A Uniting Church coeducational independent day and boarding school on Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia
Early Learning to Year 12
Preparatory School
Preparatory School
Westminster’s Preparatory School students learn teamwork, social awareness and respect for others. They develop an understanding of appropriate behaviours, good manners and self-discipline from a good balance of male and female teachers throughout our Preparatory School, which includes a dedicated class teacher for each class in each year level. In our Preparatory School, there are no composite classes combining year levels, and no classes shared by more than one teacher.
Each student from Reception to Year 6 has lessons with specialist teachers for Music, Art, Religious and Values Education, Language, Sport, and Information Technology.
From the ELC right through to Year 6, each of our students also has a dedicated weekly lesson with our Teacher Librarian in our Haslam Library.
A dynamic House system and the Student Representative Council (SRC) promote positive relationships across all primary years, while building student appreciation of the value of service and rights of others.
The Preparatory School has its own learning and sporting facilities to complement the outstanding facilities available to the whole School. Being active is a key feature of the Preparatory School years to promote wellbeing and strengthen concentration to maximise learning outcomes. In addition to set class time for Physical Education (PE) and a comprehensive co-curricular program, daily fitness and exercise is incorporated across all years.
From Reception, we focus on literacy and numeracy at every level every day and balance core subjects and skill development in reading, comprehension, spelling, writing, Information Technology (IT), Science and Mathematics. Specialist classes are offered for Music, PE, Art, Religion and Values, and Chinese. This comprehensive approach provides our youngest students with the best possible foundation at the commencement of their primary schooling.
We are one of only a handful of South Australian schools that remain committed to offering mid-year Reception intake to suit all birth dates. At Westminster, we believe in working with our families to provide students with a smooth transition into school when they are ready to do so.
Throughout Years 3 to 6 we continue to build on the foundations of learning, providing a balance between core and specialist subjects. Class teachers work closely with specialist teachers who take specific subject lessons, including Music, Art, PE, IT, Languages and Religious and Values Education (RAVE), while others provide support and extended learning for individual students, across all subject areas. Technology underpins learning in all years.
Both our Preparatory and Senior Schools are located on one spacious campus, allowing students to share outstanding teaching resources, performance venues and sporting facilities. Classes move to other key learning areas, such as the Haslam Library, Michael Murray Centre for Performing Arts, Sports and Swimming Centre and IT rooms, to suit the curriculum.
In the upper Primary years, there is a strengthened focus on leadership, community, independence and taking responsible risks in learning. Specialist subject teachers work to build the creative and critical thinking process as learning becomes more specialised in preparation for high school.
Our older primary-aged students also provide support to our younger students through our House system and buddy programs. Students continue to have ready access to the staff and facilities that contribute to our wide curriculum, structured to provide a diverse learning experience.
To meet the technological requirements of a constantly evolving curriculum, Year 5 and 6 students are included in the School’s personal laptop program.
Sport and other co-curricular activities held on the School campus before and after hours, such as service and performing arts or those that have an academic or philosophical focus, provide a wide range of opportunities that play a vital role in each student’s experience.
Students are encouraged to develop leadership qualities in all areas of their life. We encourage independence in preparation for their schooling and their future. There are many opportunities for leadership: Sport, Performing Arts, Tours, School Leadership positions in Years 6 and 12, Outdoor Education, and through the House System.
In the Preparatory School there are 20 Year 6 students who are formally appointed to leadership positions via a student and teacher vote. The Prep School Leadership positions focus upon School, community, and pastoral leadership. All Year 6 students are expected to act as leaders of the Prep School student group. As such all Year 6 students undertake 30 minutes per week of training in leadership, which encompasses aspects of self-awareness, as well as formal sessions unpacking leadership in general.