Curriculum
Our aim at Downey House and Fullerton House is to tap into children’s imagination, creativity and eagerness to learn throughout our whole school environment.
Small class sizes and our experienced, dedicated teaching staff ensure that learning is individual and tailored. Our children are articulate and confident, they have the opportunity to participate and are encouraged to become more involved in their learning. By having smaller pupil numbers, a real friendly and welcoming community exists within Downey House and Fullerton House.
Foundation & Key Stage 1
In Foundation and Key Stage 1 (P1 - 4) there is a strong focus on learning through play which provides a happy, stimulating and encouraging environment.
The essential foundations of learning for Literacy, Numeracy and ICT are built upon throughout these years ensuring that they go on to thrive academically throughout their educational journey.
These informative years are characterised by some fabulous topics such as: Ourselves, Farm, Toys, Seasons, People Who Help Us, Fairy Tales, In The Garden, Pirates and Superheroes, Celebrations, World War II and Homes.
Our curriculum is engaging, thought-provoking and interactive, ensuring that pupils enjoy the learning experience whether inside the classroom or in our dedicated outdoor learning spaces.
Literacy
During these years the children learn the basics of reading. Phonic sounds and blends are introduced daily and these are built upon. From an early age they start building words using these sounds and learn how to write each of them correctly. Alongside lots of story sessions, the children use the Oxford Reading Scheme and become very familiar with the family of Mum, Dad, Biff, Chip, Kipper and Floppy the dog.
Numeracy
As the children move through these early years, they develop their numerical skills and learn new concepts such as times tables, place value and formal addition, subtraction and multiplication problems.
The World Around Us
This is topic based and focuses on a wide range of skills including literacy, numeracy, art, history, geography, science and music.
ICT
ICT is another core area of the curriculum. Each class uses our excellent ICT suites where they have the opportunity to use various programs to enhance their ICT skills across the curriculum.
Key Stage 2
Pupils in Key Stage 2 have their learning deepened and enhanced to solidify their education before transferring to secondary education. Our academic standards are exceptional and in 2023, 100% of pupils moved to a grammar school with the majority transferring to Methody.
We provide pupils with high-quality teaching in a friendly and open learning environment; nurturing skills of independence, resilience and initiative, whilst encouraging maturity and a deepening respect for others.
Literacy
All pupils read a wide range of genres for enjoyment and for information they engage with reading activities to aid their understanding of text.
In all Key Stage 2 classes the children write for a range for purposes and audiences across the curriculum. They also have opportunity to create, organise and present ideas using ICT.
The children have the opportunity to take part in class and group discussions for a variety of purposes, they also prepare presentations using ICT and deliver these in a variety of formats.
Numeracy
The elements of Mental Maths; Number; Shape and Space; Measures; Data Handling and Processes are taught throughout the Key Stage.
The World Around Us
This area of learning helps us explore and find answers to the many questions we have relating to the world around us.
Topics include: Stone Age, Human Body, Journey, Plants, Ancient Egypt, Vikings, Rainforest, Angry Earth, Witches And Wizards, World War II, The Victorians and Northern Ireland.
ICT
ICT is another core area of the curriculum. Each class makes use of our excellent ICT suites, the children also have acccess to Chrome Books where they have the opportunity to use various programs to enhance their ICT skills across the curriculum.
Music Tuition
We have a range of highly skilled music teachers who provide individual Music Tuition in string, piano, brass and other wind instruments from P4 onwards.
We also have a school choir that pupils can join in P5, recorder group in P6 and and orchestra from P4 onwards.
Specialist teaching
At Downey House and Fullerton House, children are taught by specialist teachers who help them to flourish, hone their skills and are exposed to high quality specialist teaching and expertise.
Children have access to specialist teachers in the following subjects; Drama, Modern Languages, Music, PE & Games and Swimming.
Find out more about our Specialist Teaching Staff below:
Learning Support - Mr G Love
Working closely with the Learning Support Co-ordinators and class teachers, my role as the Learning Support teacher is to provide support to individuals and small groups to help them overcome whatever challenges they might face in their learning. One of the rewarding aspects of my job is to see the tangible progress the children make on a daily basis.
I have worked in education for almost 25 years across various departments including primary, secondary and further education. Despite being a native of Northern Ireland, I spent 21 years teaching in an international school in sunny Cyprus and I particularly appreciate the diverse international character we have in Downey House and Fullerton House.
Modern Languages - Miss R Keaveney
I teach French and Spanish at MCB both in the Prep and in the College. It is a great opportunity to see pupils grow in their language learning as they progress through the school.
Pupils learn French from P1-P7 and get to experience the joy of learning a language and engage with different aspects of French culture. Pupils learn how to have short conversations on many different topics and to describe the things around them in French.
It is amazing to see the enthusiasm and ability shown in the language from a young age and this provides them with many advantages and opportunities going forward.
PE - Mrs D Gray
I have been teaching PE in the Preparatory Department for nearly 20 years. My ethos centres around ‘sport for all’; encouraging full participation and making sport accessible and enjoyable for all pupils.
I teach Pre-Prep through to P7 every week, comprehensively covering all aspects of the PE curriculum, co-ordinating Friday games sessions and afterschool sports clubs including hockey, athletics, netball, football, tennis, rugby and cross-country.
There are many opportunities to compete for their school at both a local and interprovincial level. As a school we have achieved many successes across Northern Ireland in numerous sports.
Performing Arts - Mrs D Allen
As the Performing Arts Co-ordinator, my job entails teaching Music and Drama twice a week to every class from Pre-Prep to P7, as well as leading the choir, orchestra and recorder group.
In Foundation and Key stage 1 we learn through listening, singing and performing lots of different songs and stories using our voices and playing different percussion instruments. In addition to this P4 and Key stage 2 classes also learn how to play the recorder.
Providing an opportunity to perform on a stage is very important, therefore, every child in the school will be given the chance to be on the stage at least once each year – this is one of the many lasting memories every child has after they move on to secondary level education.
Swimming - Mr R Johnston
I am the swimming teacher for Methodist College, Downey House and Fullerton House. I have been teaching swimming for more than 20 years, before I started at the College I had worked for 22 years in Fleming Fulton School, during that time I have also worked as a swimming coach for Watertots (more than 15 years) and also Swim Buddies.
Swimming and water safety is something I'm very passionate about, my aim is to bring fun to our swimming lessons and I aim to improve on each and every child's ability to swim but most importantly be safe in and around swimming pools and all areas of open water. During our lessons I will work on stroke development of both our alternating and simultaneous strokes. I have been working at the College for almost a year now and I am really enjoying being part of the team. I hope to share my love for swimming and water safety to pupils of all ages and aim to help them be the best that they can be.