Welcome to the Junior School
The Junior School caters for students ranging from Years 2 to 6 where students are grouped according to their year level. In the classroom, students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles which caters for the individual learning needs of each student. These include; the use of concrete materials, small group work, students working 1:1 with a staff member, engaging in team based activities and working independently.
Our classrooms aim to model positive interactions; adult and student interactions and peer to peer. The Junior School continually works towards students building on everyday life skills, forming friendships amongst peers and developing independence whilst working on differentiated learning outcomes across all areas of the curriculum.
Curriculum in the Junior School
Teaching and learning in the Junior School has a strong focus on improving student outcomes in English and Mathematics based on the Victorian Curriculum. The school's Curriculum Map determines the teaching foci for each term. There is a curriculum map for each stage of learning. From this, Professional Learning Teams develop a detailed plan of the content that will be taught in each curriculum area, each term. Based on departmental guidelines, daily time allocations are apportioned to specific curriculum areas ensuring students are exposed to a full curriculum.
In each section of the mini-school, the student's learning stage is identified, and as the students move through the school, there is a focus for them to take increasing responsibility for their learning. At this stage, instruction is guided primarily by the teacher, and the students are provided with opportunities to build upon their learning.
Typically the Junior School curriculum focuses on the students and how they 'learn to learn'. Through Integrated Studies and Specialist Programs, they are encouraged to further develop skills, knowledge and strategies that will enable them to develop their own learning styles.
Ballarat Specialist School acknowledges the Wadawurrung people as the traditional custodians of these lands on which we come to learn. We pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.