Curriculum
Student centred learning is at the heart of our educational philosophy. Margaret Hendry delivers the Australian Curriculum with a focus on equal access to quality education for all children. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) guides the learning of our younger students through play-based learning experiences. The EYLF provides the foundations that children require to transition successfully to the next phase of learning. Children develop the capacity to set goals and take personal responsibility during their early years which establishes them as agents of their own learning. Innovative use of multi-age classes reflects a commitment to personalised learning that is implemented across the school.
The foundation skills of literacy and numeracy underpin all activities to enable deep learning. Children learn through inquiry, meaning we value learning as a process. While engaging in different phases of an inquiry cycle, children develop transferable skills, such as researching, questioning and synthesising, to learn and explore new concepts. They also develop the necessary skills and dispositions for learning, such as collaboration and communication, to holistically develop as both a learner and community member.
With inquiry as our core learning process, our Learning Coaches then implement pedagogical strategies in response to our learners’ developmental and academic needs, meaning play-based and project-based learning is used alongside explicit teaching in workshops to foster skill mastery and deep learning.
Through this practice, children become active participants in their learning and educational environment, resulting in empowered learners who have both agency and voice in what they learn.
Learning Coaches work alongside our learners to set explicit goals to ensure there is stretch and challenge in learning. Children will participate in explicit workshops and then meet 1:1 with their Learning Coach through conferencing to reflect on their goals. ‘What are you learning?’ and ‘Where to next?’ are key guiding questions that ensure our school pillar of Grow sits at the heart of every child’s learning pathway.
Workshops are designed to provide explicit teaching in English, Mathematics and Social and Emotional Learning. Through inquiry, play and project-based learning, the curriculum is then integrated.
