Learning Programmes

Our New Entrant and Year 1 programmes are dedicated to language development and building foundational skills in the areas of reading, writing, spelling and numeracy. Students at this level learn to settle into school routines, to manage themselves and their belongings independently and begin being trained in good work habits. Times of play and rest form part of their daily programme.

In Years 2 and 3, students are encouraged to apply their learning to new situations and are provided with many varied opportunities to build on the foundations laid in the early years.

As their abilities and confidence in themselves as learners grows, they begin to experiment and explore this wonderful world of learning with increasing independence.
A number of different strategies are used to cater for all our students. All learning done at school is consolidated by home reading, phonics/spelling and mathematics Home Learning. At this age, students start to become aware of things beyond their own experience and take an interest in community, developing friendships and caring for those around them. Our topic studies, covering Science, Technology, Social Studies and Health, reflect these growing interests. Language skills are used and developed in connection with these topics.

• The day starts at 8:55am and ends at 3:05pm.
• Students participate in daily Devotional times and weekly worship.
• Interval is 20 minutes long and lunch is 60 minutes long (supervised eating for the first 10 minutes)
• Classes have their own teacher who instructs them in most of the learning areas. The teacher will decide if students will benefit from attending lessons with another teacher. This would be discussed with a student’s parents.
• Once each week students attend a PE lesson with the PE Specialist teacher.
• Throughout the year senior students participate in afternoon elective programmes.
• Studios hold regular assemblies for various purposes.
• Every even numbered week of the term students participate in a Whole School Assembly. This takes place on Wednesdays at 2.30pm.
• Various extra-curricular activities or ‘clubs’ may operate during the week.

Year 4 is a time of consolidation and strengthening of the literacy and numeracy skills developed in the preceding years.
Students are challenged to expand their knowledge and use of these skills and to apply them in a variety of situations. Research skills are developed more fully and used more widely than in preceding years. The wide range of topics covered in the other learning disciplines serve to encourage a love of learning and the development of a wider variety of skills and interests.

During the upper primary years students are exposed to a more complex and demanding curriculum, in accordance with their development. There continues to be a strong emphasis on the teaching and development of literacy and numeracy skills with the students. Greater emphasis is placed on helping students to further develop their relationship with God. They are encouraged to become discerning young people who can cope with the pressures of peers and other expectations that will be placed on them. Students are asked to make evaluative judgements on a variety of topics and to be able to support their view points. Students are expected to be able to work independently, taking responsibility for their own learning. They are also expected to be able to function effectively as part of a team or a group.