Early Learning Program
The Early Years Program caters for children with a developmental delay from 2 years 8 months to 5 years of age and takes place in a purpose built room on the school site.
The children learn about being in a space without their family and develop curiosity about a new world as they grow in confidence. The Early Years Program follows the guidelines of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.
Learning through play is the driver of the program. It allows staff to interact with the children in an environment that is natural for them. The children learn how to manipulate toys and share them with other children. Little muscles and big muscles are challenged in physical play and movement. Morning tea is a time for learning to sit at a table within a group and to develop skills in independence. Singing songs, dancing and listening to stories is a wonderful time to be part of a group and exciting to see the children’s faces light up.
As the children learn to listen and to communicate using language, gesture, pictures or Key Word sings, their world opens up. They learn about their own skills as the program builds on their strengths.
The whole program is under the guidance of the school’s Therapy staff and in conjunction with recommendations from Private Therapist.
Early Years
In the first three years of schooling our young students are taught language and communication skills, to become a part of a group, to develop skills of independence and to learn about themselves as individuals.
Through a collaborative approach in teaching in the classroom and in a number of specialist areas in the school, the students are involved in Speech and Language therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy throughout every activity they undertake.
Learning takes place using a visual and performing arts approach as a tool to gain knowledge in the key areas of the curriculum i.e. the children are engaged in activities that enhance learning.
Play is a daily program in the Early Years. Through play, the students are learning about interaction with others, developing language and communication skills, discovering how to use equipment and to how take part in physical challenges.
The Early Years program challenges the students in discovering about the new world of school.
Foundation
As the name suggests, the Foundation years from ages 9 to 11, extend on the learning that takes place in the Early Years program and continues to build skills in the core curriculum areas as individual goals are met.
Through a collaborative approach in teaching in the classroom and in a number of specialist areas in the school, the students are involved in Speech and Language therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy throughout every activity they undertake.
In the Foundation subschool, the students are expected to become as independent as they are able by following picture schedules and routines. Language and communication with peers is taken into social situations to ensure that the skills taught formally in the classroom are embedded into daily life. Mathematics becomes more skill based if the student is ready as they learn to record mathematical findings in the activities they undertake. Learning about the community becomes an important aspect of the curriculum as the students take part in more community based programs.
This embedding of the skills assists in readying the students for the next phase of learning as they move through the school and into the Pathways subschool.