Our Learining | Keysborough Gardens Primary School

Learning

Keysborough Gardens Primary School

At Keysborough Gardens Primary School our students are our number one priority. We want our students to take ownership of their learning, to make purposeful contributions to their learning environments, and to tackle issues arising in the world around them.

Our school recognises the central role of teachers. They are expected to develop engaging and challenging learning programs and create the best opportunities for student learning, including supporting parents as first educators and partners in education.

Why We Teach

WHY
WE
TEACH

At Keysborough Gardens Primary School we aim to develop life long learners who care for themselves, others and the community around them and actively contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world.

Our vision is to ensure that every child is equipped with the knowledge, skills and capabilities necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world.

Our core values of Kindness, Empathy, Gratitude, Respect and Excellence guide how we teach, learn and interact at Keysborough Gardens Primary School. These values work in conjunction with the IB's Learner Profile to help our students develop international mindedness and become responsible members of local, national and global communities.

Our shared approach to teaching and learning ensures students are at the heart of decision-making processes. Every student and teacher is encouraged to strive for excellence in learning and life.

WHAT
WE
TEACH

What We Teach

Our students learn in a supportive and personalised school environment with access to a full and outstanding range of programs across all areas of the Victorian Curriculum.

As an International Baccalaureate school, we use the PYP (Primary Years Programme) as a framework to guide and plan our teaching and learning. There is a strong focus on English, Mathematics and Science as well as developing higher order thinking skills, technology skills and creativity.

Our students benefit from a full range of specialist programs including Visual Arts, Performing Arts, STEM, Physical Education and Chinese Mandarin. A range of extra-curricular activities are provided including school band, choirs, excursions, incursions and a wide range of lunchtime clubs.

IB PYP and Inquiry

(International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme)

In 2024 Keysborough Gardens Primary School proudly became an authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) World school, offering the Primary Years Programme. IB schools share a common philosophy - a commitment to high quality, challenging international education.

Each year level inquires into each of the following six Transdiciplinary Themes:

These Transdisciplinary Themes help teachers develop a program of inquiries - investigations into important ideas, identified by the school and requiring high level of involvement on the part of the students.

These ideas relate to the world beyond the school and are an opportunity to incorporate local and global issues into the curriculum. As a result, students see the relevance of ideas and connect with them in an engaging and challenging way.

Students who learn in this way begin to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as learners and become actively involved in their education.

Other PYP language you will hear around our school is:

Specified Concepts

big ideas used to give direction to the learning in a unit

Learner Profile

Approaches to Learning

a list of attributes we endeavour to foster in our students

skills that students develop and apply across all learning areas

The PYP is flexible enough to accommodate the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum.

Click through the images below to see what each level is learning over the year:

Preps

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3/4

Year 5/6

For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

The IB mission

The Curriculum

English

Systematic Synthetic Phonics is an evidence-based, structured approach to teach children to read. This method of reading helps children learn the relationships between sounds (phonemes) of spoken language and the letter symbols (graphemes) of the written language. Students have numerous opportunities to use their language skills to pursue personal interests in Social Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Literature, Technology, The Sciences, Mathematics and Additional Languages. Technology such as interactive whiteboards, iPads and computers complement and enhance our language programmes.

Mathematics

Mathematics is undertaken on a daily basis with focused sessions for the development of skills and knowledge in Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability. The proficiency strands are developed through the hands-on application of mathematics skills and understandings using real life problem solving contexts with students collaborating in mixed ability groups.

EAL

English as an Additional Language (EAL) KGPS has a high number of students from an EAL background and explicit modelling of literacy and language skills are implemented. Students that are of an EAL background are assessed against the English as an Additional Language continuum which ensures that every student is catered for and their needs managed.

The Capabilities

The Victorian Curriculum F-10 includes four capabilities, which are a set of discrete knowledge and skills that can and should be taught explicitly in and through the learning areas. The capabilities are: -Critical and Creative Thinking -Ethical Capability -Intercultural Capability -Personal and Social Capability At KGPS we want our students to develop critical thinking skills where they understand thinking processes, and have the ability to manage and apply these in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar situations.

Science

The Science curriculum provides students with understanding, knowledge and skills through which they can develop a scientific view of the world. Students are challenged to explore science, its concepts, nature and uses through clearly described inquiry processes. Science at KGPS is taught through inquiry into the PYP Transdisciplinary themes and explicitly where required.

Wellbeing

The social, emotional and physical wellbeing of our students is vitally important. Students who are happy, healthy and resilient are better able to deal positively with life's challenges. Building and enhancing the students social and emotional wellbeing is an important aspect of our daily school activities. Our school values are explicitly taught through our 'Keysie Kids are Global Kids' positive behaviour framework.

Koorie Cultural Inclusion

We acknowledge and pay respect to Elders and all Victorian Aboriginal communities. We honour and respect Traditional Custodians, past and present, and value the rich culture and history of the First Peoples of this land. We aspire for success for every Koorie child in education, achieving their developmental potential and their ambitions for life. Throughout our school community, we celebrate the rich and thriving culture, knowledge and experience of our First Nations peoples to ensure that Koorie children and learners of all ages feel strong in their identity and achieve their learning aspirations.

Specialist Programs

Performing Arts

Students are encouraged to be risk takers by expressing their creative ideas through dance, music and drama. Activities include whole class ensemble activities, working in small groups or with a partner. There is a strong emphasis on performing to an audience and providing feedback to the performers from peers.

Physical Education

From Foundation - Year 2, our program's focus is on building fundamental movement skills required to be competent in a range of physical activities. The competencies of throwing, agility, jumping, catching, hitting, balance and coordination are promoted through fun-based games and practices that build engagement and participation.

As well as continued skill development, in Years 3-6 lessons become more sport-specific with students learning game rules, tactics and strategies. A great weight is also placed on teamwork and leadership. Students demonstrate their sportsmanship at regular school sporting events and inter-school sport in Year 6.

Visual Art

STEAM

Our Visual Art program program is designed to spark creativity, provide opportunities for self-expression and foster open-mindedness as students study works by various significant artists. Students from Foundation to Year 6 explore many different art techniques using a wide range of mediums.

Student artwork is viewed and celebrated at Student-Led Conferences and our annual art show. At their graduation ceremony, each Year 6 graduating class reveals their 'legacy project' - a collaborative art installation that represents the mark they leave on our school.

Mandarin

Students are supported to be knowledgeable communicators through learning Mandarin Chinese. They learn to socialise, inform, create, translate, and inform in Chinese. Students explore Chinese vocabulary and sentence structures relevant to daily life, such as greetings and foods, through listening, speaking and writing in the language.

Students are supported to develop their intercultural capability. They investigate the influence of culture in shaping identity, heritage, values and beliefs. Encouraged to be open to new experiences and perspectives, students develop respect for diversity and difference.

STEM

In our STEM program, students from Foundation to Year 6 engage with an interdisciplinary curriculum that blends Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Through hands-on experiments, design projects and digital creation, students learn to solve real-world problems with ingenuity and critical thinking. Through collaboration and reflective learning, our program empowers students with the 21st Century skills necessary to excel and innovate in the STEM field.

How We Teach

HOW
WE
TEACH

Keysborough Gardens Primary School has a collaborative approach to planning and teaching.

All teachers have a shared responsibility for the students in their level. Teachers work in collaborative ‘Professional Learning Community’ teams to plan and implement a differentiated teaching and learning program that caters for the individual learning needs of all students.

Our teaching and learning program is structured with a strong emphasis on the development of highly literate, numerate and curious students. We provide students with the skills (Approaches to Learning - ATL) and strategies to take responsibility for their own learning through goal setting, student-led conferences, feedback and self-reflection. We provide an empowering, student-centred, personalised approach to learning that relates to ‘real life’ and encourages student-initiated action.

We plan class work that is sequential and integrated and is based on clearly defined learning intentions. We regularly inform students of their progress through authentic feedback.

Individual Needs

At Keysborough Primary School, teachers are highly skilled in catering to each child’s individual learning needs through careful differentiation and responsive teaching. This ensures all students receive the appropriate support and challenges to help them thrive.

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed for students with specific learning needs, setting measurable and timely goals. These plans are created with input from both students and parents/carers to ensure a collaborative approach to the child’s progress.

Other student support approaches include:

Regular parent/teacher/student meetings
Modified programs and homework, as needed
One-on-one assistance in the classroom
Guidance from the Learning Enhancement Program teacher and/or allied health providers
Differentiated learning groups focused on targeted learning goals
Adjustments to the learning environment, tasks, or resources to ensure an inclusive approach

Student Voice

At Keysborough Gardens Primary School, we believe in empowering students through voice, agency and leadership.

Across the school, students contribute to the curriculum through an effective and authentic process of planning, feedback and deep reflection.

This enables students to make decisions about what and how they learn and actively contribute to the planning of their own learning, promoting meaningful student involvement.

Learning Enhancement

Program

The Learning Enhancement Program complements the classroom program. It targets groups of students with similar academic needs. Students are identified through a variety of collected data, including NAPLAN and teacher judgement.

These students may be working below, at or above expected levels. The length of the program can be determined by student progress, however the program generally runs for between 4 and 10 weeks.

Sessions run for approximately 30 minutes, 1-3 times a week, with the aim to reinforce, revise or extend on classroom learning goals. Over the course of an academic year, the program works across all levels, targeting as many KGPS students as possible.

How We Measure Sucess

HOW
WE
MEASURE
SUCCESS

Data analysis and student learning progress form the basis of our Professional Learning Team meetings and conversations.

Evidence of student growth, progress, and achievement are reviewed and used to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices and to determine the continuing learning needs of students.

Students review and reflect upon their individual goals and set new ones. These goals drive their focus for the next learning cycle in that area.

REPORTING ACHIEVEMENT

TO STUDENTS

Feedback is given regularly by their teachers. Students are provided the opportunity to reflect on their individual goals, gather evidence to ascertain achievement and set new ones to drive future learning.

TO STAFF

Both informal and formal data is used to inform planning and teaching on both a short and longer-term basis. Students are also involved in providing feedback to teachers.

Written reports

Each semester parents/carers are provided with a written summary report that includes teacher judgements against the Victorian Curriculum Standards in the learning areas and capabilities that have been part of the teaching and learning program for that semester.

Teachers also provide information about the student’s engagement and wellbeing so parents are fully informed in relation to the learning and development of the whole child.

TO FAMILIES

Student Led Conferences differ from the teacher-directed parent teacher interviews, in that the student is the one at the centre, actively involved in the learning and the reporting process. They take the form of a conversation primarily between the student and their parents with the teacher involved at times during the conference.

The benefits of these conferences include:

Students take responsibility for their own learning by explaining their learning goals and their progress
The development of the home-school partnership; parents, students and teachers celebrating student’s success together
The development of real-life skills such as communication, self-evaluation, reflection, organisation and self-confidence

Extra Curricular

Extra Curricular Activities and Programs

Ennrichment Clubs

To support student engagement and wellbeing at KGPS, we offer a wide range of lunchtime clubs and activities. Clubs are chosen based on staff skills and interests, students' ideas and interests and students' social and emotional needs.

Some examples of clubs that have been run include:

Lego Club: Design, Build, Create, Experiment.
Art Club: Try origami, drawing, painting, collage. Anything that brings out your inner artist!
Fun Club: A student-run, teacher-supported club with activities and games chosen by students.
Knitting club: Design, Knit and Create.
Sport clubs: Basketball, Soccer, Gymnastics.

Enrichment clubs

The
Arts

Choir

The school choir consists of a Junior Choir for students in Year 1 to 3 and Senior Choir for students in Year 4 to 6. The choir rehearses at lunchtimes and performs weekly in the school assembly as well at the school functions such as at the Welcome Picnic.

School Band

The school band consists of students in Years 3 to 6. The band rehearses each week and performs weekly in the school assembly. .

State Schools Spectacular

The Victorian State Schools Spectacular program is an invaluable performing arts opportunity for Victoria’s government primary and secondary school students. We participate in this event every two years.

School productions

Every two years our students in Year 4 to 6 take part in a school production.

Our students in Prep to Year 2 participate in a school concert.

Year 6 Leadership

All Year 6 students have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through our Year 6 Leadership Program. Each student applies for a leadership role by submitting a written expression of interest and delivering a speech that highlights their leadership qualities and how they plan to contribute to the school and community.

Leadership roles include

School Captains
House Captains
Wellbeing Leaders
ICT Leaders
Environment Leaders
and more

Every Year 6 student takes on a leadership role, helping to build their self-esteem and confidence while developing essential life skills such as public speaking, collaboration, and creativity. This program is an integral part of fostering leadership and personal growth in our students as they prepare for secondary school and beyond.

Other Leadership Opportunities

Student Representative Council

Students from Years 3 – 6 are elected to become part of our SRC team. These students provide a valuable contribution to our school through Leadership activities, school events and community fundraising.

Green Team

Our Green team are responsible for maintaining our school vegetable garden, managing our recycling program and advocating for sustainable practices across our school community. Interested students from Year 3 - 6 are encouraged to join.

Leadership beyond our school walls

Greater Dandenong Council appoints a Junior Mayor each year, who is able to assist the local Mayor, represent children's perspectives in local council and to learn about local council from the inside. We are very proud of our School Captains who have been elected to this role three years in a row. Congratulations Maya (2022) Tasneem (2023) and Gemma (2024).

Academic

ICAS competition

Each year, students in Year 2-6 can choose to participate in the 'International Competitions and Assessments for Schools' (ICAS) which provides an objective, international assessment. ICAS has a variety of benefits for students, parents and schools. For students, the competition challenges them in ways unlike their regular school assessments, encourages them to perform at their highest possible standard and rewarding them for their achievements.

Victorian High-Ability Program

At KGPS we participate in the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP). This program enables high-ability students in Years 5-8, at all Victorian State Schools, to be challenged and extended in a supportive environment.

Sporting Programs

Clinics and Activities

At Keysborough Gardens Primary, we offer a variety of sporting clinics and activities, both during and outside school hours. These programs provide students with opportunities to develop their physical skills and enjoy different sports, including AFL clinics, Auskick, cricket, gymnastics and volleyball. We also collaborate with community organisations to deliver engaging and dynamic sport experiences for our students.

Swimming Program

Keysborough Gardens Primary runs an annual intensive swimming program for students from Prep to Year 6. This program, held at Toby Haenen Swim School, focuses on developing water safety and swimming skills, ensuring all students build confidence in the water while enhancing their physical fitness.

Camps

At Keysborough Gardens Primary, we believe that camps play a vital role in the personal and social development of our students. Camps provide unique opportunities for children to develop independence, build self-esteem, strengthen relationships and work together as a team. Through a range of activities, students challenge themselves, explore new environments and create lasting memories with peers.

Year 2 Sleepover

Our camping program begins in Year 2 with an exciting sleepover at school. This one-night experience is designed to build confidence and independence by easing students into being away from home in a familiar and supportive environment. The Year 2 sleepover gives students a fun-filled evening of activities, games and a shared meal with friends and is a great first step in our broader camping program.

Year 3-6 Adventure Camps

From Year 3 to 6, our students take part in a two-night adventure camp. Each camp offers a variety of outdoor activities that encourage students to push their boundaries, whether it's hiking, team-building challenges or water-based activities. These camps help students develop resilience, problem-solving skills and strengthen the bonds between classmates. Our adventure camps are key to fostering a sense of responsibility, teamwork and a love for the outdoors.