Junior School is home to our curious and creative learners from Year 3 to Year 6.
Our Junior School motto – Love Grows Here – represents the safe and caring culture we embody at Penrhos. Love is at the very heart of our Junior School experience.
A NURTURING START AT PENRHOS
At Penrhos, our approach to early education is guided by the national Early Years Learning Framework, which emphasises the importance of Belonging, Being and Becoming in every child’s development. We partner closely with families to build on the strong foundations established at home, ensuring your daughter feels supported with love, security and joy.
Celebrating childhood
We honour the natural curiosity, wonder and individuality of each child – celebrating small milestones, embracing each student’s pace and encouraging her sense of agency and resilience. For us, childhood is not a race, but a time to grow, explore and thrive. As your daughter progresses through the Junior School, she will make significant strides across all areas of development – cognitive, emotional, social and physical. Our goal is to nurture the whole child, embracing the Penrhos philosophy of mind, heart, body and spirit, so she builds the confidence, strength and compassion to meet life’s challenges and contribute meaningfully to the world.
Data collection and academic tracking
We employ a comprehensive assessment and reporting framework to monitor every student's growth:
- Formal Diagnostic Assessments: Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy Screening (Kindergarten and Pre-Primary where required); On-Entry Literacy and Numeracy Assessments (Pre-Primary to Year 2); ACER Progressive Achievement Tests (Years 1-6); ACER General Ability Tests (Years 3-6); Brightpath Writing Assessments (Years 1-6); and NAPLAN (Year 3 and Year 5).
- Formative Assessments: Teacher observations, checklists, rubrics, student reflections and anecdotal feedback guide real-time teaching.
- Summative Assessments: Formal reports are issued mid-year and end-of-year, aligned with State curriculum benchmarks. We also provide Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 Parent/Teacher Interviews in Term 1 and Learning Journeys in Term 3.
- A Collaborative Approach: Teachers, psychologists and specialist staff regularly review data to inform support, enrichment and intervention. Whole-school assessments conducted at the beginning and end of the year facilitate data-based decision-making.
Gifted and talented program
We are committed to recognising and nurturing the unique gifts, talents and capacities of every student. Grounded in our College values and aligned with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), our philosophy ensures that gifted learners are supported to flourish both academically and personally. We believe every child holds the capacity for excellence.
We have a dedicated Gifted and Talented Coordinator who oversees all enrichment and extension opportunities. Students are individually case-managed and access a number of academic competitions, internal and external to the College. If requirements are met, students will be accelerated within subjects and year groups.
Our Gifted and Talented provision is embedded within the inquiry-driven, transdisciplinary framework of the IB PYP. In line with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) principles, our programs prioritise rigour, relevance and meaningful assessment, ensuring learners are engaged in authentic and purposeful challenges.
“We are proud that our Junior School motto was developed when we asked the girls for their opinion on what we do well at Penrhos – one of our Year 2 students simply wrote 'love grows here' as her response.”
SUPPORTIVE LEARNING
In the Penrhos Junior School (Years 3–6), your daughter will thrive in a vibrant, future-focused curriculum designed to nurture both academic achievement and personal growth. Our programs are tailored to help each student flourish intellectually, creatively and emotionally.
While we prioritise strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, we believe wellbeing and happiness are equally important. Through our proactive, preventative approach to socio-emotional learning, students build confidence, form positive peer relationships and develop a strong sense of belonging. Our CONNECT Wellbeing Framework plays a key role in this journey, helping students develop emotional awareness, resilience and empathy.
Our inclusive curriculum features a wide range of specialist subjects, including:
READ MORE ABOUT OUR JUNIOR SCHOOL
