Our Junior School - 'Barbreck'
Engage and challenge
Welcome to our Junior School, a place we call ‘Barbreck'.
We believe nurturing children through the critical formative years means surrounding them with a learning environment rich in experience and opportunity and a pastoral atmosphere of individual care and attention.
As an inclusive School with great tradition, our strong values and moral framework permeate every classroom, teaching area and playground and we embrace innovation and new opportunities with vigour.
We see the Primary years as a crucial stage in building foundations for life-long and independent learning in our girls. It is an exciting process and as educators, we are privileged to observe their development and discoveries on a daily basis.
Close partnerships between the classroom and home environments are sustained through constant communication between staff and families, and there are frequent opportunities for parents and grandparents to be involved.
Barbreck staff are committed to providing stimulating learning programs which challenge and nurture each student, and we regularly inform parents of each student's educational developments.
Most of our Junior School students start out in the ELC, which provides a full and rich learning experience for our youngest learners, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
At St Catherine's we ensure the transition into Prep is seamless and comfortable for our girls, and our sequential teaching program centres on seeing our Preps to Year 6s develop curiosity, inquiry and investigation skills, through the Junior School's strong and sequential curriculum.
Literacy and Numeracy are key focus areas to ensure that all students build a solid foundation in these essential skills. Our expansive curriculum also includes Science and Technology, Religious Education, Philosophy, French and the Arts. Our broad range of co-curricular activities also includes Dance, Sport, Gymnastics, Art and Instrumental Music. A sequential Outdoor Education program commences in Year 2.
Our smaller classes, together with input from our Director of Extension and Learning Support and various small group activities, help to cater for the individual needs of our students. We provide a comprehensive program for learning support and extension, depending on individual needs. Progress is monitored regularly through a range of assessment tools including testing, projects, rubrics and samples of work.
Our students also enjoy a range of learning and assessment tasks that involve creative, design and multi-media skills. Our goal is to ensure that all students learn to be their best within a setting that encourages a high level of engagement, understanding, collaboration and reflection.
Student-Parent Conferences, held annually, provide students with an opportunity to celebrate and share their learning achievements with their parents. Each student plans, implements, leads, conducts and evaluates the interview. Attitudes such as commitment, confidence, cooperation, creativity, enthusiasm, independence and respect are also encouraged through the Student-Parent Conferences.
Parent feedback has reflected appreciation of the opportunity to gain a firsthand insight into the various facets of the girls' learning. It is rewarding for parents to observe how proud their daughters are of their work and to hear their explanations of their learning.
The Junior School (Barbreck) is well equipped with facilities and amenities which best serve our youngest learners and our outstanding staff. As well as our classrooms (four of which have been recently renovated), the Junior School comprises the Assembly Hall, Art Room, music spaces, Library and playground areas - all dedicated to our Junior girls.
Please take the time to browse this website and then I encourage you and your daughter to visit our School. I look forward to meeting your family.
"Knowledge is limited
Imagination encircles
The whole World."
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
German-born American physicist
Mrs Alana Moor
Head of ELC & Junior School