Curriculum

PYP – Primary Years Programme

Kororoit Creek Primary School is a fully authorized IB World School, Primary Years Programme (PYP). The School uses the PYP framework in conjunction with the Victorian Curriculum to develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

IB Learners strive to be:

Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In doing so, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understandings across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators: They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded: They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of views and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring: They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

• Exploring, wondering and questioning
• Experimenting and playing with possibilities
• Making connections between previous learning and current learning
• Making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens
• Collecting data and reporting findings
• Clarifying existing ideas and reappraising perceptions of events
• Deepening understanding through the application of a concept
• Making and testing theories
• Researching and seeking information
• Taking and defending a position
• Solving problems in a variety of ways

Our students learn within an inquiry cycle that begins by connecting children’s experiences first. Our inquiry cycle invites uncertainty and reaches beyond gathering information about a topic or idea. We move our children to go beyond gathering information to seeking an explanation and asking why this big idea is important. This tension and natural inquisitiveness helps to develop a broad and conceptual understanding which is nurtured by guided, collaborative and independent inquiry.

We encourage responsible action initiated by the students as a result of their learning. This action may extend the students’ learning, or it may have a wider social impact beyond the school. Both inquiry and action will look different within each age range and from one age range to the next. (adapted from Making the PYP Happen, 2009)

www.ibo.org

Literacy at Kororoit Creek Primary School

The development of Language helps to create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. At Kororoit Creek Primary School we place a strong emphasis on developing literacy skills through meaningful contexts. The school develops a program of inquiry in line with the requirements of the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme to provide an authentic context for students to develop and use language. Alongside the IB Primary Years Programme our Literacy program is underpinned by the Victorian Curriculum, which provides a comprehensive set of prescribed content and common achievement standards across Victoria, and is used to plan for student learning, assess student progress and report to parents.

The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Teaching and learning programs balance and integrate all three strands. Together the three strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in Reading and Viewing, Speaking and Listening and Writing.

Kororoit Creek Primary School has robust structures in place to ensure that student learning needs drive the Literacy curriculum and learning. Teachers systematically and consistently collect and analyse data in light of student performance and intentionally plan learning experiences in response to student needs in order to ensure growth and progress.

With explicit and needs based coaching and ongoing professional learning, teachers keep up to date with researched best practice to ensure high levels of teacher capacity and student learning.

Reading and Viewing

Read and Viewing involves students using skills and strategies to access and interpret spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. It provides opportunities for students to navigate, read and view texts using applied topic knowledge, vocabulary, word and visual knowledge. Students are exposed to a variety of texts including traditional oral texts, picture books, various types of print and digital stories, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts and dramatic performances. Students work towards developing their skills in acquiring and applying an expanding vocabulary to read increasingly complex texts with fluency and comprehension.

Some of the ways in which we actively engage our children in reading are through:

• robust classroom libraries filled with engaging texts catered to student interests and needs
• an independent reading program that encourages reading for enjoyment, builds reading stamina and ensures students can self-monitor their own reading
• multiple exposures to quality texts to stimulate learning
• unlimited access to the school library
• teaching readers, not just reading

At Kororoit Creek Primary School our Literacy Program aims to:

• Provide a comprehensive literacy program that encompasses all modes of English (Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening).
• Provide a transdisciplinary program designed to foster the development of the whole child.
• Challenge and extend all students to develop their literacy skills and reach their own potential.
• Provide meaningful and authentic contexts for language development and experience.
• Provide each student with a range of appropriate experiences to enhance their literacy skills in all components of English learning.
• Promote confidence and develop every child’s proficiency in language learning
• Build on students’ prior learning to create and develop new understandings
• Provide a wide range of authentic and relevant resources and books including classroom libraries and whole school library resources.
• Expose all students to a range of multimedia texts and opportunities.
• Promote thinking, collaboration, reflection and co-operation through all learning opportunities.
• Support our students to become confident authors, readers and publishers in the 21st Century

Our Literacy Program provides extra support through:

• Providing a Levelled Literacy Intervention Program for students in Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
• Implementing Individual Learning Plans where necessary to support students to reach their full potential
• Encouraging parents to be actively involved in their child’s education through providing help and assistance in classrooms

Students at Kororoit Creek Primary School have opportunities to work individually and in groups, ensuring that the needs of each learner are met and that they are making continual progress as measured through ongoing assessment and tracking using student continuums. Staff at our school work diligently to differentiate the literacy curriculum to ensure that all students are developing their knowledge and understandings in Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening and we look to encourage the 21st Century Learning Skills that our students will require in an increasingly global and digital society.

Numeracy

Kororoit Creek Primary School’s aim is to develop confident and competent mathematicians. We focus on delivering the Victorian Curriculum through a transdisciplinary approach, where students’ thinking is provoked and they are prompted to apply their learning in a range of contexts. Through this approach, students develop their proficiency in the key areas of mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

Our lessons are delivered through the workshop model approach:

•  Students are explicitly taught key skills and concepts and have the opportunity to practice and become fluent in their application of these skills. They then apply their knowledge and skills to real life contexts through rich, authentic and challenging tasks. Our students are taught a range of problem solving strategies and have access to a wide variety of manipulatives and resources when engaging in maths lessons.

At Kororoit Creek Primary School, we aim to embed a transdisciplinary approach to all learning. Within our numeracy programme we focus on building our learners capabilities through positive dispositions including the Learner Profile Attributes. These dispositions and habits are then transferred to all aspects of a child’s learning.

All lessons are differentiated to suit the needs of our students through a range of high impact teaching strategies. Our staff enrich mathematics lessons with enabling and extending prompts and questions to support our students and target their teaching. Staff and students also engage in small group collaborative discussions and 1:1 conferences where independent learning goals are set and reflected upon.

Students at Kororoit Creek Primary School work individually and in groups, ensuring that the needs of each learner are met. Staff work diligently to ensure students are making continual progress, measured through ongoing assessment. Our aim is to develop mathematicians who apply their mathematical skills, knowledge and dispositions throughout their entire life.

Number

The Number strand develops ways of working with mental constructs that deal with correspondence, magnitude and order, for which operations and their properties can be defined. Numbers have wide-ranging application and specific uses in counting, measuring and other means of quantifying situations and objects. Number systems are constructed to deal with different contexts and problems involving finite and infinite, and discrete and continuous sets. Students apply number sense and strategies for counting and representing numbers as they explore the magnitude and properties of numbers, apply a range of strategies for computation and understand the connections between operations. Developing number sense and the ability to work effectively with numbers is critical to being an active and productive citizen who is successful at work and in future learning, who is financially literate, and who engages with the world and other individuals.

Algebra

The Algebra strand develops ways of using symbols and symbolic representations to think and reason about relationships in both mathematical and real-world contexts. It provides a means for manipulating mathematical objects, recognising patterns and structures, making connections, understanding properties of operations and the concept of equivalence, abstracting information, working with variables, solving equations and generalising number and operation facts and relationships. Algebra connects symbolic, graphic and numeric representations. Students recognise patterns and understand the concepts of variable and function as they build on their understanding of the number system to describe relationships, formulate generalisations, recognise equivalence, and solve equations and inequalities. Algebra deals with situations of generality, communicating abstract ideas applied in areas such as science, health, finance, sport, engineering, and building and construction.

Measurement

The Measurement strand develops ways of quantifying aspects of the human and physical world. Measures and units are defined and selected to be relevant and appropriate to the context. Measurement is used to answer questions, show results, demonstrate value, justify allocation of resources, evaluate performance, identify opportunities for improvement and manage results. Students develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of size, shape, relative position and movement of two-dimensional figures in the plane and three-dimensional objects in space. They make meaningful measurements of quantities, choosing appropriate metric units of measurement. They build an understanding of the connections between units and calculate derived measures such as area, speed and density. Measurement underpins understanding, comparison and decision-making in many personal, societal, environmental, agricultural, industrial, spatial, health and economic contexts.

Space

The Space strand develops ways of visualising, representing and working with the location, direction, shape, placement, proximity and transformation of objects at macro, local and micro scales in natural and constructed worlds. It underpins students’ capacity to make pictures, diagrams, maps, projections, networks, models and graphics that enable the manipulation and analysis of shapes and objects through actions and the senses. This includes notions such as surface, region, boundary, curve, object, dimension, connectedness, symmetry, direction, congruence and similarity. Students investigate properties and apply their understanding of them to define, compare and construct figures and objects as they learn to develop geometric arguments. These notions apply to art, design, architecture, planning, transportation, construction and manufacturing, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology and medicine.

Accredited eSmart School

eSmart is a framework for schools to implement a whole-school culture and behaviour change relevant to the smart, safe and responsible use of digital technologies. The eSmart program offers whole school and community support to ensure everyone can embrace the benefits of technology and reduce exposure to cyberspace risks such as cyber bullying, identity theft, online predators and inappropriate images and content.

KCPS Digital Learning Policy & Acceptable Use Agreement

The Digital Learning Policy and Acceptable Use Agreement relates to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Kororoit Creek Primary School.

1:1 iPad Program

Kororoit Creek Primary School has worked hard to establish a 1:1 iPad Program for all Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students. The program is funded by the school, making it within reach for all families. The program aims to;

• Connect to all units of study including French and Specialist
• Be used at home and school within digital classroom spaces
• Help ‘homework’ to become collaborative and timely
• Encourage students appreciating that iPads can be used for multiple purposes
• Promote parent participation and learning
• Maintaining personal and professional learning for staff across the school
• Developing appropriate self regulation of devices by students

The music program offers extracurricular activities and events for students to take part in such as:
 

• Grade 6 Band
• Guitar Ensemble
• Vocal Ensemble
• Annual End of Year Celebration Concert
• Performances within our school community

The goal of the program is to provide students with authentic opportunities to build confidence, self discipline, communication skills, as well as place a strong focus on curiosity and creativity through a range of learning experiences including:
 

• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• Self expression
• Visual communication
• An appreciation and understanding of the arts
• A commitment to projects
• Technical skills and processes
• An understanding of the elements and principles of art
• Viewing artworks from an array of artists
• Discussing our own and others’ artworks

The programme runs from Grade Prep through to Grade Six, with increasing opportunities to take part in extracurricular Visual Art activities. These include:

• Art Clubs
• Recess and lunch time collaborative art-making (including whole school external art competitions)
• Art Week – where students can celebrate the arts within our community

The Visual Arts Program at Kororoit Creek Primary School promotes an exciting and engaging structure, underpinned by the Victorian Curriculum and the PYP framework, which ensures students understand the key concepts, skills and knowledge. Throughout the year the units make direct links to classroom inquiries, ensuring a contextualised opportunity for transdisciplinary learning.

Within each year level, there is a progression of skill development from Foundation through to Grade Six, focusing on the following:

The Physical Education programme is filled with innovative ways to promote and encourage students to be active and engaged in their physical health and wellbeing. The Physical Education programme runs from Prep through to Grade Six, with an increasing variety of student opportunities to take part in extra-curricular sporting and physical activities. Some of these include-

• Training sessions before, during and after school for District, Divisional, Regional and State Sports for Grade Three – Six Students (School Sport Victoria)
• Swimming, Athletic and X-Country Carnivals
• Lunch time sports and clubs including a variety of active activities

The PE programme also includes weekly swimming classes for Prep – Grade 6. We have an on-site Aquatic Centre where each child takes part in ability-based classes taught by trained educators from Kingswim.

We promote an engaging curriculum that is underpinned by the Victorian Curriculum and the PYP, which ensures students understand and reflect the key concepts, skills and knowledge to be healthy, respectful and active citizens. Many of our units make direct links to classroom inquiries, ensuring a contextualised opportunity for trans-disciplinary learning.

Within each year level, there is a progression of skill development from Prep to Grade 6, which focuses on the following;

Students at Kororoit Creek Primary School participate in French each week, learning the fundamentals of French with a focus on tactile experiences, action related talk and play, as well as technological integration. The French program is in line with the Victorian Curriculum and the PYP Framework, students are also offered the opportunity to extend their French speaking skills through French Club. We aim to give students an understanding of the principles of French language including a diverse vocabulary, grammar, authentic speaking practice in stories and games.

In addition to classroom learning, students in Grade 4, 5 and 6 have access to a learning application ‘Wordwall” which can be accessed on their iPads at home or at school on their Google Classroom, to increase their understanding of French grammar rules and support the development of their vocabulary.