Each child is a precious and sacred gift from God created as an individual with their own unique talents and abilities. The early years are when brain development is most active. At this time, all children’s experiences – physical, cognitive, linguistic, religious, spiritual, creative, social and emotional – are critical, as they impact on later outcomes in life.
Beginning their academic journey
This is an exciting and crucial phase of your child’s education where we lay the foundation for their academic journey. Our school provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where young minds can grow, explore, and develop a love for learning. During the early educational years at St Francis, we understand that every child is unique and has different learning preference. Our dedicated teachers create a warm and inclusive atmosphere, ensuring that each student receives individual attention and support. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging collaboration among our young learners.
Our curriculum is designed to promote holistic development, focusing on key subjects such as literacy (including reading, writing and speaking and listening), mathematics, science, and creative arts. We emphasise hands-on learning experiences and interactive activities to engage young learners and make the learning process fun and meaningful.
During Literacy lessons, we help students develop their reading, writing, and communication skills. Through interactive storytelling, phonics exercises, and guided reading, we build a strong foundation for literacy. Mathematics introduces foundational concepts such as counting, number recognition, basic operations, and problem-solving skills and manipulatives and visual aids are used to make abstract concepts more concrete and enjoyable for young learners.
In science, students explore the natural world through interactive experiments, observations, and simple investigations. They learn about the environment, plants, animals, and the basic principles of scientific inquiry. Social studies lessons introduce young learners to different cultures, communities, and basic concepts of history and geography, fostering an understanding of the world around them.
Creative arts, including visual arts, music, and drama, play an essential role in our curriculum. Students have the opportunity to express their creativity, imagination, and emotions through various artistic mediums. These activities enhance their cognitive and motor skills while promoting self-expression and self-confidence. We also recognise the importance of physical development and offer opportunities for gross motor skills development through physical education and outdoor play. Our school encourages a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.
Our approach to teaching is child-centered, with a focus on individual and group activities. We create a balance between structured lessons, exploration and practice, allowing students to enhance their interests and develop their social and emotional skills. In the junior classrooms at St Francis, we believe in fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued and supported. Our school’s Positive Behaviours Intervention and Supports (P.B.i.S) program, is underpinned by positive praise for the behaviours we value at St Francis, focusing on students being Safe, Responsible and Caring learners. We encourage and teach positive behaviour expectations to all students and discuss how to resolve conflicts peacefully.
We strive to involve parents and guardians in their child’s education through regular communication, parent-teacher meetings, and communication. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential for a child’s overall development. In the junior classrooms, we are committed to providing a solid educational foundation for our young learners and we aim to instill a love of learning & curiosity, preparing them for future academic success and personal growth.
We are excited to embark on this educational journey with you and your child, and we look forward to nurturing their potential and witnessing their achievements at St Francis Primary.