At Warragul North we have learning pods, where our students, teachers and educational support staff work, learn and plan together. We use the analogy of pea pods growing on a vine, connecting us together as a way of building the idea that we are a learning community. We require nutrients (our values), water (strong processes and structures) and a space safe from the wild weather (safe learning environment).
Our pods range from specialist pods, year level pods and student support pods. We work collaboratively to provide contemporary learning opportunities for students which promote student voice and agency, active learning, and teamwork.
We believe that strong planning processes and quality conversations lead to better outcomes for our students. Our pods are presented with learning challenges that bring them together in diverse ways to celebrate our culture, reinforce our school values and build strong social connections between our students.
We continually work towards creating an inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity, provides opportunities for students to learn in different ways, and fosters creativity by encouraging students to express their understanding and ideas in new ways.
Our pods are thriving, the vine is strong, and there is plenty of water and nutrients to go around.
At WNPS we have developed an active learning framework, (see image) which reflects the learning behaviours and actions we want to promote.
We believe these behaviours will help our students become more empowered in their learning as they take greater responsibility for the decisions they make.
The framework lists 5 attributes: engagement, persistence, reflection, questioning, and collaboration. The framework also lists examples of actions that support students to be active learners.
At WNPS our approach to student learning and wellbeing reflects our Whole Child Model. Students feel a strong sense of belonging when they are empowered in their learning, and when they feel connected to each other and their school. The model reminds us that every child is different and no matter their circumstances or background, they have the right to learn, be respected, and feel safe. The model reinforces that there are many considerations when thinking about student learning and wellbeing.
If students are to take greater responsibility for their learning, they need to be active participants in the learning process. We create opportunities where students have a real say (student voice) in their personal learning as well as the events and experiences that we offer at school.
Student agency requires a deeper level of decision-making and leadership that is promoted through student-led projects, play, and greater decision-making in their learning tasks.
To allow learner agency to happen, teachers need to structure their teaching and the learning environment in ways which support independence and collaboration, where students are empowered to make the decisions, they need to, in order to lead their own learning.
At WNPS we are also building our cultural awareness and safety in the following ways:
We believe that students who build a love of reading develop strong literacy skills and engage more in learning experiences across the curriculum. To build enthusiastic readers our literacy approach encompasses the Big 6 (oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension), the critical components of an effective approach to reading.
Our literacy time is timetabled for at least 2 hours each day and supported by quality literature and mentor texts that provide rich ideas for students to explore through their thinking and writing.
Our daily phonics instruction implements the Little Learners Love Literacy program to support their development of essential decoding and word recognition skills.
In 2025 staff are building the physical environments of their classrooms so students can be emersed in print and supported by the interactive nature of the displays and resources. We also look forward to the refurbishment of our library space to offer innovative and contemporary learning opportunities.
In Numeracy, we adopt a developmental approach that progressively builds each student’s skills over time. Guided by our RICK values, we extend initial skill acquisition and foster collaboration through problem-based tasks that connect content areas and deepen understanding.
Aligned with the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), tiered levels of support are embedded throughout our practice to ensure all students are appropriately supported and challenged according to their individual needs.
At WNPS, we use the Mathematics Online Interview (MOI) as an assessment tool to identify what students know, partly know, or do not yet know across key strands such as number, counting, place value, and addition/subtraction. The MOI outlines growth points that represent developmental stages of learning, serving as clear milestones that chart each student’s conceptual progression and inform next-step teaching.
We use growth point data to identify areas for growth and target teaching to ensure students have multiple opportunities to build their understandings and fluency, while learning to transfer these skills and concepts into different contexts.
With the refurbishment of our existing library space into a flexible and multi-purposed learning environment, it will be exciting to see numeracy developing in new and innovative ways.
Our busy bees in the hive have a range of opportunities to extend their learning or engage in personalized learning programs that target their individual needs. Many students work within the Hive each day. The following programs and approaches are timetabled across the week:
We currently offer an extensive specialist program including;
Learning across our specialist classes promotes sustainability, caring for our school and our school values. Our specialist teaching team create whole-school opportunities to promote community and collaboration. Our end of year market day provides students with a forum to share their learning, while the school community come together to celebrate.
We are very excited to share with our community our new Foundation Learning Centre (FLC). With a contemporary approach to learning, students move throughout flexible spaces which provide play-inspired literacy and numeracy experiences, social and emotional learning centres, and personalised plans or projects.
Our FLC has secure inside and outside spaces so students can move freely in their own learning environment, with access to the larger school playground when they choose. Our learners learn to work collaboratively from the beginning of the year, supporting them to build friendships and interact with their entire year level.
At Warragul North Primary School, we are committed to maintaining the highest child safety standards. Our priority is to create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every child feels valued and protected. We uphold strict policies, provide comprehensive training to our staff and volunteers, and foster a culture of openness and accountability. Our unwavering dedication to child safety ensures that every student can thrive and succeed.
We acknowledge the custodians of the land upon which we learn, play and grow.
We thank them for sharing this beautiful land we call home, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
