Grade 5
The age group of grade 4 learners vary between 14 – 15 years. The core subjects are Language, Mathematics and Life Skills. Grade 4 learners commence with skills subjects and are instructed in Agricultural studies, Woodworking and timber, Art and Crafts, Consumer Studies food production, Office Administration, Beauty and Nail Technology and Consumer Studies Needlework.
Partaking in the annual Eisteddfod, as well as Sporting activities contributes to the holistic development of each learner. A number of our learners competed in the Metro athletics meeting and thereafter a few were selected for the Gauteng Team. We are so proud of these learners’ achievements. To be selected for the Summer Games in Cape Town and the Ball Games in Bloemfontein is truly a great accomplishment.
It is not all work and no play. Quarterly disco’s are well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all the senior learners!
The Gateway School strives to empower all the senior learners to become more independent and to improve their current and future quality of life and to become well adjusted citizens that can contribute to the country’s economic well being. The goals for our Grade 5 learners are to:
Include learners of both sexes with various levels of physical and intellectual disability, originating from various backgrounds affected by poverty, HIV/AIDS, under nourishment, deprivation of privileges and poor communication skills in all aspects of live
Focus these learners on their future for specialised roles and tasks that the learners will need in adult life
Empower parents to make informed decisions regarding their child’s future as they often do not know where to seek help and who to ask.
Assist the parents to teach their child emergent adult roles which include maintaining a home, becoming appropriately involved in the community and experiencing satisfactory personal and social relationships.
Improve the learners’ level of independence to a degree which the learner can perform daily living tasks.
Equip the learner with excellent skills to work in the open labour market and experience an acceptable degree of work satisfaction.
These goals are achieved by hosting a general parent information morning on vocational training and transition planning during the beginning of the fourth term of each year.
Program topics that are discussed during the morning include:
- The Individualised Vocational Training and Transition Planning programme
- The “Talking Mats” adapted interest test
- Skills training
- Internal school tasks (job sampling) and the home independence program
- Sheltered employment possibilities, open labour market and work
- preparation
- The availability of government grants
At the end of the previous year parents are invited to attend Individualised Vocational Training and Transition planning interviews during which the above mentioned topics are discussed with the individual parents and their child. The results of the “Talking Mats” adapted interest test, the questionnaire completed by the parents to determine the child’s level of independence, the placement of the learner in internal school tasks (job sampling), allocating of home independence tasks, employment opportunities and government grant specifications are discussed to assist the parent with taking informed decisions regarding their child’s future.
During the information morning the goals of each subject offered at school and how the subject benefits the learner in his/her vocational training and transition planning programme is discussed with the parents.
The teaching strategies during subject teaching concentrate on a combination of multi sensory contextual teaching, demonstrations and questioning. Formal and informal assessment is done on a seven point scale on a continuous, planned basis and reports are issued bi-annually to indicate the learners’ progress to the parents.
A carefully selected group of learners are placed in businesses in the surroundings of the school on a Thursday morning to experience the world of work while still in the safe and supporting environment of the school.