Communication and Preparation
Curriculum
In the Preparatory School we are guided by, but not limited
to, the Western Australian curriculum in English, Mathematics,
Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technologies, Health
and Physical Education, Language (Chinese) as well as The Arts
(both Music and Visual Art). We also place value on the general
capabilities and cross curricula priorities listed for these take the
curriculum beyond simply knowing content to deeper levels
of understanding. For us, the curriculum is a plan for teaching
and learning that serves as a basis for the co-construction of
knowledge and the development of critical and creative thinking
skills, ethical and intercultural understanding and personal and
social capability. We want our students to comprehend, apply,
analyse, synthesize, hypothesise, make and evaluate and we
assist them to access knowledge that is relevant and meaningful
in order to do so. We strive to ensure that our students know
how to learn and we use inquiry to develop their independent
learning skills where students ask questions, problem solve and
work collaboratively.
We care about our students’ engagement with their learning and
know that a rigorous environment where students are inspired
and challenged at their own level will ensure personal growth.
We aim for students to take action to positively impact their
learning and set them on a course as lifelong learners. In order to
do this, we make use of our purpose built Preparatory School and
the magnificent environment in which it is set.
Our teachers’ responsibility is to teach students the skills they
need explicitly in all curriculum areas, explaining, clarifying and
modelling these. They also plan engaging experiences that
provoke student interest and challenge them as inquirers and
thinkers. Teachers use pretesting to assess where students are in
their learning so that they can prepare appropriate experiences
that neither ignore what they know and can do or set them up
for failure. They take into account rapid societal change and its
implications for our students both now and in the future as well
evidence based research that informs their practice. All curriculum
is planned and assessed in teaching teams.
There are times when students’ passions drive the curriculum
or when timetables are collapsed to allow for in-depth action
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learning projects to take place. One such learning experience
is the ‘Dookoorniny’ Project where Year 5 and 6 students are
immersed in learning alongside Aboriginal storytellers and
dancers, artists and members of the West Australian Symphony
Orchestra as well as our staff. The culminating event is a
performance, acted and directed by the student to showcase
their responses to their learning.
The curriculum at Guildford Grammar Preparatory School is
rigorous, engaging and challenging; it is appropriate, flexible and
responsive.