Our primary years students actually look forward to returning to school by the time the January break is over!

The parents of many Junior School children express surprise at this, based in part on their own experiences some twenty or more years ago. This is a growing phenomenon that reflects the advances in curriculum design, presentation and the broader school program.

Children, for the most part, enjoy their learning, are engaged in the programs, like to be challenged and thoroughly immerse themselves in the many co-curricula activities available at Peninsula.

The strong culture for success in the D.B. Clarke Junior School is reflected in the ‘Have a Go’ attitude adopted by students and encouraged by teachers. Students are challenged to do their best at every opportunity. Teachers structure all activities to allow for individual levels of attainment and progress.

The core academic priorities of Literacy, Numeracy and Inquiry Studies are presented in a manner that celebrates understanding, exploration, and skill development and fosters areas of personal interest and growth. A variety of learning strategies ensure that all learning styles are catered for. Interactive whiteboards provide motivation and a variety of learning experiences. Teaching staff continue to explore new ways to enhance learning with this technology.

Compulsory standardized testing via the National Assessment Plan: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) of students in Grades 3 and 5 shows that Peninsula students are performing well. The Grade 3 Literacy mean was approximately ten months ahead of the State mean and twelve months ahead of the mean in Numeracy. Grade 5 students were approximately fifteen months ahead in Literacy and ten months in Numeracy.

The ‘You Can Do It’ and our Positive Psychology programs assist students with skill development in the areas of resilience, getting along with others, persistence, confidence and organization. This program helps students to accept responsibility for their own learning and encourages skills and attitudes that lead to greater success and more efficient use of their time.

Find out more about the D.B. Clarke Junior School curriculum.