OUR PRIORITIES
Learning
Peregian Beach College caters for students with a diverse range of talents, interests, needs and academic abilities through its vigorous and comprehensive academic program.
PREP – YEAR 4
Junior School
Junior School
PREP
The Prep program operates as an integral part of Peregian Beach College. At no other time in their life will your child experience the same rate of growth and development as they do during their early years. Your child’s first year of school is a very important one where many attitudes toward school are formed and a foundation for life-long learning is established. We help to develop children who are capable and independent learners. The Prep program offers children opportunities to discover, experiment, explore, create and communicate within a well planned environment.
Curriculum
Learning at Peregian Beach College is a partnership and shared responsibility between the College, students and parents/carers. Programs and practices within Prep are developmentally and age appropriate. They are designed to foster the social, emotional, cognitive, creative and physical development of each individual. Opportunities for children to think critically and creatively, to investigate and explore, to question and challenge and to create and solve problems are an integral part of the program. Learning occurs in active, interactive, individual and collaborative situations.
Prep is designed to provide the foundation that children need to succeed at school by developing:
- a positive approach to learning
- design and technology
- independence and confidence
- thinking and problem-solving skills
- language skills
- early literacy and numeracy skills
- health and physical development, including gross and fine motor skills.
Year 1-4 Overview
During Years 1 – 4 of primary education, students learn to grow and develop in a safe and supportive environment. With small class sizes, teachers are able to have vital individual contact time with students and are able to provide a more independent learning programme for them.
Curriculum
Students spend a great deal of time with their teacher who teaches English, Literacy, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography & Information Technology. In addition to these subjects students have specialist teachers for LOTE (Italian), Music, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Library. The Australian Curriculum and Queensland Studies Authority syllabus documents are followed, with a whole school approach to allow a seamless progression of subject knowledge and content as the students move through the school. Staff undertake professional development on a regular basis to ensure that the current pedagogical practices underpin daily practices.
Social Development
Students in the lower years of primary are encouraged to become co-operative learners. There is a strong emphasis on team work and developing effective strategies to socialise with others and be confident, happy learners. In the lower primary years children learn through hands on activities with the teacher facilitating the learning experiences. Teachers endeavour to make the transition between the phases of learning as smooth as possible and liaise closely with previous teachers to ensure needs are met. Interaction with parents/carers is vital and valued in this process. Students are encouraged to make good decisions towards effective learning and apply their problem solving skills to real life situations.
Camps
Students in Years 3 & 4 attend camp as a compulsory part of the Health and Physical Education program. The camp experience for Junior students provides an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the outdoors, get to know one another, develop independence and work together as a team.
YEAR 5 – YEAR 8
Middle School
Middle School
Middle School (Year 5 – Year 8)
The Middle School at Peregian Beach College commenced in 2017 in response to a trend, both in Australia and internationally, towards addressing the distinct and unique needs of adolescents as a group in transition to adulthood. The creation of the Middle School also enables the College to respond in a more coherent manner to the curriculum requirements of Phase 3 (the final phase) of the Australian Curriculum. Middle schooling with Years 5 to 8, whilst consistent with a true ‘middle school’ philosophy, is unique on the Sunshine Coast.
The emphasis in the Middle School is on an holistic, student-centred style of learning which encompasses the physical, intellectual and emotional well-being of our students. Given the considerable psychological and physiological stresses upon adolescents during their middle school years, it is not surprising that there are reports of a decline in motivation and performance for many students as they move from primary into secondary school.
Middle School is designed to engage student learners at a crucial time in their development, in part by developing a curriculum which ‘emphasises the successful acquisition of broad general knowledge, skills and attitudes, in an interactive process which is relevant, accessible and flexible in its pedagogy’.
Curriculum
The Middle School curriculum at our College sets out the core knowledge, understanding, skills and general capabilities as outlined in the Australian Curriculum documents. Our curriculum uses this documentation to describe the work programmes being implemented as a foundation for students’ future learning and growth.
Our teachers have planned from the curriculum in ways that respond to the needs and interests of both our student body as well as those of the individual. Our curriculum acknowledges the varied ways in which young people learn, as well as the ever-changing body of knowledge which needs to be imparted.
A key element in the education of students during the middle years is the safe broadening of the curriculum. This entails a graduated experience of increased choice, without the worry of having to contend with numerous teachers and classroom changes. The table embedded in the handbook below shows the core curriculum taught each year, as well as the specialisation that occurs, particularly in The Arts and Technology, as students move through their middle years’ education. For information on Middle School courses, click here.
Subjects Studied Include:
- English
- Maths
- History
- Geography
- Digital Technologies
- Food Technology
- PE
- Health
- Business (Year 7 & 8)
- Art
- Music
YEAR 9 – YEAR 12
Senior School
Senior School
Senior Educational Pathway (Year 9 – 12)
Years 9 and 10
[Year 9 Course Guide 2020 Year 10 Course Guide 2020]Students in Years 9 and 10 have a core and elective program. All students in Years 9 and 10 study:
- English (5 lessons a week)
- Mathematics (5 lessons a week)
- History (2 lessons a week)
- Geography (2 lessons a week)
- Science (3 lessons a week)
- Physical Education (2 lessons a week)
- Life Skills (1 lesson a week)
Students in Years 9 & 10 also choose three of the following elective subjects and study each one for 3 lessons a week over the two-year period of Year 9 & 10:
- Visual Art
- Health and Physical Education
- Business Studies
- Food Technology
- Digital Technology
- Music
Making Choices
In making choices for your elective curriculum, it is important to consider subjects which:
- you enjoy
- reflect your ability and or aptitude
- reflect your interests
- provide appropriate challenge and engagement
- develop skills, knowledge and attitudes useful throughout life.
It is also important to keep in mind that the subjects you choose will not limit or affect your future career as the compulsory subjects you undertake keep your options open.
Career Planning
In Year 10, students need to consider their career aspirations and possibilities. They should explore pathways to achieve their goals and formulate their Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan). The SET Plan is usually completed by Year 10 students within the Enhanced Learning Opportunity program in Term 3. Students and parents formulate and develop their plan, which can be reviewed and revised during Senior Schooling within parameters of the QCE and other constraints. Career information should continue to be gathered by the student throughout their senior years of schooling.
Camps Year 9 – 12
The purpose of camp for Senior students is to provide learning opportunities such as problem solving, teamwork skills, environmental awareness and physical and social challenges in a different setting. Many of the activities enrich the curriculum in subjects such as Science, History, Health and Physical Education. Activities are varied depending on the camp location, but may include snorkelling, archery, kayaking, abseiling, bushwalking, high/low ropes and varied team building exercises.
Years 11-12
The Senior Educational Pathway at Peregian Beach College has consistently ensured that students have achieved their desired educational goals. Since our cohort is small, there are advantages upon which we can capitalise. The staff/student ratio is beneficially low and we are able to offer special attention to our students both in terms of staff/student interaction and personalised tuition.
Subjects offered at Peregian Beach College follow Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) syllabi and enable students to gain an Australian Tertiary Administration Rank (ATAR) score and a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). The College also facilitates school-based traineeships.
QCE
The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) is a Queensland’s internationally recognised senior secondary schooling qualification. To be issued a QCE students need to accrue the set amount of learning, at the set standard, in a set pattern, while meeting literacy and numeracy requirements. These requirements are aimed at ensuring students complete their senior schooling with the knowledge and skills they need for success in life beyond school. The QCE is issued to eligible students when they meet all requirements, usually at the end of Year 12 (Student Learning Accounts are closed after nine years).
External Assessment
The assessment program for all general subjects will include external assessment that is:
- common to all schools
- administered under the same conditions, at the same time and on the same day
- developed and marked by the QCAA according to a commonly applied marking scheme
External assessment will be conducted annually in Term 4. The external assessment results will form part of the final subject result for students in conjunction with three internal assessment results. In General Mathematics and Science subjects, the external assessment component will contribute 50% to a student’s final subject result. In all other General subjects, it will contribute 25%. (Applied subjects do not have external assessment)
Standard Delivery (General English & General Mathematical at PBC)
Typically, it is expected that the learning program in the senior years is completed over two years – Year 11 and 12 – with Units 1 and 2 undertaken before Unit 3 and 4 for General syllabuses.
Alternative Sequence Subjects (All other PBC Year 11 & 12 subject options apart from General English and Mathematical Methods)
Alternative sequences have the same objectives, underpinning factors, pedagogical and conceptual framework as the parent syllabus but may reorganise subject matter and assessment requirements to ensure comparable complexity across Units 1 and 2 and Units 3 & 4.
Subjects Year 11 and 12
[Senior Course Guide 2021/2022]The College determines the variety of courses available for study based on student choices and facilities available, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).
At Peregian Beach College, Year 11 students are expected to enrol in six subjects each semester. All students are required to study English, Mathematics (Recommended) and 4 elective subjects.
Permission may be given for students to enrol in fewer than six subjects. This permission is usually given where a student is undertaking an extension program. It may also be desirable to enrol in only 5 subjects where a student is involved in a traineeship or is enrolled in an external course such as Dance, Drama or Language Studies.
LEARNING OPTIONS available at PEREGIAN BEACH COLLEGE
General Subjects (QCAA):
- English (Mandatory)
- Mathematical Methods (Recommended)
- Business
- Music
- Biology
- Visual Art
- PE
- Legal Studies
- Psychology
- Digital technologies (Applied)
General Subjects via Distance Education
General subjects, other than those offered at the College, may be studied through Distance Education upon negotiation with the College. Those subjects offered via that mode would be subjects that students are required to study to meet university entrance. The cost of the first subject (approximately $1500/subject/year) would be paid by the College provided that the student ‘passed’ each semester of the course.
School-Based Traineeships
The College will support students undertaking school-based traineeships (SBT) and apprenticeships. SBTs allow students to train and do paid work in their chosen area (usually for one day a week) while still attending school the rest of the week. The training may occur at work or at a TAFE or a private training organisation. Please note that a training agreement needs to be signed. This is a contract committing the trainer, College, student, parent and employer to the traineeship or apprenticeship. It may be completed after Year 12.
Students interested in pursuing an SBT should do the following:
- Find out what school-based apprenticeships and traineeships there are to choose from.
- Talk to people working in different jobs to find out about the skills they use and where they work.
- Talk to people at school who can help with advice – for example, relevant teachers
- Get experience in the areas you are interested in through volunteer, part-time or holiday jobs or through work experience.
Tertiary Prerequisites/Recommended Studies
All Year 12 students will be issued with a Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) ‘Choose the Future’ booklet from QTAC in Term 3. This is a summary of selection criteria for entry to Universities, TAFE QLD and other tertiary institutions.
Prerequisite subjects for courses to be offered at the respective universities are listed in the booklet referred to above. However, the following general points should be noted.
- Each institution has its own list of prerequisite subjects and these may differ between institutions for similar courses.
- A Satisfactory in General English is a prerequisite for many degree level tertiary courses. At PBC General English is pre-selected since it is a requirement to be passed (C or better) to obtain an ATAR score.
- Mathematics and Science subjects are most commonly listed as prerequisites for Engineering and Health Science courses, however, a variety of other subjects are also mentioned as prerequisites.
- While some subjects are not listed as prerequisites, progress at University will be significantly less demanding if they have been studied in Years 11 and 12.
- Recommended studies and ‘Assumed Knowledge’ schemes have replaced formal subject prerequisites at many universities. To get into most courses, you must have studied and passed specific Senior subjects. The most common subject prerequisite is English (Units 3 and 4, C). To meet this prerequisite, students must have completed a General English subject at Unit 3 and 4 level and attained a grade of C or better overall. Not all courses have subject prerequisites. Instead, some courses have assumed knowledge and/or recommended study. Students who do not have the ‘Assumed Level of Knowledge’ are not prevented from receiving an offer but may encounter difficulty with their studies. The university will assume, or recommend, that you have the subject knowledge.
- Some courses – creative and performance arts programs, for example – have interviews, portfolios or auditions that must be passed.
Life Skills
Peregian Beach College has a highly valued Life Skills program that addresses the social and emotional well-being of our students. The Life Skills program is integrated into the curriculum from Prep to Year 12 (Prep begin in Semester 2).
Life Skills
Life Skills
Peregian Beach College has a highly valued Life Skills program that addresses the social and emotional well-being of our students. The Life Skills program is integrated into the curriculum from Prep to Year 12 (Prep begin in Semester 2).
The College has also implemented the You Can Do It! (YCDI!) Program, which focuses on building the social, emotional and motivational capacity of young people. The YCDI! Program is based on five foundations: Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience and within these foundations, 12 Positive Habits of Mind are supported.
Students have one identified lesson of Life Skills each week although the College values and YCDI! Program are integrated in all learning. A major focus of the program is to teach young people to think more positively and confidently and take more responsibility for their learning.
The Life Skills program in the Junior school is directed by the classroom teacher and in the Middle and Senior school, students have a Life Skills teacher according to their Year group.
The Life Skills (homeroom/classroom) teacher is responsible for the general care and well-being of the students in their group and is the first point of contact regarding student-related issues (academic, behaviour, social, family matters, uniform standards, etc).
During late Term 3 and early Term 4, the Life Skills program focuses on Sexuality & Relationship Education (SRE). The program is based on guidelines provided by Family Planning Qld and develops five general themes at an age appropriate level: Keeping Safe, Understanding our bodies, Developing relationships, Healthy choices, and Living in the community. Prior to the commencement of the program parents will be provided further details of the SRE for each Year level.
Social Development
By providing a supportive and nurturing environment, our College contributes to the development of students’ sense of self-worth, enthusiasm for learning and optimism for the future. All members of our school community know each other well and this engenders respect for individual differences. Excursions, camps, sporting exchanges, artists-in-residence, music programs, school productions, guest speakers, artists and performers, and cultural experiences with European and Asian students all add richness to our students’ social development.
Specialist Subjects
We provide all students with the opportunity to explore a range of specialist subjects. Supporting them to step outside their comfort zones and experience the emotional and academic growth that occurs when meeting new challenges.
Enhanced Learning Opportunities (ELOs)
Our Enhanced Learning Opportunities (ELO’s) provide students with the chance to participate in extra-curricular activities outside of their normal classroom environment.
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Our Vision
Our vision is to educate the individual for life-long success. As a team, our aim is to provide all students at Peregian Beach College with the best possible care in a socially and academically supportive environment that optimises student learning outcomes.