ENGLISH
Streeton Primary School seeks to inspire students and develop an ongoing love of learning whilst developing quality skills in Literacy. Our whole school approach is working towards students being taught consistently, systematically and explicitly through evidence-based instruction.
Implementation
Evidence-based, structured literacy forms the basis of our Literacy Block. Our Literacy Block incorporates Reading and Writing with Oral Language Development. There is a strong focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, building knowledge, spelling, handwriting, sentence construction, text composition, morphology and etymology.
Throughout Literacy sessions, students develop their skills and knowledge through a variety of whole class, small group and individual instruction, designed to cater for differentiated learning needs whilst encouraging all students to become independent readers, writers and communicators.
Little Learners Love Literacy
Little Learners Love Literacy (a systematic synthetic phonics program) which has been implemented in the F–2 area is proven to create fluent, enthusiastic readers, confident speakers and willing writers. Our students are engaged daily with Milo Monkey and his friends in Foundation. Our students enthusiastically read the Pip and Tim Series decodable texts as they move through these vital beginning stages of reading in F-2.
PhOrMeS
It is so important for our children to learn to read and write, as they are a key link to success in school and a vital way for children to develop their full potential, both academically and personally. Streeton Primary has always spent extensive time and resources to help our students learn to read and write. We have always been proud to be at the forefront of Literacy learning and kept up to date with initiatives.
To ensure we are on track with research-based practices in Literacy at Streeton Primary School, we began working with Shane Pearson in 2023, a speech pathologist leading Literacy at Brandon Park Primary School. Shane Pearson has successfully implemented PhOrMeS, a curriculum he designed with research-based practice.
In Junior School, the new PhOrMeS curriculum has complemented the Little Learners Love Literacy’s Phonics program, which will be entering into its fourth year at Streeton Primary School. In the Upper School, our students will be exposed to new and exciting vocabulary, and word study through explicit instruction on morphology and etymology.
Fluency
Fluency is practised daily across the whole school at Streeton. Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to understand what they read, children must be able to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud, fluent readers read in phrases and add intonation appropriately. Their reading is smooth and has expression.
Writing
At Streeton Primary School, students participate in lessons focusing on grammar, sentence construction with embedded punctuation, and work towards skill development of paragraphs and text composition. They also work towards genre composition of narrative, information/explanation, procedural and recount texts.
MATHEMATICS
At Streeton Primary School, students engage in a minimum of five hours of mathematics instruction per week, where the focus is on building automaticity in the fundamentals. This ensures that students are confident when tackling more complex mathematical problems. Our approach is grounded in the belief that mastery of basic skills is essential for students to thrive in more advanced topics, such as Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Probability and Statistics. By instilling a strong foundation in these areas, we aim to cultivate not just proficiency, but also a genuine appreciation and enjoyment of mathematics.
To achieve this, we utilise the high-quality resources provided by Ochre Education, alongside other evidence-based practices, ensuring that every classroom delivers mathematics lessons of the highest standard. Our lessons are carefully designed to be both comprehensive and detailed, reflecting the latest research on effective teaching practices. Key methods, such as explicit instruction, formative assessment, retrieval practice, and spaced practice, are used consistently to reinforce understanding and ensure long-term retention of knowledge.
At the heart of our mathematics program are the four mathematical proficiencies: Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving, and Reasoning. These proficiencies are woven throughout the curriculum from Foundation to Year 6 and form the backbone of our teaching philosophy. By embedding these proficiencies in every lesson, we ensure that students are not only learning content but also developing critical skills in logical reasoning, strategy justification, and mathematical fluency. This emphasis on deep thinking encourages students to engage with mathematics on a more sophisticated level, enabling them to independently apply their knowledge to a variety of contexts and real-world problems.
Our teachers play a pivotal role in this process, acting as facilitators who guide students through progressively challenging material while offering the support and feedback necessary for individual growth. Through regular formative assessments, teachers are able to identify areas where students may need additional support or extension, ensuring that every child is working at an appropriate level of challenge.
Ultimately, our goal is to nurture confident and independent mathematicians who can approach complex problems with a toolkit of well-practiced strategies and the ability to articulate their thinking. By fostering a deep understanding of the fundamentals and promoting rigorous thinking, we prepare students not only for academic success but for a lifelong relationship with mathematics.
