Specialist Programs

At St Thomas’, we are fortunate to be able to provide several areas of specialised learning on a weekly basis for Years P-6. LOTE (Languages Other Than English) – AUSLAN, Physical Education, Digital Technologies and Performing Arts are the specialist areas currently supported. 

The school also provides staff and programs for students requiring additional support in Literacy and Mathematics. These programs may include Reading Recovery (for Year One students only), LLI Reading Intervention and Numeracy Intervention for Years 1-4. 

Inquiry Learning 

At St Thomas’, Inquiry based learning is a model which empowers students to learn independently through a process which mirrors real life thinking and learning. Within the context of comprehensive issue-based units of study, the students are provided with opportunities to develop the skills of an autonomous, self-regulated learner. Thinking, risk-taking, self direction, independence, interdependence, inter/intra personal skills, technological skills, conceptual skills, artistic skills, experimentation, problem finding and solving, decision making, ideas generation and action are effectively infused.

Some features of the Inquiry Process

• Students are actively supported by teachers to acquire relevant skills.

• Students are engaged in asking and following up on questions as a central skill.

• Students deepen or gain understanding of core concepts.

• Students may work collaboratively in small groups or learning teams.

• Students use and apply their learning, in the sharing of solutions, decisions, thinking and outcomes in a celebration of their understanding.

• Students access a range of information sources.

• Students learn about how to learn.