instruction in a more supportive environment. This approach allows for scaffolded learning, focused attention and the opportunity to close any existing gaps in understanding. Smaller group settings help reduce anxiety, build confidence and ensure that each child feels secure, capable and ready to progress. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What curriculum does Cowan House follow in the Junior Primary?

As an ISASA school, we use the CAPS curriculum as a guideline, alongside the IEB curriculum, allowing for flexibility to meet the needs of our children. This approach enables us to both consolidate and extend learning as necessary, ensuring each child reaches their full potential. 

The academic day for Grade 1 and Grade 2 pupils ends at 13h00. Tuesday and Thursdays are sports afternoons, so children finish at 14h00. Friday is a 13h00 end.  

Grade 3 children finish their academic day at the same time as Senior Primary children. From Grade 3 upwards the academic days finish at 14h00 and 13h30 on a Friday.

Aftercare is included in our school fees and is available to working parents until 17h00, for Grade 1 to Grade 3 pupils.

Childhood and family life is closely guarded at Cowan House and it is for this reason that in addition to the strict guidelines of meaningful and minimal ‘homework’, at no time are any projects to be completed at home and, no work is given to pupils for completion on Wednesdays (Family Night) and on weekends.

All our pupils, from Grade RRR to Grade 7 are served sandwiches at tea break, with an option of a dietitian-approved lunch at midday. Should you wish to pack your child’s own lunch, you are welcome to. Those staying at aftercare need to pack their own afternoon snack.

Co-curricular sports for boys and girls change from term to term. Tennis and Cross Country are year-round sports for example, whereas sports such as Swimming, Cricket, Hockey, Rugby and Soccer are played in specific terms. 

Grade 1 and Grade 2 mini sports practice is held on a Tuesday and Thursday from 13h00 to 14h00. Grade 3 sports practice is held on a Monday and Wednesday from 14h15 to 15h30.  

There are many co-curricular opportunities available for our children, as well as a number of early morning training sessions such as cross country, squad swimming, private cricket and tennis lessons.  

The children are provided the opportunity to participate in sports festivals with other schools throughout the year. 

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Guiding Futures.

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