Curriculum

Democratic Principles

At St James the Apostle Primary School, we recognise that the school plays a vital role in advancing democratic ideals and principles. For democracy to continue to thrive, children must be taught democratic ideals and principles and to value its way of life. St James the Apostle Primary School will explicitly and implicitly support and promote the principles of Australian democracy, including a commitment to:

• elected government

• the rule of law

• equal rights for all before the law

• freedom of religion

• freedom of speech and association

• the values of openness and tolerance.

Through our curricular and extracurricular programs, St James the Apostle Primary School will prepare our children to become citizens who will preserve and shape democracy in the future. Democratic values will be taught explicitly in the curriculum and implicitly in the child’s experience of the school, from classroom practice, and from what is taught to how it is taught.

The Curriculum

St James the Apostle Primary School implements the Victorian Curriculum. This curriculum is fully implemented by teaching, assessing and reporting on student achievement using the content and achievement standards as set out in the Victorian Curriculum.

At St James we provide a differentiated and progressive curriculum, allowing each learner the opportunity to develop to their full potential. Learners are exposed to a broad range of learning experiences and are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning.

The areas of learning in the Victorian Curriculum include:

• English (Ver 2.0)

• Mathematics (Ver 2.0)

• Science

• Physical Education

• The Humanities: History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics

• The Arts

• Languages - Italian 

Our aim is to develop independent, responsible learners who are actively involved in their own learning.

We believe that children learn best when they:

• feel their contribution is valued;

• experience success;

• are responsible for their own learning;

• are actively involved in a variety of challenging learning experiences;

• are engaged in their learning.