The Upper School consists of Key Stage 2, 3 & 4, which is Years 3 to 11. Pupils are placed in classes depending on age.

The Upper School upholds and promotes the Mission Statement of Garden International School.

The Upper School aims to:

The Upper School Day

The day is broken up into seven lessons as follows. Please note that Key Stage 2 pupils have an extra break from 2.00pm – 2.15pm. Secondary pupils do not.

Lunches

School lunches are available for your child from the school cafeteria, which provides a variety of Western, vegetarian, and Thai food every day. Alternatively Pupils can bring their own packed lunch if they wish to do so. Snacks are also available at break times.

Uniforms

School Uniform is available at the school shop. For boys and girls in Year 3 - 6, it is a green polo shirt and blue shorts. For boys in Year 7 – 11 a white GIS polo shirt with dark blue shorts is the uniform. For girls, it is the same white polo shirt but with dark blue skirt-shorts.
Footwear should be white socks and sensible black shoes.
Hats to protect the head from the sun should be worn outside during play times.

P.E. Kit

White G.I.S. T-shirts and black shorts with green stripes, white socks and trainers.

Swimming

For swimming, Pupils need a swimming costume, goggles and towel. If girls have long hair, they also need a swimming hat or a hair tie.
Please label all uniforms as soon as they are bought so that they do not get lost or misplaced.

Jewellery

Jewellery is not to be worn by children unless it is a small religious emblem, stud earrings or a watch. This restriction on jewellery is done to ensure that your child is at as little risk as possible from an accident in school time and secondly, to ensure items which are of sentimental value are not lost at school.

Reports to Parents

Term 1

Parents receive a written report on the progress of their child in December, which informs parents on how their child has settled into school and what progress has been made over the term. At the end of the term all classes have a Parent-Teacher evening.

Term 2

There is a Parent-Teacher evening where discussions about progress and any concerns can be raised with the teachers.

Term 3

At the end of the school year a comprehensive written report is sent home. There is also a Parent-Teacher evening where the report can be discussed.
We have an 'open door' policy and we encourage parents to come into school to discuss any concerns they have however minor they may seem before it becomes a problem for you or your child.
If the class teacher has a problem with a particular pupil, the Head of School will be consulted. If the problem persists, then the parents will be invited into school to discuss the pupil's behaviour. In this way, we can work together to form a solution to a particular problem. A very important book is the School Diary in which the pupil records important information, homework, has notes written by the teacher and in which you, as parents, can communicate with the teacher. The Diary comes home each day with the child and we encourage you to use the diary with your child and emphasise its importance.

Complete curriculum documentation is available at the school.

In addition to the curriculum, we aim to develop confidence, independence, self-discipline, positive working and social relationships.

The Primary Department has a weekly assembly in which we celebrate festivals and special days from all religions, cultures and countries. Each class takes one assembly a term, usually related to the work they are doing within the classroom. Parents are invited to attend the class assemblies.

Assessment

Successful schools engage pupils in all aspects of their learning. The more we know about individual pupils as they engage in the learning process, the better we can adjust instruction to ensure that all pupils continue to achieve by moving forward in their learning. We use two basic types of assessment at GIS.

Summative Assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what pupils know
and do not know. An example would be End of Unit tests or spelling tests as well as the End of Year tests that all children from Year 3 to Year 6 complete in the form of SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) from the UK. Please see our Tests and Exams section on this website. Summative assessment is used to check pupil learning relative to class and age group expectations after learning has occurred.

Formative Assessment provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. These adjustments help to ensure pupils achieve targets within a set time frame. Formative assessment helps teachers determine the next steps during the learning process. Pupils need to be involved in their own learning, as this increases their motivation. Formative assessment allows this to happen. Teachers identify learning goals, set clear targets for success, and then help the pupils to achieve these targets. Once the assessment has been done the pupils get feedback on their work allowing them to see their own progress. Descriptive feedback provides pupils with an understanding of what they are doing well, links to classroom learning, and gives specific input on how to reach the next step in the learning progression.

Some of the instructional strategies that are used in GIS include the following:

Within the Primary Section, assessment - whether formal or informal - is being carried out at all times. All assessment results are recorded in teachers' records and kept on file. These records follow the child through their whole career in the Primary Department and form the basis for report writing.

Home Reading

A great deal of importance is placed on home reading, and all Primary pupils are expected to read every night at home. Each child will take home a reading book and a library book every day in their school bag. They will also bring a reading diary with the date and book title. This package will be sent home every evening and should be returned to school everyday, regardless of whether the book has been finished, as the same book will be used for class reading. Please ensure that you sign and comment in the reading record when you listen to them read. Reading with your child is an essential part of your child’s development and English proficiency.

Homework Policy

Each class teacher will give homework relevant to the Curriculum being followed in class.