Teaching and Learning Program
The curriculum of the school is based around the learning areas of - English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technology and Enterprise, Health and Physical Education, Languages and The Arts. Teaching and learning programs are developed, implemented and monitored with due consideration ensuring that all of our students work towards achieving the major outcomes identified in the West Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline.
We offer programs from K-12, including ATAR and VET programs for our secondary students and ASDAN for our students with special needs.
Our school has an extensive wireless network, with sets of laptops and iPads being available for classroom use to support the implementation of the curriculum.
Specialist Areas
Visual Arts
In Visual Art, students discover new ways of representing and expressing their ideas, imagination and views of the world around them.
Primary Art: All classes from 1-6 attend Art once a week with a passionate Visual Arts specialist. Children develop their skills in many aspects of Visual Arts including painting, drawing, sculpture, clay work, printing and textiles.
Secondary Art: Year 7 and 8 students continue to develop their Visual Art skills and understanding once a week with an enthusiastic Secondary Visual Art specialist. Students choosing Art as an elective in Year 9-12 attend 2-4 classes each week. In Visual Arts electives, students produce artworks that are generally more personal, sophisticated and are larger scale than those in previous years.
Music
The Music curriculum follows two learning components of Making (Music Literacy, Composing and Arranging, Practical and Performance) & Responding (Analysis and Context, Interpretation and Evaluation).
Students are provided with the opportunity to learn the fundamental musical elements by exploring and playing a range of instruments based on their year level. The instruments offered are - untuned classroom percussion, boom whackers, recorder, xylophone, ukulele, keyboard, guitar, djembe, and drums.
Students use the skills learned on their instruments to build their musical repertoire, theory knowledge and explore their creativity by composing original pieces. Students are also provided with opportunities to view and reflect upon musical performances to develop and express their thoughts and feelings about a range of music and related social, cultural and ethical considerations.
All students at JBDHS have the opportunity to partake in extra curricula Music activities throughout the year. Choir and Ensemble classes run on a weekly basis for both primary and secondary, in which the students work towards performances that are displayed in both the school and community-based events.
Physical Education
The Physical Education Program at Jurien Bay District High School aims to promote an active and healthy lifestyle, while providing students with the opportunity to further develop their physical and interpersonal skills. The school participates in a variety of local interschool carnivals and sporting fixtures.
Emergency Services Cadets Corp
The school is involved in the Cadets WA program through the Department of Communities.
Activities of the Cadets program are designed to:
- Develop and enhance leadership within the students and the staff involved in the program.
- Provide opportunities to learn new and relevant skills such as bush craft, map reading, sailing/boating.
- Build a stronger relationship between the community and the school.
- Develop elements of good citizenship and personal pride.
- Information booklet is available from the front office.
Extra Curricular
Year Six Camp
A Year Six camp is held annually. Information regarding the camp can be obtained from the school office.
Country Week & Academic Enrichment Camp
High school students selected to attend this annual camp are required to meet certain criteria such as, but not limited to; completing classwork and being up to date with all assessments, high attendance, wearing correct school uniform.
Incursions
During the year, students are offered the opportunity to attend visiting incursions. Incursions are chosen because of their link to a specific learning area or because they support our School Behaviour Management Policy.
Excursions
Where relevant, classes are taken on excursions. These excursions are always linked to the teaching and learning program taking place in the classroom.
Multiple Year Levels in Classes
What is a composite class?
A composite class contains students from more than one year level. For example, the class can be made up of students from Year 1 and Year 2. Composite classes have been shown to provide benefits to both the older and younger students in the class, including through mentoring roles and enhanced learning opportunities. As our student enrolments grow and change, we will have several composite classes across the school. Research demonstrates that there are many benefits to students being in a composite class; and through teamwork and positive communication we can support all our children to successfully transition to their new class and school.
Why do we create composite/split classes
As our enrolments fluctuate and grow there will be a need to run composite classrooms at our school to meet industrial requirements. This is because funding in public schools is allocated on a per student bases, with our overall budget assigned according to the total number of students enrolled on the census date, in early Term 1 each year.
How does the school decide the classes each year?
The principal and the staff work together to form classes that consider overall student numbers, individual student needs, siblings, the recommended class sizes and the total number of staff employed by the school. The final decision is made by the principal.
How do teachers cater academically for more than one year lever in a class?
Teaching has changed significantly in recent decades through a focus on teachers using data to develop whole class, group and individualised 'plan, teach and assess cycles' that meet specific needs across different curriculum areas. Our teachers are skilled in differentiating curriculum deliver and will be provided with ongoing coaching, feedback, and support whenever required. In every class, including in single year levels, there is a significate variation in students' knowledge, skills, and abilities across all curriculum areas. Teachers are adept at building learning opportunities, based on the curriculum, across multiple year levels. Research by Professor John Hattie indicates that teacher quality, as opposed to whether a class is a straight year lever or composite, makes a positive difference to the academic outcomes of students.
What about socially?
Children benefit tremendously from having friends outside of their year group, just as they do outside of school. Developing a wider group of friends gives students greater connections across the school and can benefit them within the wider community. It also helps students build social skills, which has long term positive effects for building resiliency. Most children quickly adapt to new classes and form friendships that remain lasting in future years. All students share the same recess and lunch times, which will further widen social play and opportunities.
Do you still have concerns?
If you still have concerns, please talk to your child's teacher about how they will cater for the individual needs of your child.
