Curriculum

Primary Years Program at GGLPS

GGLPS teaches the Australian curriculum using the Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate as a framework to impart this. There are many different aspects to the Teaching and Learning program of the school and these are some of the rich learning experiences in which the students are involved.

What's in a classroom?

Welcome to the 2021 school year. While the students begin today, the staff have been busy for over a week, working to prepare environments that welcome and support children. There are many ways for the physical environment to assist student learning. 

Our learning spaces reflect the Reggio Emilia approach. Reggio Emilia is a province of Italy where educators worked together to re-imagine student learning that is reflected in great growth in learning. One of the principles of this approach is to design the learning space as the third teacher. The use of natural furnishings provides a calming environment in which creativity, exploration and inquiry are fostered. Workspaces are designed to promote student collaboration and discussion. There are spaces for students to ‘break out’ to allow choices of working spaces. Some classes are working with flexible seating so that students can form groups in different ways and in different spaces. Some of these spaces have deliberating been created to not look like a classroom. 

Classrooms can provide a variety of presentations, materials and challenges that invite students to be curious and experiment. This can look very different across age levels but the purpose is the same – engaging students in learning. Classrooms will also honour the process of learning through displays of student work that is not only finished products but demonstrating how students are learning. This will continue to grow over time. Having said that, the focus in all classes in these beginning weeks of school is building relationships because this will build the learning community. When working collaboratively, students continue to grow their social skills as they build relationships. This involves growing in their abilities to communicate, resolve differences, negotiate, plan, create and celebrate – the skills of collaborators.

When visiting classrooms, I encourage you to take note of the variety of ways that students are engaging with each other and with their learning. You might want to reflect on how different aspects of the classroom have been designed for engagement and support of student learning.

It’s going to be an exciting year! 

Jayne Zadow                                                                                                                                               PYP Coordinator