At Attadale Primary School we foster high expectations and create an environment that supports all students to reach their full potential.
We implement the WA Curriculum developed by The School Curriculum and Standard Authority. This guides our planning, assessment, and informs our reporting. The 8 key learning areas implemented across the school are: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, Languages, and Technologies.
Our implementation of the WA Curriculum in the Early Years is guided by the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard, along with our Attadale Primary School Early Childhood Philosophy. Our Early Childhood Philosophy (more details under the Early Learning tab) highlights the importance we place on our relationships with our students, parents and community and that from the very beginning, we believe in fostering a lifelong love of learning through a balanced approach, valuing play-based learning opportunities with explicit expert teaching.
In order to deliver the WA Curriculum effectively, we ensure our practices are contemporary and evidence-based. Our Attadale Instructional Model (AIM) outlines our pedagogical approach, which is based on the Science of Learning and ensures connected practice across the school. It is also reflective of the Department of Education’s ‘Teaching for Impact’ as part of the Quality Teaching Strategy.
We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive learning environment where all children feel safe, a sense of belonging, and success.
Classroom Teaching and Learning
Our Teaching and Learning across all subject areas is underpinned by quality evidence-based practice. Students are engaged in learning experiences that involve explicit teaching that is purposeful, relevant and clearly defined using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. Opportunity is provided to encourage the qualities in our students that build lifelong learners, including; resilience, perseverance and the ability to set goals and reflect on their progress.
Our Attadale Instructional Model (AIM) is the guiding framework for lesson design which includes ‘Setting the Students up for Success’, ‘Providing Opportunities to Practice and Apply’ and ‘Evaluate, Review and Reflect’. This framework ensures that we are maximising our impact as educators. (Graphic below details the core elements of the AIM). The AIM is based on a gradual release model and incorporates research; from John Hattie’s effect sizes, Science of Learning and Rosenshine’s Principals of Learning. Daily Reviews are an essential part of this model along with supporting students with scaffolds and worked examples and giving opportunities to transfer and apply their learning.
Effective feedback, differentiation, and checking for understanding flow continuously through all elements of our AIM. Teachers differentiate learning, respecting and accommodating differences between learners, acknowledging that students develop at different rates, and bring different backgrounds to the classroom. Teachers provide effective feedback that helps guide students in reflecting and setting future learning goals.
Assessment and Reporting
Assessment practices have a powerful impact on teaching and learning. APS staff believe that the primary purpose of assessment is to measure impact and inform teaching. The ‘Plan, Teach, Assess’ cycle drives our planning and doing. John Hattie’s meta-research explicitly guides our thinking and doing in this area. Self-reporting grades, feedback, goal setting, use of exemplars, moderation (assessments, work samples and report grades) and transition of student information between staff are non-negotiable aspects expected in every class. Assessment information is used to determine classroom learning and teaching programs for individuals, identified groups (differentiation) and the whole class.
