Lower School (age 6-10)

Download curriculum and handbook

Welcome from Lower School Principal, Lacy Chapman

Children move from Kindergarten to the supportive and caring environment we call Lower School.  Our teachers work collaboratively to plan developmentally-appropriate, stimulating, and positive learning experiences that help children to develop a deep understanding of important and relevant themes.

Our academic programme supports children as they build on the strong foundations that began in the Early Childhood programme. We believe that learning should be an active process that allows children to take risks, grow in personal understanding, and expand their knowledge of other people, places, and events.  Complimenting the core academic subjects, we teach and encourage children to express opinions, work collaboratively, tackle moral dilemmas, and resolve conflicts.
We believe in an inquiry-based approach to the process of learning that emphasises creative and critical thinking, while recognising and addressing, the inevitably broad range of developmental needs of children aged between six and ten.

Our students engage in planned interdisciplinary and multicultural learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom.  We aim to have all students become  confident and successful lifelong learners, able to read, write, and apply and integrate the principles of mathematics and science.  The Lower School experience at ACS Cobham constitutes a meaningful and exciting journey for a young child.
We believe in:

• guided play-based programmes that encourage positive social interaction and teamwork
• early literacy skills that are developed by using innovative reading decoding methods
• an inquiry-based approach that emphasises creative and critical thinking
• establishing learning goals that are in harmony with American, British and international standards
• testing to international norms, starting in 3rd Grade, to ensure an easy transfer from ACS to the next step in education.

Special area classes

Preparing students for life entails much more than a rigourous academic programme.  Our specialist teachers enhance our students' learning, and support the development of lifelong skills by providing a rich and balanced programme including instruction in:

• Art
• Music
• French
• Dance and Movement
• Physical Education
• Computer and Information Technology
• Library
• People Skills.

Beyond the classroom

Our students engage in powerful outdoor learning opportunities as they study features of our own pond and have lessons taught in the Larchwood Outdoor Learning Environment.  They are also able to take advantage of state of the art audio and video conferencing in the interactive learning center and in the classrooms.