Curriculum

Reading at Cranbourne West Primary School

At CWPS our English curriculum follows a structured literacy approach, which is the application of the Science of Reading, a research and evidence-based approach for teaching reading.

We move from ‘learning to read’ (Foundation- Year 2) to ‘reading to learn’ (Year 3- 6). Students are exposed to a solid foundation of knowledge through the Big 6 Ideas in reading development, Oral Language, Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension.

Our Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students follow UFLI Foundations, an explicit and systematic program that teaches students the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence, designed to ensure students systematically acquire each skill needed and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. As well as whole class shared reading of rich literature, comprehension skills and reading fluency.

Our Year 3-6 students follow a structured reading approach including, Daily Review of previously taught content, explicitly taught phonics, spelling and morphology concepts, ‘Shared Reading’ of rich literature and the teaching of vocabulary, comprehension skills and reading fluency.

Writing at Cranbourne West Primary School

Powerful oral language is the window to writing. You can’t write, what you don’t know.

The principle of Talk for Writing is that if a child can tell a story, they will be able to write a story.

At Cranbourne West we use the Talk for Writing approach, developed by the author Pie Corbett. It is a whole school approach to develop our children as readers, writers, speakers and listeners. Talk for Writing fundamentally teaches children how to be writers – not just how to write.  It enables children to read and write independently for a range of purposes and a variety of audiences. The approach moves from children being supported by the teacher, using shared writing and guided teaching, moving towards children writing independently and creatively. Talk for Writing starts with enjoying and sharing stories. By Using high quality texts, we want children to build up an extensive and rich vocabulary for use in their own writing.

Talk for Writing is an evidence-based whole school approach to teaching written expression. It supports all learners and learning styles. The methodology follows a three-tier pattern: Imitation, Innovation and Independent Application. During the imitation stage, children get to know a text really well by orally learning it, exploring it through drama and then reading it for vocabulary, comprehension and writer tools. The Innovation stage is grounded in the processes of shared writing, with a strong and systematic focus on securing the basics of handwriting, phonics/spelling and grammar in relation to what is needed for the text type being taught. The final stage, Independent Application, promotes children to draft, edit and publish their own independent versions.

Mathematics at Cranbourne West Primary School

Mathematics at CWPS is explicitly taught through the ‘Gradual Release Model’ which consists of three phases: ‘I do’, ‘We do’ and ‘You do’. 

In the ‘I do’ phase the teacher explicitly teaches the students a new skill, in the ‘We do’ phase the student’s trial this new skill with peers and teacher support before going to apply this skill on their own in the ‘You do’ phase. 

Throughout these phases the teacher and students ask clarifying questions and spend time sharing their work and explaining how they achieved their learning. At the end of the session the students’ reflect upon their learning with the teacher.

Performing Arts is taught from Foundation to Year 6. As a school, some of our foci include beat and rhythm, microphone skills, character development, and experimentation with instruments. Our big celebration of Performing Arts culminates in the whole school concert, which is held at the end of Term 3.

Performing Arts Lunchtime Activities

1.20pm – 2.10pm
*Please line up outside Area 5 and wait for Mrs Start

Tuesday
Uke West
(Advanced Uke Students Only)

Wednesday
School Choir for Students in Year 2 – 6

Thursday
Ukulele Club (Beginners to Intermediate Level)

*All activities held in the Area 5 corridor
*Activities run regardless of weather
*If Mrs Start is absent, activities will not be held

Visual Arts At CWPS, we believe students are capable learners with the ability to achieve success in any task. We aim to build students confidence in experimenting with different materials and develop their skills as they learn about the elements of art. We encourage students to celebrate, reflect, display and comment on each other’s work in accordance to the curriculum. In term one, Foundation students are learning to identify and use primary colours. Students will look at the Dutch Artist Mondrian to see how he used primary colours to create his art. They will then create their own Mondrian stylized picture. Students will also explore the primary colours with paint and see what happens when two primary colours are mixed together.

Junior students (Years 1 and 2) are focusing on primary and secondary colours. They are exploring what happens when you mix primary colours and how they interact with each other. They will be investigating face shapes and manipulating different materials to create portraits using soft pastels and coloured paper. By the end of the term the grade one and two students should be able to confidently identify the primary colours and be able to mix them together to create the secondary colours.

Middle students (Years 3 and 4) will be exploring the secondary colours and categorising them into warm and cool colours. They will also be investigating contemporary Indigenous Australian artworks and exploring ways of using these works to inspire their own painting. By the end of term one students will produce a piece of artwork that encompasses aspects of contemporary Indigenous Australian artworks and the use of warm and cool colours.

Senior students (Years 5 and 6) are taking on the topic of Stained Glass Trees. This will show an understanding of the complete colour wheel and how to effectively use all the colours together. Students will also work with spatial awareness using negative and positive space to create their mixed media picture. Students will be challenged with new and interesting techniques and processes to keep them engaged and immersed in Visual Arts.

Why Physical Education?
Physical Education is designed around promoting lifelong physically active lifestyle habits. Research shows that being physically active has a plethora of benefits for both children and adults.

We aim to contribute to a happier, healthier and more successful community, inclusive of pupils who have greater confidence, developed social competencies and self-esteem.

We believe that by encouraging students to actively participate in sport and Physical Education we are supporting the development of:

• A positive attitude towards life and positive self esteem
• An attitude towards persistence
• A caring attitude towards themselves and others
• A sense of responsibility for their own health and well-being by learning to make healthy choices
• Improved student Learning
• Respectful attitudes towards others

The CWPS Program
The Physical Education program is designed to provide positive physical activity experiences that support the development of healthy, active children. All students participate in Physical Education lessons taken by our specialist Physical Education teacher. Children in the Junior school develop and refine fundamental motor skills (running, jumping, skipping, catching, throwing, kicking, rolling, balancing, twisting and turning) and apply these in a variety of structured activities and minor games. In Years 3 to 6, students begin to transfer these skills, into more complex, sports-specific environments as they develop more sports specific skills and strategies. Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have sport lessons in addition to this, co-ordinated by our Physical Education specialist teacher and involving classroom teachers as well. Throughout these learning episodes there is a constant focus on a range of important values:

• Learn
• Trust
• Respect
• Sense Of Humour
• Having fun

Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)
Our PMP program helps to promote balance, locomotion skills, hand/eye co-ordination, as well as body space awareness, auditory and visual memory.

Interschool Sport Program
Students in Years 3 to 6 are provided with increasing opportunities to represent the school in sporting competitions such as cross country and athletics in addition to Gala days. Year 5 and 6 students engage in interschool sporting programs across a variety of sports. As part of the program all students have the opportunity to take part in competitions against other schools. These interschool competitions provide an excellent opportunity to apply sports specific skills, teamwork, sportsmanship and game etiquette as well as meet other students in a safe, friendly and supportive environment.

As members of School Sport Victoria, successful teams and individuals have a pathway to State Championships.

Swimming and Water Safety
Students in Years 1 and 2 participate in an intensive 2 week swimming program at a local aquatic centre. Year 3 and 4 students participate in a Beach Water Safety Program run by Lifesaving Victoria. Years 5and 6 also participate in water safety awareness through either a sailing excursion and/or Life Saving Victoria Meet a Lifeguard program.

Expert Coaches
During the year we have expert coaches visit the school providing specialised coaching in specific areas.

To support and enhance student learning we offer a wide range of extracurricular programs, activities and events throughout the year. Many of these incorporate parent and family involvement. For 2023, these include but are not limited to:

• Prep Welcome BBQ (Term 1)
• Year 3/4 Camp – Camp Allambee (Term 1)
• Year 5 Camp – Doxa Malmsbury Camp (Term 1)
• Year 6 Camp – Urban Camp (Term 1)
• Year 1/2 Swimming Lessons (Term 1)
• Student Leadership & SRC (Student Representative Council)
• Student Leadership Training Excursions
• Life Education Van 
• School Dental Van 
• Easter Bonnet Parade 
• Mother’s and Father’s Day Stalls
• School Discos (Term 4)
• Run for Fun (Term 2)
• Lamont Book Fair
• Book Week Parade (at assembly 9:15 to 11:00)
• School Concerts (evenings – towards the end of Term 3)
• Prep Grandparents Day
• Customs, Cultures and Christmas Carols Concert (held in December)
• Excursions and In-visits
• Choir & Uke West (run at lunchtimes)
• Club House (run at recess and lunchtimes)
• Breakfast & Brunch Club (daily)
• Special Canteen Days
• Interschool Sports Competitions
• Community Sports at Lunchtime

EAL Program
At Cranbourne West Primary School, the English as an Additional Language program is designed to assist our students who are newly arrived and/or have limited English language skills.

Through a wide range of strategies, we provide English language instruction and additional support to enable our EAL students to access the school curriculum. This enables students build their command of vocabulary and confidence with both verbal and written English language skills.

LOTE
Cranbourne West students learn Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as their chosen LOTE language. Auslan is taught throughout the whole school with the students learning about Deaf culture, inclusivity, and how to communicate in Auslan. As a school we also try and incorporate Auslan into many other aspects of our learning, for example in our classrooms as visual cues, signed songs in our school concert, and as part of our choreography for our school choir.

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