CarlingfordPublicSchool

　　Carlingford Public School, a K-6 school with more than a century of history and tradition in providing quality education to the children from the Carlingford and surrounding districts of North Western Sydney.

　　Carlingford is a caring community school which prides itself on its small school atmosphere while providing outstanding personal development and self-esteem programs, comprehensive student welfare policies and holding high expectations for all students. The school has expansive attractive grounds, large, well resourced, inviting classrooms, a school hall, new library and technology centres, allowing outstanding learning opportunities for all students. The core business of the school is to ensure that all students learn to their maximum potential, achieved in a stimulating safe and happy environment.

　　The dedicated, highly skilled staff at Carlingford Public School are committed to ensuring every child becomes a successful learner. We have a strong focus on the development of literacy and numeracy skills and provide a wide range of extra-curricula activities to extend and enrich student learning. Beyond the classroom, students have the opportunity to participate in extensive Dance, Drama, Band, Technology, Choir, Debating, Public Speaking and Interschool Competitive Sport programs.

　　Within a happy, caring environment, students are encouraged to aspire to achieve their personal best at all times. Student learning outcomes are high in comparison to like school and state benchmarks. In last year's NAPLAN assessment, Carlingford was ranked number 1 from 20 surrounding schools in both Literacy and Numeracy growth. We relentlessly pursue excellence as we seek to equip each child for their life-long journey in learning.

　　In recognition of the diversity of achievement amongst our students, Carlingford provides a wide range of educational experiences that enable us to meet specific learning needs. Gifted students are catered for through a differentiated curriculum where they are given the opportunity to achieve their best through carefully structured programs and strategies. Students with particular learning difficulties receive extra support from staff trained in working with students with special needs. For students to whom English is not their first language specific support programs are provided.

　　At Carlingford, we endeavour to ensure our students' primary school experiences are happy, productive and rewarding. All students are treated with respect and individual needs are met in a caring, responsive approach. The development of positive attitudes, self-esteem, self-discipline and respect of others is fostered through recognition, achievement and appropriate reinforcement.

　　The wonderful support and excellent contributions in the education of their children by parents and family members makes for a very strong partnership and contributes greatly to the high reputation that is enjoyed by our school and students within the wider community. For the benefit of working parents Before and After School Care is available on site.

　　Key Learning Areas

　　Knowing what your child is learning helps you support them throughout their education. Find out about the curriculum and learning opportunities offered for students to challenge their thinking, and make the most of their unique talents.

　　Primary learning includes whole-class, group and individual activities designed to develop an inquiring mind and teach basic learning skills needed for schooling and later life.

　　Literacy and numeracy are the building blocks of learning and that is why English and mathematics take up half of students' learning time in primary school.

　　Kindergarten to Year 6 focuses on six key learning areas:

　　English

　　Mathematics

　　Science and Technology

　　Human Society and Its Environment

　　Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

　　Creative Arts

　　Primary school in NSW follows a curriculum based on stages of learning. Each stage is approximately equivalent to two school years. For each learning stage there are skills, knowledge and a level of understanding that each student should develop.

　　Early Stage 1 refers to Kindergarten

　　Stage 1 includes Years 1 and 2

　　Stage 2 includes Years 3 and 4

　　Stage 3 includes Years 5 and 6

　　Gifted and talented students are found in all communities regardless of their ethnic, cultural or socio-economic backgrounds. The gifted population includes students who are underachieving and who have disabilities. It is imperative that school communities develop effective, equitable and defensible identification programs that avoid cultural bias and provide developmentally appropriate programs for gifted and talented students.

　　Gifted students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following areas of ability at school - intellectual, creative, social and physical.

　　At Carlingford Public School our Gifted and Talented program provides these students with learning opportunities on top of the normal curriculum and differentiated programs embedded within the normal curriculum.

　　Could your child be Gifted?

　　Research indicates that approximately 10% of the population is gifted and/or talented in one or more of the domains listed above. Parents often believe that their child could be gifted.

　　So how do you find out?

　　If your child is displaying one or more of the following characteristics then further identification procedures need to be undertaken to successfully indentify your child as a gifted and talented student.

　　? exceptional reasoning abilities

　　? rapid learning and abstract thinking

　　? creativity and imagination

　　? analytical skills and empathy

　　? excellent humour

　　? superior insight

　　? exceptional problem-solving abilities

　　? high degree of social responsibility.

　　The characteristics above are by no means the only ones that exist and it does not automatically mean that your child is gifted and talented if they display any of those characteristics.

　　Identifying your child's gifts

　　There are a variety of ways to identify giftedness in children, including IQ tests, creative tests and behaviour checklists. The following packages are available to help you, your teacher and the school determine whether your child is gifted and to some degree the level of giftedness.

　　DET Gifted and Talented Policy

　　Parent information package

　　Gifted and talented students identification support

　　Opportunity classes

　　Selective schools

　　Accelerated classes

　　DET Selective high school and opportunity class placement policy

　　At Carlingford Public School we believe that a strong partnership must exist between parents and the school in order to allow the children the best opportunity to learn to their potential in order to maximise their educational outcome.

　　We believe that:

　　children have a right to learn to their potential

　　learning occurs when children are immersed in a stimulating and secure environment

　　a planned comprehensive approach will continually improve student learning outcomes

　　students will take responsibility and progress in their learning by taking risks within supportive student-teacher relationships

　　it is important to nurture an environment where children are happy and feel valued

　　by welcoming parents and taking their concerns seriously and objectively we provide a positive environment for all families and enhance the relationship between home and school

　　our staff maintain a standard of excellence through ongoing professional learning and by providing sequential, challenging and innovative teaching and learning programs.