Students in all grades from Prep through to Grade 6 follow a curriculum as laid out by the Victorian Education Department.

Below, you will find a summary of each of the core learning areas taught at Preston West Primary School.

Literacy    Numeracy    Integrated Studies    Music    Physical Education    Art    Italian    STEAM

Literacy

At Preston West Primary School, we promote literacy skill development in a supportive and stimulating environment from Prep to Grade 6, as outlined in the Victorian Curriculum.

All elements of the literacy program are differentiated, with teachers regularly providing feedback and encouraging the growth of their students. During the week, a minimum of 10 hours of literacy is explicitly taught in every class. This occurs daily and incorporates reading, writing and speaking and listening.

During literacy sessions, students learn and develop their skills through a variety of whole group, small group and individual instruction. This is designed to cater for specific learning needs, while encouraging each student to become independent readers and writers. Strong links are made between reading and writing and all students develop skills in a wide variety of genres.

We explicitly teach students the 44 sounds of English (or phonics) as well as grammar, using Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar. We build students’ ability to understand what they read and link it to the wider world through the explicit teaching of comprehension skills. The students are provided with rich, authentic writing tasks that enable them to understand the true value and purpose of the writing process.  The students are also explicitly taught the conventions of grammar, punctuation, handwriting in order to become successful writers. Strong links are made between reading and writing and each classroom has its own classroom library.

Preston West Primary ensures a positive and structured environment is created to enable students to develop the skills and attitudes to become active, self-directed learners. Through choice, reflection, goal setting and assessments, students are empowered to take ownership of their own learning.

Numeracy

The focus of Mathematics sessions is to develop, improve and extend students’ mathematical knowledge and skills using the Victorian Curriculum, through planned and targeted learning tasks.

We foster positive attitudes towards Mathematics, providing opportunities for students to experience success, use mathematical reasoning and problem solving, learning through open-ended tasks, games and hands-on activities. Students learn to embrace challenges and apply their knowledge of numeracy to real-life

 contexts.

Teachers use explicit teaching strategies and effective assessments to target and implement engaging and focused learning experiences for all students. This is achieved through a differentiated curriculum that recognises and responds to diverse student needs and the next steps needed for each student to progress and flourish.

Students work actively through independent and collaborative learning experiences to find connections and apply mathematical concepts, skills and processes. Their engagement in learning is enhanced through the use of digital technologies.

Integrated Studies

Integrated Studies focuses on a broad range of learning areas that are taught outside of Literacy and Numeracy sessions. Where possible, this learning is also integrated into Reading, Writing and Numeracy sessions to increase student exposure to these topics. 

Intergrated Studies units taught at Preston West Primary School cover the main areas of Civics and Citizenship, Geography, History and Science. The subjects are often corss-curriculur, meaning that one area of focus over the term may incorporate the history, geography and civics that surrounds the topic.

Music

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” Plato

The P-6 music program at Preston West that reflects our core LEARN values. Learn, Excellence, Acceptance, Respect and Never give up. The emphasis is on engagement, cooperation and creativity. The lessons contain the principal approaches of Orff, Kodaly and Music Futures. The students learn the elements of music through a variety of activities by singing, rhyming speech and speech rhythms, moving, listening and playing the musical instruments.

The school has a designated music room and is equipped with a variety of musical instruments available for the children to use. These include a variety of classroom percussion instruments such as drums and rhythm sticks. The ukulele is taught in grades 4,5 and 6 and the school is well equipped for a Rock Band. In the upper school the children are exposed to music technology using Garage Band to compose songs and further cement their understanding of music elements.

Co- curricular activities include Rock Band, Boite Choir, Junior Choir, Dance Club and special event choirs. A concert is held bi-annually for the community giving the children the an important experience in preparing for a performance and performing in front of a large audience.

Physical Education

Preston West Primary School provides a high quality Physical Education program for every child. The Physical Education Program at Preston West Primary School has a strong focus in providing students the opportunity to develop their understanding, knowledge and skill acquisition to live and incorporate a healthy and active lifestyle through lifelong involvement in physical activity. Our comprehensive program provides children with a wide range of physical and sporting experiences focusing on the development of fundamental motor and locomotion skills, gymnastics, dance, athletics, fitness and sport education.

Art

At Preston West Primary School, we recognise the important role of Visual Arts in the development of the whole child. Students visit the art room each week. They are encouraged and guided to explore their creativity, use their imagination, develop innovative new ideas and acquire a variety of skills.

The art room is a creative hub within the school. It houses a wide variety of equipment, tools and materials that are available for student use and there is always something new to stimulate the imagination.

Students regularly take their work home and also completed works are regularly exhibited throughout the many passageways for all to enjoy.

Italian

At Preston West Primary School all students learn Italian. They attend one session of Italian a week. Italian is taught in a fun and interactive way. Stories are shared and re-enacted, puppets come to life in conversations and students actively engage in songs, rhymes, dances, role-plays, games and art work. Units are explored through everyday themes, such as greetings and introductions, as well as in conjunction with classroom Inquiry units, whenever possible.

The focus of the Italian program at Preston West Primary School, is on building students’ confidence and capacity to use the Italian language to communicate. Students also gain a deeper understanding of how languages ‘work’. They reflect on their own culture and language, make connections and compare and contrast their life, with life in Italy. Italian is widely spoken in Australia, many opportunities exist to hear and use the language in real-life situations, such as, at our local Preston Market and surrounding precinct.

At Preston West Primary School we all come from a wide range of cultures. Every year we celebrate our cultural diversity by participating in a Multicultural Day. On this day everyone has the opportunity to shine and share their culture with others, by dressing up in their cultural costume or colours of their flag. Students also bring to school cultural food to share with their class and experience a fun activity about another country.

STEAM

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Simply put, it’s a learning area that tackles a range of subjects in a way that resembles real life. The five components of STEAM are not taught in isolation of each other but incorporated into an inquiry or design process that allows students to develop and use critical thinking and problem solving with real-life situations. 

At Preston West Primary School, we integrate STEAM into learning areas where it is believed to have the best impact on student learning.

STEAM also incorporates the use of Digital Technologies through digital media, digital design, coding and robotics. These technologies are supported by the use of shared iPads, a Years 3-6 BYO iPad program and up to date networking infrastructure.