our curriculum
our learning community
We have been participating in a number of best practice Professional Learning opportunities to ensure we are offering a rich, relevant and varied curriculum that meets the needs of all the students who attend our school. Our Strategic Plan 2021-2024 guides our teaching and learning programme.
Our curriculum aligns with the outcomes set-out in the Victorian Curriculum
Multi-age learning
We believe that multi-age learning is beneficial to the development of children. Our classes are organised in multi-age groupings that support the school's strong philosophy of catering for individual development. Schools are the only places that group people by age. Traditionally children move through school classes based on age, instead children should be moving when they are ready. We believe in 'stage not age'.
The multi-age classroom is composed of children of different ages intentionally grouped for learning. The multi-age classroom recognises that all children develop and learn at different rates and supports the view that learning is a continuous process, and that we learn from and with other people.
The multi-age classroom seeks to challenge a child's interest and understanding, while at the same time matches skills to the child's developing abilities.
It allows for the individual growth of each child. They are free to find their own levels in social, intellectual and physical areas.
At Taradale we believe in working with children at the 'stage' of their learning, not teaching everyone according to their 'age'. I.e. stage not age.
Multi-aging provides an opportunity for a wider range of relationships and social experiences.
A more natural learning situation is established. Children work at their own pace with their programme not geared to the work of a single year but adjusted over multiple years.
Children are encouraged to develop responsibility and independence. Children are able to care for each other and are able to learn from each other both in behaviour and 'work'. Children can provide a variety of models for each other.
There is a sense of community within the multi-age classroom which helps build a child's self-confidence and feelings of security. In a multi-age classroom, children will be working with content and processes from a range of academic levels. Open ended experiences and inquiry based units of work allow for different levels of achievement. Peers teaching each other promotes active learning through direct interaction.
Benefits come to the older children from the quality of leadership and responsibility they develop. Children can be mentors and tutors to their peers, they go through the stages of learning as well as teaching and leading.
Whilst the year level combination of our multi-age classes may change, we have consistently offered a multi-age curriculum since 2011. In 2024 the school is structured as four classes: prep/one, two/three, three/four, five/six.
Links for further information about multi-age learning:
Are mixed-grade classes any better or worse for learning?
No classrooms, no year levels: How to build a new school in 2019
English
At Taradale Primary School, the goal of our English programme is to develop lifelong readers and writers. We achieve this through daily reading, writing and speaking and listening.
Recently staff members participated in the Leading Literacy professional learning course offered by the Bastow Institute for Professional Leadership. This course has enabled us to continually improve the way we teach vocabulary, reading and writing through evidence based best practice. This year we have placed a strong emphasis on reading. Through our school budget we in the process of updating and enhancing our classroom reading materials.
Maths
Learning maths at Taradale is fun, yet challenging for all children. Like other learning areas, our maths programme is student-centred, catereing for the needs of each student. The learning in maths are mostly open-ended, integrated and relevant. The activities are based on real-life activities and situations to help make meaning for students; we don't only learn maths in the classroom, we are learning maths when we are outside for Investigations, gardening, play or any of our specialist classes.
We want our students to become mathematicians in their own right and develop a positive attitude and confidence towards maths. Like the res tof the curriculum at Taradale, maths actively encourages children to be independent, creative thinkers. Our students are encouraged to use the inquiry process to source the answers to their own problems. Language is an integral part of our maths programme.
Nature School, Projects and Outdoor Investigations
At Taradale, our students learn both inside the classrooms and outside in nature. We learn through multiple hands on experiences including play. Our students are provided with many opportunities to learn in a natural environment which is then linked to their personal learning programme.
Why is Play Important?
Social and Emotional Development
During play, children also increase their social competence and emotional maturity. Smilansky and Shefatya (1990) contend that school success largely depends on children’s ability to interact positively with their peers and adults. Play is vital to children’s social development. It enables children to do the following:
Practice both verbal and nonverbal communication skills by negotiating roles, trying to gain access to ongoing play, and appreciating the feelings of others (Spodek & Saracho, 1998)
Respond to their peers’ feelings while waiting for their turn and sharing materials and experiences (Sapon-Shevin, Dobbelgere, Carrigan, Goodman, & Mastin, 1998; Wheeler, 2004)
Experiment with roles of the people in their home, school, and community by coming into contact with the needs and wishes of others (Creasey, Jarvis, & Berk, 1998; Wheeler, 2004)
Experience others’ points of view by working through conflicts about space, materials, or rules positively (Smilansky & Shefatya, 1990; Spodek & Saracho, 1998)
Play supports emotional development by providing a way to express and cope with feelings. Pretend play helps children express feelings in the following four ways (Piaget, 1962):
1. Simplifying events by creating an imaginary character, plot, or setting to match their emotional state. A child afraid of the dark, for example, might eliminate darkness or night from the play episode.
2. Compensating for situations by adding forbidden acts to pretend play. A child may, for example, eat cookies and ice cream for breakfast in play, whereas in reality this would not be permitted.
3. Controlling emotional expression by repeatedly reenacting unpleasant or frightening experiences. For example, a child might pretend to have an accident after seeing a real traffic accident on the highway.
4. Avoiding adverse consequences by pretending that another character, real or imaginary, commits inappropriate acts and suffers the consequences. Children whose television viewing is monitored at home, for instance, can pretend to allow the doll to watch indiscriminately and then reprimand the “bad child” for unacceptable TV viewing habits. (J.P. Isenberg| M. R. Jalongo, 2019)
Links for further information and news about Nature Schooling and play:
Science
All classes participate in weekly science lessons
Art
Every Friday we have our art classes. Our art teacher Kate offers a range of engaging activities for the children. Each week we are joined by volunteers who work with us and share their expertise and knowledge with our students in areas including woodwork, sewing and knitting.
Drama
On Monday's we are joined by talented drama teacher Charmaine for our drama classes. All students participate in a one hour class.
Physical Education
All children actively participate in Physical Education classes with our PE teacher Sam each Wednesday, inter-school events (including athletics and cross country running) and an intensive swimming programme each year.
Library
Every Wednesday classes participate in library classes with our visiting library teacher Jocelyn Russell, Jocelyn arrives with a van packed with booked for children to borrow and read.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Programme
Our gardening and cooking classes are held each Tuesday. See our Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden page for more information
Assessment
We use a range of assessment both formative and summative to gauge student progress and to ensure our programme meets the needs of each child.
Respectful Relationships
Respectful Relationships is programme of the Department of Education and Training that supports schools and early childhood settings to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.
Taradale Primary School is a Respectful Relationships lead school. The role of leading schools is to lead the way on implementing the whole-school approach to Respectful Relationships, this includes modelling good practice, leading and mentoring partner schools.
Leading schools are provided with professional development, support and funding, to implement a whole school approach within their own school, and for mentoring partner schools.
click for more information
Camps and Excursions
Our students are very fortunate to be able to participate in a number of camps and excursions each year.
In year 2 our students attend their first camp, an overnight visit to Boomerang Horse Rach.
In years 3/4 our camps alternate between Swan Hill and Lady Northcote
In years 5/6 our camps alternate between Anglesea and the Urban Camp
Before and After School Supervision
Student safety at Taradale Primary School is our highest priority and the safe and appropriate supervision of students is an important element of our duty of care to students. Part of this duty is ensuring parents and students are aware of our student supervision arrangements before and after school.
Before school: School grounds are supervised between 8.45am and 9.00am each day, with staff members greeting students and families at the Lyell St entrance. Students arriving after 9.00am are to report to the office to sign in and obtain a late pass
After school: School grounds are supervised from 3.30pm to 3.45pm each day, with staff members farewelling students and families at the Lyell St entrance. Any students remaining unsupervised after 3.45pm will be brought into the office and families contacted.
Students on school grounds outside these times will not be supervised (unless they are attending a before or after school care programme or supervised extracurricular activity).
Parents/carers are requested to ensure that students do not attend school outside of these supervised times unless they are attending before or after school care, or a pre-arranged supervised activity (i.e. sports practice).
Families are encouraged to contact Chris Burgess for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community or if you would like any further information about our student supervision arrangements.
For a copy of our school’s Yard Duty and Supervision Policy please refer to the policies page or visit the office. This policy includes Taradale Primary School’s student supervision arrangements across the school day, including before and after school.