Junior School

Kindergarten to Year 6

Junior School is a place where every student can feel safe, confident and engaged in their learning. The rapport between students and teachers is respectful, mutual and warm, and children here know that they can explore, play, learn and grow, and achieve excellence as they do so.

Starting kindy can be an anxious time. ‘Big school’ can seem scary or nerve-wracking – for parents as much as the children. At NAC, however, parents can relax, knowing that their kindergarten children will go through a seamless, stress-free transition from the play-based preschool programs they know well, to becoming happy, confident members of the Junior School. Moving from a dedicated K-1 playground space to joining in with the bigger children is carefully managed so that every student feels secure and comfortable.

A strong grounding in literacy and numeracy skills is fundamental to our learning work in Junior School, but equally important is how we equip students to understand themselves and the way they learn. Our focus is to grow learners who are adaptable, flexible, and resilient. These qualities lead to them becoming young people who are well equipped to handle the opportunities and challenges of life. Stage 2 students build on this flexibility by focusing on project-based learning, taking time to respond to a real-world question, problem or challenge. They develop independent, self-directed learning habits as they work as a team with both students and teachers.

Year 5 and 6 classes are housed in rooms away from the younger groups, closer to the Senior School, giving more of a ‘Middle School’ feel to these maturing students. Years 5 and 6 is also where students who are gifted and talented can be part of the ‘Edge Centre’ for extended learning. Our Year 6 leadership program gives every student opportunities to develop leadership gifts and skills, running assemblies, chapels, and other Junior School events. The transition to high school is smooth, with plenty of cross-over events and opportunities to get to know other Senior students and staff.

Access to Specialist Teachers

The benefit of being part of a K-12 school means that Junior School has access to specialist teachers from all disciplines, including sciences, technology, sport, music and languages. Add to that our broad variety of interest groups and clubs, and there is something for each individual to become engrossed in.

All students play sport, but those with extra talent have access to pathways to achieve at the national level. Our music program, based on singing and choral instruction in the early years, expands to instrumental tuition for interested students from Year 3, and our Junior Orchestra provides a valuable performance experience. French is taught from Kinder to Year 6, giving students access to useful foreign language skills and unique cultural experiences, and Technology is yet another specialist teaching area, building skills and interests in this expanding area of modern life.

Another strength of the K-12 system is in Learning Support. Our team which includes specialist teachers and a psychologist works across the school facilitating the needs of individual students at a variety of levels, helping with transitions and making adjustments so that each child can enter a learning experience at just the right level for them.

Our Pastoral Care program means that each student is cared for, nurtured and valued. We explicitly teach and talk about the school values, encouraging high standards of behaviour. Problems are dealt with quickly and fairly as they arise, with the focus on providing the best outcome for every student under our care. The Christian values of respect, compassion and wisdom are modelled in class and taught in Chapel. We also offer an after-school care program for your child, if needed.