Junior School

At Fahan, we celebrate the natural curiosity of children and provide a nurturing and stimulating environment where they can grow and develop during those vital first years of their education.

From the first day at Fahan, your child is encouraged to think, ask questions and to develop a passion for learning whilst being nurtured in a safe and caring environment.

Education at Fahan can start from as young as three years of age with entry into the Fahan School Pre-Kinder program. Junior School at Fahan offers students, from Kindergarten to Year 2 tranquil gardens and a safe haven in which to experience their first years at school. The Reggio Emilia educational philosophy underpins the learning program in the Junior School. This philosophy supports thinking, questioning and discussion between students and teachers and encourages children to feel proud of their achievements and to be excited about learning.

At Fahan School we appreciate that each child is unique and our class sizes ensure that each child’s learning style is catered for. In the Junior School, we maintain a key focus on literacy and numeracy and, while a range of teaching methods is used to cater for individual learning styles, phonics is central to the literacy program.

Vibrant Learning Opportunities

Our students participate in specialist lessons on a weekly basis, as part of a vibrant program that includes Music, Library, Physical Education and Art. We have an Artist in Residence who works closely with Junior School teachers, investigating and supporting artistic projects in the classroom.

From a child’s first days at Fahan, they are encouraged to feel confident at school; to develop a sense of ownership of their learning and achievements; to become involved in environmental sustainability and to gain a passion for learning that is vital to their success in later school life.

Reggio Emilia

The best methodology for early childhood teaching, the Reggio Emilia philosophy, is central to the curriculum for children in Kindergarten to Year 2. Developed in Italy and embraced by leading educational institutions worldwide, the Reggio Emilia philosophy encourages thinking, questioning, discussing and learning with excitement and purpose.

The Junior School environment is one where children learn by doing. Students collaborate with teachers and peers on group investigations and projects that the children themselves help to determine. Topics of investigation are often derived from the teachers’ observations of what interests the children. These are teacher-directed, child-initiated projects and because the children have such a strong sense of ownership and purpose, they are engaged and highly motivated to learn.

There is a strong emphasis on Mathematics and English. Both areas of the curriculum are often taught within the context of a current classroom topic of inquiry.

This philosophy celebrates the natural curiosity of children and fosters a life-long love of learning as they progress through the Years 3 - 6 and later into their adult life. 

 

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