Programs & Pedagogy

Teaching and learning at Cambrai Primary School and Preschool is underpinned by our school values of integrity, responsibility, respect, and honesty.

 

We are dedicated to the learning and growth of every student through providing a safe and inspiring learning environment where students build their confidence, knowledge and connection to each other and the community.

 

At Cambrai Primary School we;

• Use a play-based learning approach to support Early Years learners implemented in Preschool and Junior Primary class through the Early Years Learning Framework and underpinned by national standards set out by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
• Create a warm, supportive and secure learning environment in which students take risks to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding.
• Create a culture of lifelong learning.
• Provide an integrated curriculum which fosters independent thinking, problem solving skills, creativity, self-management, teamwork and social competence.
• Encourage students to recognise and develop their individual skills, interests and strengths through participation in a wide variety of activities outside the classroom, and through a range of teaching approaches.
• Provide an environmental education and nature play program utilising our natural Mallee environment, the school farm ‘Meldanda’ and extensive grounds.

 

Every child is encouraged to develop knowledge and skills at a rate appropriate to their level of maturation in all learning and teaching situations. The aim is to keep motivation high, embrace mistakes as a learning opportunity and not intervening too quickly in providing correct information but, alternatively, to provoke children to think more deeply or from another perspective. A rigorous curriculum is used by the teachers and adapted to the learners in the class.

 

Early Years Learning Framework

This national framework guides the learning of children from birth to 5 years of age and through the transition into school. Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From before birth children are connected to family, community, culture and place. Their earliest development and learning takes place through these relationships, particularly within families, who are children’s first and most influential educators. As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of the world.

 

The EYLF underpins our programs in Playgroup, Preschool and Reception. The outcomes for children birth to 5 years are:

• Outcome 1 – Children have a strong sense of identity
• Outcome 2 – Children are connected with and contribute to their world
• Outcome 3 – Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
• Outcome 4 – Children are confident and involved learners
• Outcome 5 – Children are effective communicators https://www.dese.gov.au/child-care-package/resources/belonging-being-becoming-earlyyears-learning-framework-australia-information-families Australian Curriculum As a Department for Education public school, teachers are expected to plan using the

 

Australian Curriculum

As a small school we have composite (mixed year level) classes, which enables us to adapt the curriculum to suit the group of students by re-enforcing or extending learning for each child. The subjects covered by the Australian Curriculum are English, Maths, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Technologies, Health and Physical Education, and Languages.

 

Our delivery of curriculum is enhanced by various programs to help us strengthen learning based on evidence-based best practice, and to create seamless learning across our classes.

Literacy and Numeracy are our core business as primary teachers, we use the national Literacy and Numeracy progressions to track student development and enhance our teaching. A specialist teacher delivers Indonesian from R-4 and our Upper Primary students have the opportunity to engage with German, a subject they may be selecting at high school. Information Communication and Technology underpins all the subject areas, each class has access to their own computers, iPads and laptops. For our youngest learners, we also engage with the Early Years Learning Framework which supports their transition from Preschool into Reception and beyond

 https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/schools-and-educators/curriculum-and-teaching/curriculum-south-australia-early-years-year-12

 

Literacy

Cambrai Primary School is also home to the local Community Library. Students have full access to the library during the school day with a designated librarian to help them develop a love of reading.

 

Synthetic phonics and structured literacy programs are recognised as the most effective way to develop literacy skills for children. At our school we teach

Early Years:

• Sounds-Write is a quality first phonics programme. Its purpose is to provide classroom professionals with a comprehensive system with which to teach reading, spelling and writing. We introduce this in the first formal year of primary school and built on thereafter. In addition, it also serves very successfully as an intervention or catch-up programme. 

https://www.soundliteracy.com.au/about

 

Primary Years:

• PLD (Progressive Literacy Development) – for spelling, reading and writing. This evidencebased program focuses on teaching structured synthetic phonics, in conjunction with motor and movement and oral language skills, to help children achieve broad level literacy skills. https://pld-literacy.org/
• Brightpath – for developing and assessing writing genre. Brightpath assessments have been designed to provide teachers with detailed information about their students’ progression in learning and what their students need to learn next. Students understand what level their writing is and specific, tailored goals to improve their skills. https://www.brightpath.com.au/

 

Numeracy

Data is regularly collected and analysed to track student’s progression in all strands of Mathematics. Consistent programs are used across classes to ensure students are able to seamlessly continue with their learning and develop deeper understandings of content. Problem-solving and investigations are an important feature of students being able to apply their learning to real-life contexts.

 

• Big Ideas In Number – The Big Ideas in Number is a framework that supports the conceptual development of number sense, which is fundamental to mathematical learning. If students don’t have a solid understanding of these big ideas, their progress in the number strand and mathematics in general will be more difficult. There are a series of diagnostic tools that help R to 10 teachers understand students’ thinking around each of the big ideas.
• Back-To-Front Maths – a comprehensive program to teach Maths concepts and address misconceptions that naturally occur in mathematical thinking, while providing opportunities for students to investigate and apply their learning to various parts of the curriculum https://www.backtofrontmaths.com.au/

 

Interventions

Our School Support Officers (SSOs) are highly trained in supporting students who need extra support to achieve their goals in all aspects of literacy and numeracy. Our SSOs have outstanding relationships with staff and students which allows them to be flexible in how they provide support and work with any child who is finding learning or being at school challenging.

 

Alongside Literacy and Numeracy programs, our SSOs are also skilled in delivering speech, occupational therapy, social-emotional learning and motor skills/coordination programs.

 

Meldanda – Outdoor Learning

The Australian Curriculum identifies Sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority, which means it is embedded in all learning areas. Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life. Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living.

 

Meldanda is our 40 ha property bequeathed to Cambrai Primary School by the late Mr Les Weiss. It is being developed as a site for the provision of Environmental Education, Outdoor Education and Aboriginal Education for students from our school and other South Australian government schools.

 

Over the cooler terms, we visit Meldanda every two weeks for learning experiences lead by our Environmental Ambassadors and visiting experts. Meldanda provides an opportunities to apply learning to real life, particularly in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) and environmental studies.

 

Other opportunities that enrich our curriculum include a large aviary with tame birds, our own chooks to recycle scraps and provide eggs, a large nature play area with hay bales, rope swings, logs and gardening equipment. Additionally, the local swimming pool across the road is utilised during hot weather as a lunchtime activity and for fitness. https://meldanda.com.au/

 

Student Leadership

Student voice is an important part of our school. Our curriculum planning provides opportunities for our students to engage in leadership, to apply their learning to real life contexts and to be challenged in engaging with community and peers.

 

Our leadership responsibilities include

• House Captains – our two teams Meldanda (green) and Marne (yellow) are led by captains for our swimming carnivals held at our local pool with other nearby schools, and our interschool sports day. As part of their leadership development program, they also visit and host tours to other schools and share their learning with the school.
• Aboriginal Student Leaders – this role has been designed to reflect and respect the students in our school who identify as Aboriginal and to promote reconciliation in our school and community. Our Aboriginal Student Leaders represents our school at the State Indigenous STEAM conference, on our Reconciliation Action Plan committee, and leads the younger students in our school on cultural-based excursions and learning. They work alongside our Aboriginal Community Education Worker.
• Environmental Ambassadors – work with the Natural Resource Management Board’s Youth Environmental Leader program to develop an understanding of sustainability and protecting the local environment. They are responsible for sharing their learning with Preschool to Year 6 including when other schools visit. https://www.facebook.com/CambraiPrimarySchool/

 

 

Social Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning can help students learn the competencies and skills they need to build resilience and effectively manage their emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. The purpose of this is to promote student satisfaction, success and academic engagement, outcomes and achievement.

• The Berry Street Education Model – provides a child-psychology based program to support all students with skills in self-regulation, relationships, wellbeing, growth and academic achievement. Our pedagogical strategies incorporate trauma-informed teaching, positive education, and wellbeing practices in the domains of Body, Relationships, Stamina, Engagement and Character. https://www.berrystreet.org.au/learning-and-resources/berry-street-education-model
• Interoception – is a pre‐requisite skill for self‐management and self‐regulation. It provides the tools to know when we are developing emotional reactions and the skills to be in control of these reactions. Interoception is an internal sensory system where the internal physical and emotional states of the body are noticed, recognised, identified and responded to. Children and young people with well-developed Interoception are able to use both logic and emotions to respond to their environment. Those without tend to rely on logic and have to carefully think through their possible responses to each situation. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/doc/interoception-parent-and-caregiver-booklet
• Pastoral Care Programs – our pastoral care worker ensures breakfast is available each morning of the week for our students who need a ‘top up’ to be ready to learn. We also organise a village pantry to support any families in need who may require extra groceries time to time. Significant events in our community are also supported such as NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, Christmas, school excursions and wellbeing programs.

 

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the school if you would like to tour our facilities or discuss your child’s learning.