In Nursery, we nurture learner agency by building strong, trusting relationships with the children and their families. When children feel a sense of belonging, they grow in confidence, make choices, and demonstrate high levels of involvement in their learning. 

Agency is in action every day, whether it is learners sharing their wonderings, asking questions, or leading their own play. Recently, a group of children organised and performed their very own lion dance accompanied by an enthusiastic band.  Learners also take pride in caring for their environment, tidying, organising, and looking after their space.

We nurture independence by creating a carefully planned environment where children take ownership of their learning. Furniture and resources are fully accessible and encourage children to explore and make decisions. Learning experiences are carefully designed to connect with our Units of Inquiry, mathematics, language arts, and practical life skills, while also supporting children’s unique interests.

We look forward to seeing the children confidently navigating the environment and sharing their learning with their families at the upcoming learner-led conferences. 

Learner agency is at the heart of everything we do in Kindergarten. This begins with building strong, trusting relationships with children and their families to ensure all children feel a sense of belonging.

Our learners are the driving force behind their learning, taking charge through their play and social interactions every day. They are presented with a variety of engaging provocations that tie into our whole class learning, and they eagerly explore aspects of the learning environment that they are drawn to, creating meaningful and personal learning experiences.

This term, our Kindergarten environment underwent an exciting reset, and it was essential that our learners had a voice in shaping this process. Together, we worked to move resources and organise the space, allowing the children to contribute to the decision making process. This collaborative effort gave our learners a true sense of ownership over their learning environment and empowered them to determine where and how they feel they learn best.

In addition to the environmental reset, we were fortunate to collaborate with author and educator, Lisa Burman, who visited our Kindergarten. Lisa introduced our learners to the art of book-making, which has sparked an incredible wave of creative writers. Many of our learners are now busy making their own books and sharing their stories with us. It’s been a joy to witness their imagination and voices come alive through this creative process.

Learner agency in Kindergarten is not just a concept; it's a living, breathing part of our daily practice. Through their engagement with the world around them, our learners are developing confidence, creativity, and ownership over their educational journey.

In Year 1, our approach to learning is rooted in hands-on exploration, learner-led inquiry, and continuous provision, ensuring that children have the autonomy to take charge of their learning journey. Our learning spaces are alive with curiosity and excitement as learners engage in meaningful discoveries, driven by their interests and questions. Through independent inquiry time, integrated learning experiences, and thoughtfully designed continuous provision, our learners are not just receiving information, they are actively engaging with it. Continuous provision allows children to revisit concepts, explore materials at their own pace, and make connections across different areas of learning. Whether it’s choosing their own activities, collaborating in group projects, or deepening their understanding through self-directed play, these opportunities nurture independence and self-management.

Our learners are also taking on leadership roles in their own learning, setting personal writing goals, and guiding their own progress, much like 'little teachers' shaping their own learning paths. Through open-ended questioning and class discussions, they are encouraged to express their thoughts and make meaningful connections to our current Unit of Inquiry, and the world around them. This approach enables us to scaffold their learning while allowing space for individual exploration and discovery.

The upcoming Learning Conferences will provide you with a snapshot of the incredible learning taking place. This is a valuable opportunity for your child to share their goals, reflect on their progress, and take you through their learning journey, demonstrating firsthand the independence and agency they are developing every day. We look forward to celebrating their growth with you.

In Year 2, we're empowering learners to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences and contribute positively to their community. We also foster agency, crucial for the Learner Profile and developing independent habits. Agency means learners take initiative, make decisions, and are accountable, shaping their learning and improving their classroom and community.

At this age, agency is nurtured through structured choices. For example, when creating narratives, learners could handwrite, use Book Creator, use puppets, or create artwork. Currently, in their unit of inquiry, they are researching animals of their choice. In Mathematics, they choose strategies they are comfortable with, such as using arrays or repeated addition for multiplication. Over the next few weeks, as we continue the "Sharing the planet" unit, Year 2 learners will choose habitats to research and create dioramas to represent their new knowledge. This sense of agency gives them ownership of their learning.

We look forward to seeing our learners demonstrate agency during the Learning Conferences in Week 8. Our "Little Teachers" will share their learning journey with families, showing how to play math games, share facts, and present their diorama progress.

We are thrilled to report that our Year 3 Camps have been an incredible success! Learners from 3P, 3A, and 3B spent Monday and Tuesday on camp, while 3R, 3G, and 3W had their turn Thursday to Friday. Each group had a wonderful time, creating lasting memories and gaining rich experiences that will continue to support their growth both academically and personally.

Throughout the camp, learners were encouraged to embody the Learner Profiles, which are central to our teaching philosophy. These profiles helped guide their behavior and interactions in new and challenging environments. Here are a few ways our learners showed their development:

• Risk-Takers: Many learners stepped out of their comfort zones during outdoor challenges, trying activities they had never done before. They embraced the challenges, demonstrating a growth mindset and pushing themselves to try new things.

• Principled: Throughout the camp, learners displayed integrity and responsibility, both for themselves and their peers. They followed safety protocols, respected others, and took care of their belongings. Their ability to make thoughtful decisions and act responsibly was evident in all aspects of camp life.

• Caring: The compassion shown by our learners was truly heartwarming. From supporting each other during team activities to helping those who felt a bit nervous, our learners demonstrated empathy and kindness, making sure no one felt left behind. These qualities not only strengthened friendships but also built a sense of community among the learners.

• Reflective: After each activity, learners took time to reflect on their experiences, considering what they had learned and how they could improve next time. They were eager to share insights, not just about the activities, but about their personal growth over the course of the camp.

As we look forward to the upcoming Learning Conferences, we are excited for learners to share these valuable camp experiences with you. These experiences have not only enriched their learning but also provided them with opportunities to showcase the very traits of the Learner Profile in action.

We can’t wait to see you at the conferences to continue celebrating all the great progress our Year 3 learners are making!

Year 4 Residential Trip - February 2025

A big congratulations to all learners who attended our residential trip to Desaru in Malaysia. The purpose of the Year 4 residential trip was for learners to; build their self-confidence, to support others, to work as a team and to develop their understanding of water as an essential resource. Learners in Year 4 certainly achieved these goals through a range of physical activities and team building tasks. They gained independence, were challenged to be risk-takers, encouraged to extend their self-management skills and to develop their understanding of sustainability. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed making and strengthening friendships. A great experience - well done Year 4!

We hope you enjoyed 5Y’s fantastic poetry-focused assembly today! This truly learner-led experience showcased how learners took ownership of their work—exploring poetry, connecting with issues important to them, and designing their own class assembly. Their creativity and confidence were on full display, demonstrating the power of Learner Agency in action.

Inquiry in Action

This same sense of agency will drive our new unit, How the World Works. Learners will be designing and conducting their own science experiments, exploring states of matter, physical and chemical changes, and the scientific method. They will ask questions, test ideas, and share their findings at our Science Exhibition on Friday, March 21st.

Developing Independence at Camp

Learner Agency will also play a key role in our Year 5 Camp at Loola, Bintan, Indonesia, from February 19th–21st. This experience will give learners the chance to develop independence, resilience, and teamwork while stepping out of their comfort zones. A key part of the trip will be their involvement in the WASH project, where learners will help install sanitation systems to support local families. Ahead of the trip, they received a briefing from Loola on how this work will improve lives and help them appreciate the privilege of having running water. 

On February 19th, learners will meet in the Multipurpose Hall at 8:00 AM before setting off on this exciting adventure.

Looking Ahead

• February 19th–21st – Year 5 Camp at Loola, Bintan, Indonesia

• February 27th–28th – Learning Conferences

• March 7th – Book Week: Dress as your favourite character

• March 11th - Year 5 Science Centre Visit

• March 14th – 5P and 5R Camp Reflection Assembly

• March 21st – Year 5 Science Exhibition

We look forward to celebrating these exciting learning experiences with you!

Across Year 6, learners have been immersed in an exploration of various art forms, delving into the diverse strategies employed by artists, writers, and creators to express themselves. They have been analysing how different mediums, techniques, and artistic choices convey meaning and evoke emotions. This exploration has encouraged them to think critically about the creative process and the power of art as a form of communication. Year 6Y and 6P recently shared some of the highlights of their learning journey with the wider school community by showcasing their work at the year group assembly. Their presentations demonstrated a thoughtful understanding of the artistic concepts they had been studying.

A key focus of their inquiry has been the importance of the drafting process in improving the quality of published work. Learners have been experimenting with different drafting techniques, learning how to refine their ideas, revise their work, and ultimately produce polished and impactful pieces. They have come to appreciate the value of feedback and self-reflection in the iterative process of creation.

Currently, the students are deeply engaged in personal inquiry projects. Each learner has selected a topic of personal interest, providing them with an opportunity to pursue their own passions and develop their research skills. They are diligently learning about their chosen areas, gathering information from various sources, and using their newfound knowledge to inform the creation of their own original artwork. This project allows them to synthesise their learning across multiple disciplines, combining research, critical thinking, and artistic expression. It promises to be a rewarding culmination of their studies in art and inquiry.