The
name of the school is: Two Wings, because their motto is the following:
”on own wings to the world”. The lessons start at 8.30 and finish at 11.45.
After having lunch in the afternoon classes learn three times a week from
1 to 4. The olders learn four times a week from 13.30 to 15.20. So they
have free afternoons.They care for children from infant’s nursery through
nursery in private and in church wings. They educate handicapped children,
too. One teacher teaches one year for one school year, she has the same
classroom. These classrooms are full equiped, so they need only a 10 squaremetres
laboratory. There is a dividing furniture in every classroom, especially
at the infant’s nursery (baby corner, building corner, etc.).
The parents pay 36 Euroes a year. They get a report about
the work of the school at the end of the school year. One headmaster and
a deputy headmaster in another building control the work. And there is
a coordinator of the junior classes and a lower school, an assistant teacher
at the school. In this town one headmaster controls all schools (pupils
between aged 4-12 in five tag schools.The ”Two Wings” is a school, where
we could see all kinds of life approach, and the participation and responsibility
of the parents play an important role in the life of the school, and the
openness is characteristic of the school.This was an citation from their
ars poetic.
They imagine the public education just like a meeting
point of life approaches, where there is an education without straining.
They didn’t conceale the external differences of children, parents. They
use these as a starting point for their education. Children learn from
each others, with each other, appreciate their identity. They turn their
attention to the behaviour for each other, to the worthes, to the norms.
Every child is unique of its kind. Their most important aims are the followings:
the social-emotional, cognitive, motoric, organ and creative development.
They think if the pupils don’t feel quiet well themselves, they won’t learn
well. To reach these it’s very indispensable the harmonizing of the teachers.
The atmosphere around the school is full of calmness.
Children are different from each other, one of them does
the basic things, the other does the extra works. The classrooms are with
few pupils, and their patronizings. The tasks of theirs are different during
the lesson. The teachers want their pupils become more self-sufficient.
They can leave their chairs, their classrooms during the lesson. For example:
there is a hall with a computer centre, here they can work alone. ”Make
children more self-sufficient”, means to take responsibility of works,
projects.
They use national testpapers and things like that (for
example final exam for class 8.) for the best quality in the education.
The school get a mark, which is a possibility to the comparison. They give
questionnairs in the classes 1, 4, 8 to get information about the school.
Yearly they do European projects to get acquainted with education, culture
of another countries, and in the interest of good relationship among children.
In Zwijndrecht all infant’s nurseries, kindergardens
and schools work together. They use data sheets, where the development
of the child can be seen. Children, who develop slowly, they can get help
in an earlier stadium. They can begin the special education immediatly.
In class 1 and 2, they can stand or sit during the lesson,
they speak and listen to each other, they learn to speak about their feelings
and experiences, in this way they increase their vocabulary. Meanwhile
they can sing, do exercises. They play and learn at the same time in a
different corners (baby corners, building corners, etc.). The rules, the
regularity, playing together are emphasized at the age of four (class 1).
In class 2 the aim is to develop of the reading, counting and writing.
They turn their attention to understand the concepts (left-right-the first-the
last). The childish world broaden in project, for example: seasons, transport,
celebrations, your body, etc.
In class 1 and 2 (year 4-5) it’s very important to move
a lot. Pupils can learn to orient themselves in space, their social and
emotional behaviour develop, they learn to adjust themselves to the others.
Kids do exercises one-one hour in the morning and in the afternoon. Every
child has a book, where his or her works can be found.
In class 3 and 4 (year 6-7) children usually work in circle,
and still there are corners for them. Older pupils help in the technical
reading. The reading and the writing are emphasized. When children start
to read, they start to write some letters at the same time. In this way
the learning of the writing bolsters up the learning of the reading
At the age of 8-12 (class 4-8) the subjects are separated.
Teachers make an effort to the comprehensive education in Dutch language:
to speak, listen, read, write, spell, etc. These are the primary abilities.
They do CITO tests (it’s a national test) in spelling and reading twice
a year. In class 3 the aim is to read with safety. Every week teachers
organize reading classes for all pupils of class 4-5-6.
The uderstanding reading, the silent reading, computer
games and the didactician help play a significant role in teaching. The
method during Maths is called ”extra point”. They start from the daily
examples. Teachers and pupils together look for the solution for the problems.
They have got final exam twice a year.
They can learn English from age of 11-12 (class 7-8).
The goal of subject called ”World Orientation” is to know the past and
present of the world. It is built on talking, trips, etc. Children at the
age of 11 learn the rules of the road. These pupils (class 7-8) have got
Geography, Topography, History and they use computers with writing texts.
They call Art, Music, ”Self-expression” section. A special teacher teaches
it.