Respect

The Village School farm animals play an important role in teaching. Lessons in respect for all living creatures, reliance and responsibility are taught in very real ways. Respect for and commitment to the environment is also encouraged through the wet lands project that is run on the school property. Adults and children address each other on a first name basis as a way of showing mutual respect and reinforcing that everyone is valued as a worthwhile individual. You’ll find our children are more forthright, expressive, honest and well spoken because we do give them a real voice in the Village School community.

Resourcefulness

Problem solving, creative thinking and initiative are commonly named as the tools for jobs of the future. Village School children are taught to look for answers and solutions rather than be given them. The school gives children time and ready access to computers, the library, telephone, other staff members and any other resources in their pursuit of answers and solutions.

Responsibility

An important aspect of our philosophy is growing responsibilities as the child grows. This includes: becoming more responsible for one’s own learning, becoming more responsible for one’s behaviours and actions. The aim is for children to develop internal discipline. Through this a real sense of self-respect is gained.

Reliability

Interdependence is striking the right balance of co-operation and independence. It involves people relying on each other to do their individual parts. The whole school performance is just one important event at the Village School that fosters reliability and real community spirit.

Resilience

Resilience is all about picking oneself up after a negative experience or a mistake and knowing that you can go on. Village School’s discipline statement recognises that mistakes are valuable learning experiences and encourages children to see their own and other’s in this light.

Playing together

Physical Education provides the opportunity to take risks and achieve personal challenges while at the same time focusing on cooperative behaviour. Most importantly, it is a source of enjoyment and personal fulfilment.

Mutual Respect

It's great when children can feel that they can have friendly relationships with their teachers.

A caring community

We aim to create an environment that is warm and friendly - where children can feel happy and secure.

Learning at Village

Whilst the teacher maintains the learning framework, the children are empowered to plan, structure, self-manage and self-evaluate their own learning.

Working together

Children learn to work as part of a team, to respect the opinions of others and to be sensitive to the needs of those around them.

Performing Arts

Performance is an integral part of the Village School curriculum, combining various key learning areas in a highly satisfying, holistic and meaningful experience.

Why we are unique

img_8651rev 0

In each of their home-groups children will be working at different stages of learning for each subject, according to their individual development. For instance, a child may be exploring in one section of mathematics while practicing skills in another.

The academic program is designed to be open ended to allow for these different developmental stages.

Learning for the children is therefore a mixture of individual lessons, small group lessons based on ability and whole group discussions and activities that promote cooperative learning experiences as well as social and emotional growth.

Therefore we do:

Have individual goals for each child.
Spend at least half of our teaching time working on a one to one basis to encourage each child's special talents so that he/she experiences success.
Prepare and present different tasks to each child, which are open-ended tasks relating to common themes so that the children can work alongside each other and yet achieve at their own academic level.
Apply different teaching styles and strategies according to the children's needs and preferred learning styles.
Discuss with children how they learn best so that they can 'own' their learning.
Have an expectation that at the end of a teaching term or year, the children will have developed in different ways and achieved at different academic levels.
Measure a child's progress by how far he/she has come, not by how they compare with their peers.
Ensure the children are grouped according to where they are socially at ease.

We don't:

Teach new skills to an entire class to save time.
Compare children's progress with others, using terms like 'behind' or 'ahead'.
Display individual scores for comparison.
Expect the same volume of work from every child.
Expect the same level of understanding from every child.
Have preconceived expectations for outcomes of learning.
Withhold teaching a concept on the grounds of inappropriate age when the child is showing an interest in learning.
Give 'prescriptive' instructions that result in identical end products for art/craft, model making etc.
Have a school uniform.

About Village School

We begin with the premise that “childhood is a journey - not a race”. A journey that embodies fun, excitement and challenges. A journey with proven outcomes, through a subtle and more powerful learning process.

You see, we have known for a long while that it is those rich experiences that forge the memories that shape the future of every child. That is why we have developed a curriculum that embodies an environment where kids feel confident exploring, learning and growing.

If you can understand this unique opportunity then you will understand the importance of choosing the right school at the right time – the primary years. For this opportunity only happens in a profound way - during the primary years.

At Village School we are small enough to really take the time to get to know your child.

Children are naturally curious and at Village School we understand that each child learns differently. That is why each individual program is designed to build self esteem, maturity and enthusiasm for learning. Be reassured that you are not on your own when you make this commitment to your child for at Village School you will find a community of likeminded parents that is there to support you and your child on this wonderful journey.

Come and see why Village School can make a difference for your child. Phone Vanessa on 9726 4766 today.