Curriculum

Teaching & Learning

Instructional Model

At Bayswater North PS we implement the updated Victorian Curriculum 2.0.

Our School Instructional Model is based on evidence from research, and incorporates the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0), the gradual release of responsibility and cognitive load theory. For further information regarding the VTLM 2.0 please follow this link: https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-teaching-and-learning-information-parents

The gradual release of responsibility instructional framework involves teachers gradually taking less responsibility for learning and students gradually assuming increased responsibility. It is through this process that students become competent and independent learners. This is often referred to as the ‘I do – We do – You do’ model. (Vic Department of Education 2022). It helps children become capable thinkers and learners, and is an effective approach for improving student outcomes.
It is important to note that gradual release of responsibility is not linear. Teachers move between modelling, guided and independent practice throughout lessons. Teachers make decisions based on student understanding and readiness. Students may move ‘forwards’ and ‘backwards’ in this process. (NSW Department of Education 2024).

All teachers at Bayswater North PS utilise High Impact Teaching Strategies in daily teaching and learning for all students and across all curriculum areas.

Assessment & Reporting

At Bayswater North PS, students are assessed in an ongoing way to ensure they are being provided with learning tasks appropriate to their ability and current stage of development, regardless of age or year level.

Formative assessment – or assessment FOR learning – is completed on an ongoing basis and occurs during most lessons throughout the day and week. This can be via teacher observations during learning tasks, analysis of completed student work, 1 to 1 conferences and small group instruction groups, verbal communication of learning progress and achievement towards learning intentions.

More formal summative assessments – assessment OF learning – occur in preparation for writing student reports twice each year. These assessments include standardised testing that is measured against norms and one to one assessments and interviews with teachers. NAPLAN assessments that take place in March each year for students in levels 3 and 5 also help inform student achievement and progress.

Literacy

In 2025, and in addition to our updated Instructional Model, all students in years Prep to Grade 6 will complete a daily two hour block of learning for English. Our whole school approach to reading, writing and spelling is informed by research referred to as The Big Six of Literacy. (Deslea Konza, 2010, Understanding The Reading Process) .

The components of The Big Six are:

  1. Oral language development and early literacy experiences
  2. Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness
  3. Letter -sound knowledge and word knowledge (phonics)
  4. Vocabulary
  5. Fluency
  6. Comprehension

All of these components are important in the development of successful life-long readers and writers, and students will develop them at different stages.

In Foundation to Year 2, this includes explicit and systematic phonics instruction using the Little Learner’s Love Literacy Program.
LLLL incorporates phonics instruction to teach students how to crack the reading code and how to translate the phoneme sounds to be able to spell words for writing. Students are also engaged in learning comprehension strategies to support their understanding and love of literature.
For further information on Little Learner’s Love Literacy and how you can support your child’s reading at home, please click on the link.

https://www.littlelearnersloveliteracy.com.au/blogs/assessment/parents-and-carers

In Years 3 to 6, students are generally competent at decoding texts and are able to focus more heavily on understanding what they read and developing their ability to analyse and respond to texts, as well as write for a range of purposes and audiences.

At Bayswater North PS, we implement a Reading Comprehension Workshop approach to explicitly teach targeted comprehension strategies to all students, however there is a stronger focus on this in the middle and upper year levels.
For more detailed information on the Reading Comprehension Workshop approach, please download the document explaining our pedagogy and practice.

Students in years 3-6 also engage in daily learning to develop spelling using the three spelling knowledges – phonics, morphology, and etymology. To support learning in this area we utilise the Sound Waves Literacy program. For further information regarding Sound Waves, please follow the link.

https://www.fireflyeducation.com.au/series/soundwaves/features/

Reading Comprehension Workshop

Mathematics

At Bayswater North PS our mathematics curriculum follows the updated Victorian Curriculum 2.0. The updated curriculum for Numeracy incorporates learning in the following areas;
Foundation to Year 6

  • Number
  • Algebra
  • Measurement
  • Space
  • Statistics

For students in years 3 to 6 the strand of Probability is included.

Our school aims to ensure that students:

  • are confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics, able to investigate, represent and interpret situations in their personal and work lives and as active citizens
  • develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency with processes, and are able to pose and solve problems and reason in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability
  • recognise connections between the areas of mathematics and other disciplines and appreciate mathematics as an accessible and enjoyable discipline to study.

At Bayswater North Primary all grade levels have a minimum of five one hour sessions per week allocated to mathematics. Typically, mathematical sessions begin with a whole class focus. The children may then be part of small group teacher directed activities, independent activities or rotational activities. Groups are structured according to the teaching focus of the session and the children’s individual learning needs.
Children are encouraged to verbalise their thinking. Sharing their learning and strategies during and at the end of a session is an excellent way for children to learn from each other and clarify their understandings.

Children work at a level that enables them to build on prior knowledge, challenge their thinking and make new connections. At all levels children are presented ‘real life’ mathematical problems enabling them to apply their mathematical skills and develop their problem solving strategies.

To support and enhance student learning in Mathematics we use the digital platforms of Mathletics (years 3-6) and Essential Assessment (year 1-6)

Students receive log in details for both of these platforms which may be used at home to further practice the skills introduced in class.

For further information on these programs, please access the links.

https://www.mathletics.com/au/for-home/

https://app.essentialassessment.com.au/student/

Indonesian

Selamat Datang!

At Bayswater North Primary School, Bahasa Indonesia is taught weekly to the whole school, with preps to Grade 2 students having 40 minute sessions and Grade 3 to Grade 6 students having 60 minute sessions.
Our Indonesian program focuses on developing language skills and building cultural awareness. Students are encouraged to be curious and have fun while they learn, to build their confidence and encourage engagement.
Students learn in a wide variety of ways including singing, role-plays, art, dance, writing, reading, watching video clips and online learning. Language learning covers topics such as Greetings, Colours, Numbers, Pets, Family, School, the Body, Clothes and Shopping. By learning Indonesian, students learn about, and value, different ways of life, traditions, geography, arts, flora and fauna. Students also learn more about themselves.
Indonesian is offered by a number of nearby secondary schools and we have close ties with the Indonesian Department at Heathmont College. Every year, Grade 5 students participate with 4 other primary schools and attend Asian Day at Heathmont College. We work together to manage transitions for our Year 6 students continuing Indonesian.

Apart from being lots of fun, learning another language has many benefits!
For example:

  • Learning a language is great training for your brain
  • Language skills can open new doors for travel, work and understanding.
  • You can build connections with people from other countries
  • Language learning supports literacy
  • You can learn more about your own language and culture
  • There are also plenty of good reasons to study Indonesian:
  • Being ‘Indonesia-savvy’ can open doors to a wide range of employment opportunities
  • Indonesian is very accessible – it uses the same alphabet as English and there are no tones
  • Indonesian is a form of Malay so you can communicate with around 250 million people in Indonesia plus people in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

If students have access to the internet at home, they might like to explore or revise their vocabulary at the Indonesian section of Languages Online at:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/indonesian/indonesian.htm

Terima kasih (Thank- you),
(Bu) Mary-Ellen Dowling

Science

Science is a key area of study at Bayswater North Primary School. In the Science Curriculum Children, based upon the Victorian Curriculum there are 3 strands that are covered:

Science Understanding

Biological sciences.
In this area students learn that living things are interdependent and interact with each other and their environment; and the form and features of living things are related to the functions that their body systems perform.

Chemical sciences
Students classify substances based on their properties, such as solids, liquids and gases, or their composition, such as elements, compounds and mixtures.

Earth and space sciences
Students understand that the Earth is part of a solar system that is part of a larger universe; They explore how changes on Earth, such as day and night and the seasons relate to Earth’s rotation and its orbit around the sun. They explore the ways in which humans use resources from the Earth and appreciate the influence of human activity on the surface of the Earth and the atmosphere.

Physical sciences
Students study the forces that affect the behaviour of objects; and that energy can be transferred and transformed from one form to another.

Science as a human endeavour

The nature and development of science

Use and influence of Science

Science Inquiry and Skills

Science inquiry involves identifying and posing questions; planning, conducting and reflecting on investigations; processing, analysing and interpreting evidence; and communicating findings

To support our science program our school’s resources include:

  • Our own Frog Bog, designed as a breeding site so students can investigate living things, including animals, plants, and micro-organisms, and their interdependence and interactions within ecosystems.
  • Home Grown garden where children learn they life cycle of plants how vegetable are grown and the seasons they follow .The products from our gardens are used by the children to promote healthy eating habits
  • A worm farm as part of our recycling program
  • Composting program to provide fertilizer for our garden beds.
  • A Water Wise program to promote care of our waterways
  • A wide range of science equipment including microscopes, digiscopes, electronic and solar equipment, magnets, force and motion models, scales, thermometers, weather instruments, mirrors, light equipment, solar models and ponding equipment.

Visual Arts

Students at Bayswater North Primary participate in weekly Art sessions in our spacious and light filled Art Room, with Grade Three to Six students having one hour sessions and Grades Prep to Two participating in forty-five minute sessions. Students are always encouraged to use their imagination and explore various materials while enjoying the opportunity to improve their skills and techniques by participating in hands on activities that cover all areas of the Visual Art curriculum. Such areas include drawing, painting, printing, collage, modelling, construction, and textile art. Students will have the opportunity to study different artists and their works, and analyse and compare different art pieces and styles as well as make observations and reflections about their world and the world around them. They are encouraged to share their ideas and learn from each other, extend their Arty ideas, persist with their Art work and take risks to turn mistakes into a creative moment.

Themes for Visual Art are often related to other areas of the curriculum such as Integrated topics that are being explored and covered in the classroom like ‘Sustainability’, and also might relate to important events that are happening throughout the calendar year such as Multicultural days or events and the school production. Throughout such themes, there will be a focus on learning about the different Art/Design Elements and Principles including colour, line, value, pattern, texture, form, shape, size, harmony, contrast and symmetry to name a few.

Each term a small group of students from various levels have the opportunity to participate as Art monitors or become members of our Art club if they wish. Sessions are run during lunch time, once a week and are often related to topics or themes covered in our Art lessons and allow students to further develop their skills and understanding in Art. All efforts are valued and Art work is displayed around the school. Every second year the school has an Art exhibition where every child has at least two pieces on display for parents and relatives to enjoy of an evening.

Health & PE

Bayswater North PS has a comprehensive Physical Education program that aims to develop the students’ skills, fitness and knowledge. Areas covered throughout the year include athletics, cross country, basketball, fundamental motor skills, ball handling, major and minor games, swimming and water safety, fitness, interschool sports, gold tennis and soccer. All students participate in a one hour PE session per week while students in grade 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 are allocated extra time for house and interschool sports. Lessons are predominantly game sense based and have an emphasis upon building students’ enjoyment of movement, activity and sport.

Athletics

The athletics program runs throughout Term 1 and culminates in the BNPS House Athletics Carnival. Students have the opportunity to try out for a number of different events including triple jump, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, hurdles and sprints during class time. In term 3 our senior athletics team is selected with students then given the chance to progress through the School Sport Victoria pathway of District, Division, Regional and State levels of competition.

Fundamental Motor Skills

There are 11 Fundamental Motor Skills – catch, kick, run, vertical jump, overhand throw, bouncing, leap, dodge, punt kick, forehand strike and two hand strike. There is a strong emphasis upon the development of fundamental motor skills at Bayswater North PS, especially in the junior school, where students complete various units of work designed specifically to increase their Fundamental Motor Skills confidence while competing in sport and PE.

Major Games

Students at Bayswater North Primary School have the opportunity to compete in a number of major game units during their class time throughout the year. These includes games such as Soccer, Indoor Hockey, European Handball, Basketball, Tennis and AFL. These units are often taught using a format known as SEPEP, which stands for Sport Education in Physical Education Program. This format places the responsibility on learning and organisation on the students. Through teacher facilitation, students are taught how to organise, manage, referee and score their own sporting tournament, conducted in a round robin format.

Interschool Sport

Students in grade 5 and 6 at Bayswater North have the special privilege of participating in the Summer and Winter Interschool Sports. Students participate in both weekly and gala sport days in which they compete in their chosen sport against schools in our local area. Sports offered through this program include cricket, basketball, netball, softball, volleyball, soccer and tennis.

Cross-Country

Cross Country takes place in Term 2 at Bayswater North and is integrated with a ‘Fun and Fitness’ unit that students complete during their PE lessons. The culmination of this unit is our House Cross Country Day and the Warrandyte South District Cross Country Carnival. To prepare for these days and to complement the work done in class, we also run a Bayswater North Running Club, which runs as a lunch time class for any students who wish to take part. On top of this, we also have our Bayswater North Colour Run which is sometimes run as a fundraiser for the school in term 4.

Swimming and Water Safety

At Bayswater North we believe that all students have the right to feel safe and confident around the water. It is for this reason that we offer an extensive one week swimming program for all of our students. Our senior students also have the chance to try out for the Bayswater North Swimming Team. This team competes annually at the Warrandyte South District Swimming Carnival held at Tintern GG in Term 1 each year.

Basketball

There is a strong basketball culture at Bayswater North Primary with an extensive unit being held in PE classes throughout term 3. On top of this unit, we have basketball clinics provided for all students in grade prep-2 while our 3-6 students compete in Hooptime Tournaments. These tournaments and clinics are all complemented with lunch time training for students to increase skills and rule knowledge.

Music & Performing Arts

The Music & Performing Arts program provides an engaging, creative and encouraging environment for all students to learn, perform and love the Performing Arts. There is a strong focus on singing, with each lesson beginning with a variety of songs, using Sol Fa to learn and develop pitch recognition and Orff and Kodai pedagogy to learn music theory.

Their musical journey begins early with weekly music lessons in Prep and Year 2, where they discover the fundamentals of music in melody and rhythm through singing, movement and percussion playing. Dance and Drama are also included during lessons, allowing students to share and explore creative ideas.

In Grade 3 & 4, students continue to consolidate their notes and rhythmic understanding, and are introduced to basic chord structures and progressions through learning and performing on the Ukulele.

Students in Grade 5 & 6, continue to develop their musicianship skills by developing their note and rhythmic reading, composing short melodies on a variety of instruments, exploring voice and movement through role play, story-telling, and learning about meaning and interpretation, forms and elements including voice, movement, situation, time and place, and improvisation.

Biennial Whole School Musical

Every second year every student have the amazing opportunity to participate in the Whole School Musical Production. Students in Grades 5 & 6 get to audition for lead roles, and each class prepares items to present. Our school Gym is turned into a theatre like atmosphere, with professional lights and audio systems being set up to create a magical night of entertainment from our students and staff.

Kids On Parade Concert

Alternating with our Whole School Musical Production, students in Prep – Grade 2 present our ‘Kids on Parade’ Concert. Each class prepares a few items to present to the school community in an afternoon of high quality entertainment that also highlights individual students who take part in instrumental lessons.

Grades 3 and 4 Music Festival

Students in Grade 3/4 also present their talents in the Grade 3/4 Music Festival working together in their music lessons to present a whole class performance using xylophones, percussion instruments, Ukuleles and Dance.

Grade 5 and 6 Shindig

In Grade 5 and 6, students prepare a variety of acts to present for their Grade 5/6 Shindig Concert. From musical items, band pieces, drama sketches and improvisation, the Grade 5/6 students explore a variety of ways to express creative ideas by composing music, writing scripts and choreographing dance routines.

Junior & Senior Choirs

Here at Bayswater North PS, we have 2 choirs – The Junior Choir, for students in Grades 1 & 2 and the Senior Choir for students in Grades 3 – 6. Each choir rehearse weekly learning a variety of repertoire, and singing techniques that prepare them for the various opportunities to perform at school and also for the community. The Senior Choir have previously performed for local nursing homes, hospitals, Box Hill OXFAM Music Concert, Bunnings Family Day etc.

Band Program

The band program involves weekly rehearsals, learning about ensemble playing, intonation, listening and working as a team. The band is made up from students who learn a musical instrument either privately or as part of the Brass and Woodwind program. The students learn a variety of styles of and repertoire, and work and encourage each other as they develop their musicianship and ensemble playing skills.

Amazing Baysy Performing Corner

Our ‘Amazing Baysy Performing Corner’ also provides regular opportunity for students to perform. Led by our students, in front of their peers during recess and lunchtimes, students are given the opportunity to showcase their various talents including singing, dancing, instrumental performance or even a flashmob.

Friends of Music

Friends of Music nights encourage the wider school community to come along for an evening of entertainment presented by our students, parents and staff. This is held annually towards the end of the year, and is one of the many highlights for our instrumental students.

The Brass & Woodwind program

The Brass & Woodwind program offer students an opportunity to learn either the trumpet or clarinet. Students can ‘opt in’ and choose their preferred instrument. During their weekly lessons, students learn about note reading, technique in how to produce good quality tones, rhythmic values, sight reading, and breathing techniques.

We also offer instrumental lessons in Keyboard and Guitar.

ICT

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the hardware and software that enables data to be digitally processed, stored and communicated. ICT can be used to access, process, manage and present information; model and control events; construct new understanding; and communicate with others.

ICT, an interdisciplinary domain, focuses on providing students with the tools to transform their learning and to enrich their learning environment. The knowledge, skills and behaviours identified for this domain enable students to:

  • develop new thinking and learning skills that produce creative and innovative insights
  • develop more productive ways of working and solving problems individually and collaboratively
  • create information products that demonstrate their understanding of concepts, issues, relationships and processes
  • express themselves in contemporary and socially relevant ways
  • communicate locally and globally to solve problems and to share knowledge
  • understand the implications of the use of ICT and their social and ethical responsibilities as users of ICT.

Learning in this domain enables students to focus on the task to be accomplished rather than on the technology they are using to do the work. Through the selection and application of appropriate equipment, techniques and procedures, they process data and information skilfully to create information products in forms that are meaningful for themselves and their audience. These products effectively demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concepts, issues, relationships and processes that are the subject of the task.

Students are provided with tools and strategies to monitor learning patterns and problem solving strategies. This provides a sound foundation for transforming personal learning. They gain an understanding of Internet protocols and strategies for exchanging information, which enables them to share and challenge their own and other people’s ideas and solutions with a global audience.

At BNPS we utilize Digital Technologies to support the curriculum. Our computer facilities are constantly being upgraded and are maintained and supported by two part time computer technicians. We have a computer lab containing 30 computers, class sets of notebook computers for year 3 to 6 and class sets of IPads for Foundation to grade 2 students. Every classroom also has access to Interactive whiteboards and data projectors.

At Bayswater North Primary we focus on

  • keyboarding skills
  • file management
  • Internet use
  • using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Excel)
  • using Multimedia programs to support Early Years Literacy and Numeracy Learning Centres

Typical computer tasks involve the use of digital photos to enhance a report about a recent school excursion or event, designing posters or brochures about a campsite or country being studied, and using the internet to research information for a project.

Students at all levels are encouraged to improve their keyboarding skills with the regular use of a Typing Tutor program. Whilst touch typing is not expected, students should be using two hands to type, and quickly locate the position of each key on the keyboard with more than one finger.

Extra Curricular Activities & Excursions

At Bayswater North PS we offer a large range of extra curricular activities, incursions and excursions that are designed to complement the regular classroom or school program, and provide rich learning opportunities for students.

Activities that complement the curriculum program each term are chosen to provide students with engaging and fun ways of adding to regular curriculum delivery.
Extra curricular activities that fall outside the scope of the regular learning program that government schools provide may incur a cost, depending on the nature and type of the activity.

Some examples of the types of activities that are currently offered include:

  • Excursions to places/programs outside the school – for example Knox Community Gardens Visit, Scienceworks.
  • Incursions – organisations that visit the school to provide additional experiences. Such as – Super Buddies, Indigenous Storytelling.
  • Grade 3-6 Camps Program
  • Grade 5 and 6 Inter-school sports program
  • Grades 3-6 Athletics Carnival
  • Grades 3-6 Swimming Carnival
  • Whole school cross country
  • Choir
  • Ukulele Group
  • Junior and Senior Art Clubs
  • Lunch time games clubs – run in the library by our Chaplain (Alan Silverwood)
  • Instrumental Music Lessons
  • Chess Club
  • Buddies program (Prep/Grade 6 students)
  • Friendship Ninjas program. Trained peer mediators from Grade 6 are visible in the grounds during recess and lunch times where they assist younger children with play.
  • Whole School Colour Ru
  • Special Day Celebrations, such as Harmony Day and Footy Colours Day.

Library

Bayswater North has a large, well-resourced library that received an upgrade in 2022.
This multi-purpose and spacious area includes a large range of picture books, chapter books and novels, and an extensive non-fiction collection.
All students visit the library on a regular basis to enjoy and select books to add to their class reading materials as well as for taking home to read with families. In addition this space is used for multi age sessions, teacher professional learning and gatherings such as parent information evenings.