Learning
We aim to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through open-mindedness and respect.
Woodside Primary School is a school, with a clear vision of what we believe our educational focus should be. We aim to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through open-mindedness and respect. Our students are encouraged to become active, compassionate, lifelong learners.
At WPS children are at centre of everything we do. We employ a responsive and differentiated curriculum that considers the individual needs and abilities of each of our students. Regardless of where children begin in their educational journey, our goal is to nurture progress both academically and socially.
For more information on the strategic development of WPS, please see the Site Improvement Plan and Annual Report on our School Information Page.
Early Years
At WPS we provide strong learning foundations and opportunities to build on their wide range of skills and talents. We incorporate modern, well researched and proven strategies such as established synthetic phonics programs, the use of decodable readers and a problem solving approach to maths combined with explicit teaching of maths concepts.
In addition, students have opportunities to explore their interests through play-based learning.
There is a strong emphasis on developing independence, risk taking and collaboration in a secure and safe environment. Our learning programs focus on the principles of Growth Mind Set. Students are empowered to confidently navigate the worlds of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Our HASS subjects of History and Geography focus on Woodside’s local History and Environment. Strong links with our Indigenous Paramangk Culture provides students with Aboriginal perspectives on how land is managed and used. Excursions and Camps are used to provide students with real life experiences throughout their years at primary School.
Primary Years
While literacy is integrated through a number of subject areas, our team also has a strong focus on improving reading through a balanced reading program and interventions based on student data. Our team has a consistent approach to data analysis and draws from a range of resources to provide appropriate interventions for each student.
Our team is focussed on providing a strong balance of problem-solving and fluency lessons, with the objective of developing risk-taking mathematicians that thrive on challenge. We work with students in supporting them to solve problems, have a strong number sense and automaticity, while expect students to demonstrate understanding and be able to justify their responses to mathematics problems using a range of strategies.
Student Leadership
Students in year 6 are invited to take on additional school leadership roles. School leaders take on a number of roles including organising lunchtime activities, Library support, House Captains for Sports Day and organising fundraising events. All classes are represented at regular school leaders meetings by class representatives to ensure that student voice is valued throughout the school.
STEM
Three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require STEM skills and knowledge as well as enterprise skills like problem solving, creative thinking and critical analysis. At Woodside Primary School all students from Reception to Year 6 engage in 21st Century STEM learning. Our STEM units require students to apply their skills in new ways using collaboration, problem solving and interdisciplinary thinking. Students also experience ‘hands on’ learning through the use of design and coding.
Physical Education
At Woodside Primary School we currently have a specialist PE teacher whose programming aligns with the Australian Curriculum. Emphasis is placed on developing lifelong participation in physical activity and participating in fun and engaging activities while learning new skills and sports.
Students participate in a range of traditional and non-traditional sports including, Orienteering, Tennis, AFL, Soccer, Cricket, Tag Rugby, Netball, Volleyball, Archery, Gymnastics, Badminton and many more.
The school also participates in many SAPSASA events across the year.
The Arts - Performing Arts/Music
Mindful of the Australian Curriculum our music lessons are a practical experience designed to stimulate a sensory experience. Through the tactile interaction with wood, metal, skin and wind instruments both conventional and non-conventional, students create soundscapes, building performances that find expression at assemblies.
Performance confidence is encouraged and nurtured with an end of year concert.
Private music tuition is also available to parents and students through a music tutor with agreed fees.
The Arts - Visual Art
The Visual Arts have always been an important part of the curriculum at Woodside. Students are offered opportunities to explore their creativity and enhance their learning.
Every August students across all year levels participate in the South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA). Each year has a theme that is cross curricular.
We aim to show that art enhances learning across all subjects and exhibiting and participating in these events gives our artists an authentic audience.
Language - Spanish
Woodside Primary School offers Spanish as part of the curriculum, focusing on language and culture. Each child has a 50-minute lesson each week with the Spanish Teacher, greetings, signage and familiar phrases are integrated into the classroom.
Student Voice
At Woodside, students are at the centre of all that we do. With this in mind we find avenues to ensure that students are encouraged to have a voice regarding their education, general school management and special events. We support students to demonstrate school wide leadership via our formal student leadership program.
Each year, we hold a democratic process to appoint school captains, sports captains and class representatives. Once elected, representatives from each class attend regular meetings to have a say on items relating to learning, school events or policies. They are encouraged to give a student perspective on teaching and learning, influence school change, and be involved in decision-making and to give back to their community.
Camps
School camps provide students with the opportunity to develop many new skills as they explore and discover their potential in the world around them.
At camp, great opportunities exist to develop a wide range of social skills that strengthen established relationships and help develop new ones.
Our camps assist in developing student independence as well as providing them with opportunities to take on leadership roles and work together as a team to encourage positive decision-making. This also helps build resilience as they succeed in overcoming obstacles and grow in confidence.
During camp, children will be exposed to a range of experiences that are active and facilitate learning in a variety of forms, providing greater awareness of skills and capabilities that may be needed to be an active member of our world.
ICT
Teachers use ICT to support and enhance curriculum learning opportunities for students. In 2021 we purchased 120 new laptops and 30 new iPads adding to a total of 180 devices. These are available for student use and distributed equally across the school. A major infrastructure upgrade occurred in 2022 to improve the overall speed and capacity of connectivity. New interactive white boards were installed in 3 classrooms to ensure all classes had access to the latest flat-panel technology and 10 more new iPads were purchased recently.
Facilities
The school has recently received a makeover with all buildings repainted outside and repairs to the historic cottage inside and out. The music room has also been renovated and in 2021 the gym flooring was replaced. New furniture has been purchased in all classrooms and a new playground was installed in term 1 2022 to cater for our increasing enrolments. The grounds are meticulously kept by our amazing groundsman and teachers have a great sense of pride, ensuring the classroom environments are beautifully presented and organised.