Prep School curriculum

Learning in the Prep School

Confident and independent learners in a boy-responsive environment.

Churchie’s Preparatory School (Reception to Year 6) provides an excellent foundation to learning within a caring, disciplined and exciting environment, supported by state-of-the-art facilities and resources.

Our ‘boy responsive’ curriculum ensures an intellectually challenging learning experience, with students emerging from their preparatory years as articulate, confident and independent young men who increasingly take responsibility for their own learning.

Our programmes are tailor-made to reflect the energy and interests of boys at each stage of their learning journey, promoting areas where our students can develop their own passions, capabilities and empathies in an environment that is supportive, well-structured and sensitive to their own distinctive needs as young men.

Boys in the Prep School complete the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, a globally recognised learning framework that places the student at the centre of learning and will assist to prepare our students for their place in the global community.

Our curriculum

Learning at Churchie’s Preparatory School is active, vibrant, energetic and academically rigorous. A ‘thinking skills’ curriculum gives students the skills and disposition to learn in a meaningful way. It also incorporates information and communication technology through computers in every classroom, a fully automated library and a wireless tablet programme for Years 4, 5 and 6.

Key learning areas:

• English
• Mathematics
• Unit of Inquiry (Science, Humanities, Social Sciences, The Technologies, Media Art and Drama)
• Music
• Visual Art
• Health and Physical Education
• Japanese
• Religious Education.

Students may also participate in weekly enrichment activities including Debating, Robotics and Chess.

Extension and enrichment

Students in the Prep School are provided with many opportunities for enrichment and extension. Emphasis is placed upon the in-class differentiation of the curriculum to meet the learning needs of boys. Personalised learning staff consult with classroom teachers to assist in academic planning for boys requiring additional enrichment or extension. Differentiation of the curriculum is delivered in a small group setting outside the classroom context. Such programmes for more able students are offered as required for boys in Reception to Year 6.

In addition, Churchie’s Preparatory School has a Personalised Learning Team consisting of teachers and assistants who provide gifted and talented education and learning support. Gifted and talented programmes and provisions include mathematics and literacy curriculum extension from Reception to Year 6.

Additional competitive opportunities exist for students in events such as the Da Vinci Decathlon, Griffith University S.T.E.M. Cup, Mathematics Tournaments, G.A.T.E.WAYS Challenges and ICAS Academic Competitions. Further enrichment opportunities include workshops such as those offered by G.A.T.E.WAYS (Eureka) and Academicus.

PYP Exhibition

At the culmination of the Primary Years Programme, Year 6 students present their work at the PYP Exhibition. In the short film below, we follow Year 6 through their PYP Exhibition journey, from the early provocations through to finding and developing their topics and, finally, exhibition day.

---

Learn more