Curriculum and Assessment

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The Curriculum

West Balcatta Primary School aligns its teaching and learning programs with the Western Australian Curriculum as set out by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. The WA Curriculum states the mandated curriculum, and includes guiding principles for teaching, learning and assessment and support for teachers in their assessment and reporting of student achievement.

Kindergarten students are provided with the foundations for learning, and include the development of Identity, Connecting & Contributing, Wellbeing, Learning & Thinking and Communicating as guided by the Early Years Framework. A balance of play-based learning with academic instructions characterises early years education at West Balcatta.

 Pre-Primary to Year 6 students receive instruction in the following learning areas:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Humanities & Social Sciences (HASS)
  • Health
  • Design & Technologies
  • Digital Technologies 

Specialist teachers are employed in the areas of:

  • Languages: Italian (Years 3-6)
  • The Arts: Music
  • The Arts: Visual Arts
  • Science
  • Physical Education

West Balcatta Primary School also offers opportunities for academic extension through the EYE (Early Years Extension) and PEAC (Primary Extension and Challenge) programs which are offered to eligible students by the Department of Education. Our School Choir is also a very popular extra-curricular group who rehearse once a week and perform at several events throughout the year, including the One Big Voice, Australia's largest children's choir festival. Instrumental Music School Services (IMSS) also offers specialised tuition in flute, clarinet and classical guitar to Year 5 and 6 students who have been identified.

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Assessment & Reporting

West Balcatta Primary School has a robust and comprehensive approach to the gathering and analysis of student performance data, which is integral to its self-assessment and planning process. Whole-school assessment reflects the Assessment Principles of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), and is comprised of:

  • Classroom-based assessment
  • Scheduled school and system-based assessments, and
  • Moderation, to support teachers to make reliable judgements when reporting against the year-level achievement standards

At West Balcatta Primary School, teachers value the use of multiple forms of assessment in their classrooms. Such assessment provides them with information about what is to be learned, how learning is progressing and what students need to learn next. This information can be used to define learning intentions, to identify gaps or misconceptions and to design targeted lessons or units of work. Ultimately, engaging in an ongoing assessment cycle empowers them to provide quality differentiated teaching practice.

Teachers use system and school-based assessment data to develop intensive teaching and learning emphases to target identified areas for development. Examples of such assessments include, but are not limited to:

  • NAPLAN
  • Kindergarten assessment Tool (KAT)
  • Rainbow Assessment Tool (RAT)
  • Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in maths, English (reading and vocabulary skills).
  • Words Their Way Spelling Inventories (to diagnose individual student needs)
  • ‘Cold Tasks and Hot tasks’ in Talk 4 Writing

The staff at West Balcatta Primary School follow a ‘Data Collection and Monitoring’ timeline. This is a highly structured and comprehensive schedule of the collection and analysis of school-based and systemic student performance data.

Reporting to Parents

West Balcatta Primary School formally reports to parents twice per year using the Judging Standards as stated by the WA School Curriculum and Standards Authority in all learning areas for Pre-Primary to Year 6 students. In Kindergarten, the Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines are used by teachers to develop educational programs that extend and enrich children’s learning. These reports are designed by the Department of Education (Western Australia) and are adhered to by all public schools in Western Australia.