Early Years

Our Mini School is supported by several Leading Teachers, Learning Specialists, a team of committed Early Years teachers, Education Support staff and external agencies.

The Early Years Mini School covers the first 5 years of school (Prep – Year 4). The team in the Early Years Mini School is very committed to providing each child with a smooth transition to school and the core foundations for students’ cognitive, social and emotional development.

Teaching and Education Support staff work in partnership with families to ensure the transition reflects individual needs and provides a solid foundation for our students’ future education. The Early Years Mini School is a safe, nurturing and engaging learning space.

The academic program includes a strong focus on literacy, numeracy and inquiry; Oral Language which is a play-based program to facilitate the development of students’ social skills; a Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) to help students develop their physical motor skills; Information Technologies,  languages – Japanese and Italian and Performing and Visual Arts on a rotating semester basis.

The College provides before and after school care through Camp Australia, a breakfast program two mornings a week and a variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities to encourage high levels of student engagement and a love of learning in a wide range of contexts.

Students are supported by a wide range of services including psychologists, speech pathologists and counsellors to ensure they have assistance with any learning or personal difficulties. 

Our facilities are bright, colourful and provide a stimulating and inviting learning space both inside and outside the classroom.

Early Years Curriculum Overview

Junior Years

Welcome to Junior Years!

The Junior Years Mini School covers years 5 to 7.  Our Years 5 and 6 students are located in the Midland building, with the Year 7’s having exclusive access to the Paddington building.

This arrangement allows us to provide differentiated programs for students across our Mini School and ensures that we are catering to the varying needs of all of our students.

As we are a critical transition point, we ensure that students are prepared to enter the Junior School through a strong program operated in conjunction with our Early Years Mini School.

We again focus upon transition into the Year 7 program providing opportunities for students within the College and from our neighbouring feeder primary schools to have a smooth start to their secondary education. This is supported by an intensive ‘Start up’ program which includes “Ready to Learn” Interviews addressing students’ social, emotional and academic needs. This ensures that students feel comfortable and supported upon beginning with the College and the ever popular, Year 7 Discovery Day. Our third transition point is coordinated with the Middle Years Mini School to ensure that they are prepared for the rigours of Years 8 and 9.

We take responsibility for the social and emotional preparedness of students to meet the demands of our strong academic and community-minded program. This calls for high expectations, the use of strong classroom practices and a calm environment to maximise the opportunities and provide the essential preconditions for student growth.

To support the wellbeing of our students, we have access to a wide range of student services as well as a dedicated Engagement team who oversee the needs of students, providing a variety of opportunities and programs to ensure that the social and emotional needs of students are met.

Students have the opportunity to be involved in a number of extra-curricular programs which we encourage to ensure a ‘well rounded’ College experience. Parental involvement is key to the continued success of students and the College provides a range of support for families with whom we wish to develop strong partnerships.

Junior Years Curriculum Overview

Middle Years

Students in Years 8 and 9 are supported and nurtured in an aspirational environment.  We occupy the Brighton, Mareeba and Ardsley buildings, as well as the Middle School portables of Mount Ridley P-12 College.  This structure provides ownership of spaces and supports our students in feeling connected to their school environment.

The Middle Years are a critical time in adolescence, and we aim to inspire and encourage our students to explore their futures by setting long and short term goals.  This contributes to their overall preparedness to enter the Senior Years with a skill set that will ensure success in the rigour of the programs that lie ahead.

Students are exposed to a variety of different subjects in the areas of Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities, Art, Technology, Physical Education and Health, and Languages, (Italian or Japanese).  This is the opportunity for students to ‘taste test’ and determine where their strengths, interests and passion lies before entering the Senior School and selecting their own subject pathway.

Our Middle School offers several programs that support students in their learning.  Teachers use a variety of assessment tools to determine where our students are at in their learning journeys, and how they can target their teaching strategies to support the specific needs of the student.

To support the social and emotional wellbeing of our students we have a Student Engagement Team that includes access to student counsellors.  This team is also responsible for providing opportunities and programs which target a range of wellbeing issues such as, resilience, anger management, and art therapy to name a few.

In the Middle School, we aim to create a culture of care, collaboration and aspiration to achieve success for our students and this is supported by our Middle Years Certificate. The Middle Years Certificate is a two-year program beginning at Year 8 and concluding in Year 9. Over the course of the two years, students are invited and provided opportunities to participate in additional activities such as excursions, incursions, and leadership opportunities including High Resolves specific to Year 8. These activities are recorded and acknowledged at the end of Year 9 when students are awarded their Completion Certificate. The certificate evaluates three domains – Academic, Global Citizen and Extra-Curricular and contains five different levels of achievement. All students receive a certificate reflecting their level of achievement as well as a personalised letter of achievement signed by the College Principal to use for potential future employment.

Middle Years Curriculum Overview

Senior Years

Our focus is on the education of students from Years 10 – 12. We offer a full range of courses and subjects at each of these year levels. In Year 10 the focus is on assisting students to develop a pathway and a vision for their future. A broad range of subjects are offered and students are required to select these from all of the Areas of Study, except for Languages, where there is an option for students to study Italian or Japanese.

Discovery Days – which are facilitated by both external providers and senior teachers – are a compulsory component of Year 10 and provide students with knowledge and skills appropriate for their stage of development. They tend to focus on wellbeing, financial planning, time management and pathways options. Year 10 students are also expected to complete one week of work experience during the last week of Term 2.

The Mentor teacher continues to play a pivotal role and assists students through the course counselling process. Depending on recommendation, application process and GPA results, students may be able to access certain Year 11 subjects, Foundation VCAL or Elite Sports Programs.

Year 11 extends on the skills and knowledge developed in Year 10 through the Mentor program and targeted Discovery Days. Students can select from a broad range of VCE offerings, as well as VCAL and VET courses within the college and through external providers. Year 12 focuses on transitioning students to post-secondary education, pathways or employment.

Much support is offered to students to achieve their individual goals and to prepare them for their next stage in lives. Various organisations are used to assist students in a comprehensive Step Up program as part of their transitioning into the next year level. Mount Ridley P-12 has forged strong partnerships with several tertiary providers such as Latrobe University, Victoria University and RMIT University and as a result, we are able to offer our students a suite of programs designed to maximise student opportunities beyond Year 12.

To complement the above, numerous Work Readiness, Aspiration and Leadership programs through our Business Partners, ABCN and the Beacon Foundation are offered to many students throughout the year.

Mount Ridley College uses the Grade Point Average (GPA) reporting system which focuses on Achievement, Effort, Behaviour and Attendance and is reported on in five-week cycles. The ‘High Achievers’ Club’ was introduced in 2017 to support and mentor a select group of Year 12 students. Most classes for Senior students take place in purpose-built facilities which incorporate Wellbeing, Pathways and Engagement support. Additional ‘value add’ programs such as tutorials run on a weekly basis out of these facilities.

Students in all Senior Year levels have the option of attending overseas trips to Japan, China and Italy which take place every 2 – 3 years. Year 10 students can also attend a week-long camp within Australia. Along with numerous excursions, these camps serve to augment student experience and to provide a balanced approach to education.

Senior Years Curriculum Overview

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