St. Peter's Anglican Primary School 4.18

St Peter’s Anglican Primary School provides a dynamic, supportive learning environment, underpinned by the Christian faith and with a focus on a strong academic curriculum.

Outstanding class teachers encourage the enjoyment of learning and the fulfilment of each child’s potential.

Specialist teachers assist particularly in the areas of Music, Sport, Language and Science.

We aim to nurture all children as they develop friendships and grow in confidence, maturity and faith.


The School strives to:
- Appoint exemplary Christian classroom and specialist teachers.

- Pursue academic excellence.

- Promote in students a love of learning, pride in individual and collective achievement, and a strong work ethic.

- Encourage students to fully extend their skills and talents, and to constantly challenge the limit of their abilities.

- Develop superior skills and knowledge in information technology.

- Provide opportunities for students to develop a high level of proficiency in Sport, Debating, Public Speaking and the Creative and Performing Arts.

- Commit to a nurturing system of pastoral care that is dedicated to the support of individual students and their families.

- Develop in students a strong sense of service to others and to the community.


We encourage our children to:
- Develop an understanding of the Gospel message and the importance of serving God in their lives.

- Develop fully their intellectual, social and physical abilities.

- Think critically and creatively.

- Develop enthusiasm and respect for learning.

- Show respect and courtesy towards others.

- Learn the value of working together.

- Learn to appreciate the importance of service to others.

- Show initiative and develop qualities of leadership within the school and wider community.


Teaching and Learning
St Peter’s employs highly qualified, dedicated Christian teachers. The teaching staff seeks to emulate the characteristics of a professional learning community, in which teachers work collaboratively to improve student outcomes and take collective responsibility for student learning. The comprehensive professional development program focuses on implementing evidence-based practice in all aspects of teaching and learning.

The school curriculum includes the six Key Learning Areas prescribed by the New South Wales Board of Studies: English, Mathematics, Human Society and Its Environment, Science and Technology, Creative Arts and Physical Education, Health and Personal Development. The curriculum is carefully structured to cater for the diverse academic, social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of our students.
Specialist teachers are responsible for the teaching of Scripture and Music programs from Kindergarten to Year 6. In the primary years, Science is taught by a specialist teacher in a well-equipped classroom. The language program is gradually expanding, with German taught in all literacy classes in Years 2 - 6 and French introduced in Kindergarten and Year 1.

St Peter’s has a strong academic focus. NAPLAN results indicate that the school results are above the Australian averages and the averages of statistically similar schools. Individual student results are generally concentrated in the top two bands. The majority of students in Years 3 - 6 participate in the UNSW International English, Mathematics and Science Competitions.


Co-curricular Activities
St Peter’s provides a rich and varied range of exciting learning activities for our students.


Music, Dance, Drama and Art
- Specialist Music classes for all students.
- Year 2, Middle Primary and Senior Primary Choirs.
- Vocal Ensemble.
- Stomp (percussion) Band.
- Dance and Drama Activities.
- Music Performances.
- Art Clubs.


Extra-Curricular Activities

Band, Orchestra and Tuition

- Junior and Senior Bands. Band tuition.
- String Orchestra. String tuition.
- Visiting Music teachers for Guitar, Flute, Piano and Strings.
- String Orchestra and Instrumental Concerts

Extra Activities
Languages
- French (Kindergarten and Year 1).
- German (Literacy classes in Years 2 - 6).
- French and Spanish (Extra-curricular).

Public Speaking and Debating
- All Primary children in Years 3 - 6 are involved in Public Speaking.
- St Peter’s Public Speaking Competition.
- IPSHA (Independent Primary Schools Heads’ Association) Debating Competition.

Sport
The school offers a comprehensive Sporting program as well as Gymnastics classes and Tennis tuition.

From Year 3 students are involved in either school-based sports programs or inter-school competitions in summer and winter. During the winter season St Peter’s fields highly competitive teams in AFL, Netball, Boys’ Soccer and Modified Volleyball. In the summer our students compete in Cricket, Basketball, Girls’ Soccer and Oztag.

Students in Years 3 to 6 may be selected to compete at major Sporting Carnivals up to State PSSA / All Schools and National level in Swimming, Athletics, Cross-Country and team sports.


Facilities
St Peter's Anglican Primary has outstanding facilities. The modern buildings provide large double brick classrooms, which are air-conditioned and carpeted. All rooms have a quiet reading/computer room for students, a teacher's office, a shared wet area for art as well as a refrigerator for student lunches. Internal doors link most of the partner classrooms.

The school is well equipped with high tech computer resources. Integration of technology across the whole primary curriculum is a key objective. The Information Resource Centre accommodates a fully integrated computer laboratory with 30 computers. The development of a school intranet has also added to the school's ability to support learning through the use of technology. Each classroom has a minimum of four computers linked to a school network and through this students can access the intranet, selected areas of the Internet and the print resources of the Information Resource Centre (IRC). Years 5 and 6 now have access to tablets. All classes have interactive SmartBoards that are linked to the network. The school has many types of technologies available for integration into the classroom environment.

The IRC also houses a large ground floor computerised Library. Here students can research material from the large array of books provided or read quietly in one of the reading book nooks located around the perimeter. All classes, including Prep, visit the Library each week for borrowing.

Students make good use of the tennis and basketball/netball courts and for less structured activities, there are handball courts, play equipment and a covered play area. Students also have access to a range of good quality sporting facilities nearby for inter-school sporting competitions.

The 'White House' incorporates a classroom and large specialist Music area on the first floor. On the ground floor there are Music Studios, a language room (French and Spanish) as well as learning support rooms.

Adjacent to the 'White House' is the old stable that was built in 1838. This has been converted to a specialist Science room.