Specialist Programs
Science and Digital Technology
Students from Year 1-6 have access a specialist Science and Digital Technologies program for 90 minutes per week.
The Science Curriculum is split into three areas: Science Inquiry Skills, or the scientific process, Science Understanding, the content of Science split in four areas, and Science as Human Endeavour, the purpose of Science in our world. This is taught with a focus on hands-on, real-world activities and experiments, aimed at assisting students to link their learning to how Science and Technology impacts their lives and the world around them.
Each term students engage with one of the Science learning areas; Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Earth and Space Sciences, participating in experiments relating to each of these to hone their Inquiry skills.
Using an integrated approach, students learn and apply Digital Technologies knowledge and design skills to represent Scientific results and understandings.
Music
The music program aims to foster and develop students’ skills, talents and appreciation of music. Each class from Year 1 – 6 attends music for one hour a week and focuses on vocal, instrumental and music theory skills.
Activities are designed to allow students to explore their musical creativity within a given structure. Group tasks and activities develop co-operation and teamwork.
Extracurricular music programs at South Perth Primary School include:
School Choir
Students from Year 3 to 6 are invited to join the School Choir. The choir rehearse before school and have performance opportunities to showcase their talents in public performances, including the WA Massed Choir Festivals, and events in the South Perth community.
Instrumental Music School Service and School Band
The IMSS program offers free brass, clarinet and flute lessons to selected students in Year 5 and 6. Places are based on a musical aptitude test administered in Year 4. Students receive a half-hour lesson each week provided by a specialist teacher from the Instrumental Music School.
School Band is offered to students who are learning an instrument, other than voice, for at least a year. School Band and IMSS students showcase their talents and various school assemblies, fetes and community events.
Languages - Japanese
South Perth Primary School acknowledges and respects the value of all languages and cultures and their significance in developing learners who are global citizens. Since its inception, the school has established a dynamic and challenging Japanese language program that motivates young learners to develop their oral and written skills through language games, songs, stories and role-plays, engaging in creative hands-on activities and accessing a range of digital technologies.
Every week for 60 minutes, students from Year 1- 6 participate in classes that provide an understanding of the Japanese language and culture influencing many areas of contemporary Australian society including tourism, trade, technology, animation design, fashion and cuisine. It is our goal that students will learn to communicate in the Japanese language drawing upon rich and challenging experiences to engage and participate in the linguistic and cultural diversity of our interconnected world.
Physical Education
Physical Education lessons engage students in an active program to develop their fundamental movement skills including body management, locomotion, catching, throwing, kicking and hitting as well as game strategy and tactics.
Students have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities, developing skills in sports such as volleyball, soccer, netball, football, cricket, cross country and athletics.
Goal setting, self-reflection, participation, competition, sportsmanship and fun are key elements of engagement and carnivals provide the context for students to demonstrate their capabilities. Competent students relish the opportunity to represent the school in interschool competitions throughout the year.
The physical education program includes:
- Daily Fitness – Monday to Thursday (Years 1-6)
- Senior Sport (Years 5&6)
- Dance in Term 4 (Pre-primary – Year 6)
- In Term Swimming Lessons (Pre-primary – Year 6)
- Faction Carnivals in Swimming (Year 4-6), Cross Country (Year 1-6), Athletics (Year 1-6)
- Interschool events in Swimming, Cross Country, Athletics and a range of team sports.
The physical education and sport program aims to provide all students with the knowledge and skills to feel confident to engage in sporting activities now and into the future.
Gifted & Talented
Teachers differentiate the curriculum to provide opportunities for highly able students to extend their learning within the class. Open-ended tasks and extension activities are provided to challenge students who have demonstrated knowledge, skills and understandings at a higher-than-expected level.
Primary Extension and Challenge Program
For highly gifted and talented students, the Department of Education coordinates special programs for identified Year 5 and 6 students in the Primary Extension and Challenge program (PEAC).
PEAC provides opportunities for talented students to:
- socially interact with other gifted and talented children
- enjoy an intellectually rigorous and challenging program
- interact with practising experts
- develop higher order process skills and in-depth investigation skills
- work on open-ended activities which encourage choice and negotiation
- undergo self/peer evaluation and reflection of performance.
Selection is completed in Year 4 and is based on results of standardised assessment tasks administered in Term 3.
Students learn alongside their intellectual peers at PEAC centres one morning or afternoon each week during the school term.
Many PEAC students go on to apply for entry into Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance Programs and attend one of 17 select secondary schools to study with gifted peers. All students are encouraged to apply for the secondary GATE programs during the Term 4 in Year 5.
English as an Additional Language or Dialect
The school welcomes students from very diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. There are also different dialects of English spoken within the school community.
Standard Australian English (SAE) is the language used in public school education. We offer an EALD program to assist those students whose home language is not SAE. Students are empowered to participate in all areas of the curriculum through their understanding and use of SAE.
The program aims to:
- Develop the ability to socialise and learn effectively in SAE in a wide range of situations.
- Develop the ability to listen, speak, read and write in SAE across all learning areas.
- Build on student’s linguistic and cultural identity to strengthen their confidence and motivation.
- Develop intercultural perspectives across all learning areas and within the school community.
The school recognises that EALD learners bring to their learning a range of linguistic and cultural understandings and skills which are significant contributors to their English language and curriculum learning. EALD learning is a multidimensional process involving:
- learning a new language and understanding a new culture in both social and academic contexts
- learning to operate at increasing levels of cognitive and academic sophistication within the new language.
For further information about this program and the school’s support for participating students and their families please contact the school office. Our specialist teachers will be happy to answer your questions.
