Our School

Junior School

Growing confident, connected and adaptable learners

Our School

Junior School

Growing confident, connected and adaptable learners

The Scotch College Mitcham Campus is a place for growth.

The Junior School years of a child’s life are a voyage of discovery, during which they develop a love of learning and deep sense of curiosity and creativity. Through our unique Signature Learning Experiences, Scotch provides a safe, supportive and nurturing learning environment to instil a life-long love of learning that will form the ideal foundations for future learning.

Scotch College is a school where every face has a place and each child’s unique talents and interests are valued and encouraged. Our programs and approaches are designed to cater for all interests and learning styles, regardless of gender or background.

Signature Learning Experiences

We design contemporary, signature learning experiences at each stage of the Primary Years to ensure each child’s learning is relevant and purposeful. Whilst many schools aim to make their students ‘future ready’ we understand that ‘today ready’ is just as important. Therefore, our challenge each day is to ensure every child is not only engaged in their learning, but empowered by their learning.

In Prep and Reception, the focus is on developing a love of learning and setting the foundations for future schooling through Wondering & Inquiring and Curiosity & Creativity. Year 1 focusses on Being & Belonging with a view towards valuing every individual’s talents and strengths. In Year 2 students focus on Exploring & Connecting to begin developing greater independence and success.

Year 3 builds on prior years through Identity & Purpose, developing an understanding of others and appreciating diverse views. In Year 4 students build resilience through Courage & Challenges, leading to Year 5 where Scotchies develop their personal voice and involvement through Influence & Action.

The Signature Learning Experiences culminate in Year 6 with Leadership & Collaboration, preparing students for transition to the Middle School years.

By the time student’s leave Mitcham Campus for the Middle School, they will have developed a sense of belonging, a unique personal identity and voice, and the courage and resilience to be the best they can be.

During their years on Mitcham Campus, students and their families work with a team of educators who are committed to ongoing training and working collaboratively to positively impact on all learners, not just those they directly teach.

We know that catering for student learning styles and needs must occur in the classroom with the Home Group teacher, who is responsible for overseeing the majority of a students’ learning. We focus on identifying and meeting each child’s point of need in their learning and moving them forward.

Promoting Leadership

Student personal and peer Leadership is fostered from the first year of school. Each class has delegates who join our environmental ‘Green Team’ and Student Representative Council action groups. Digital Ambassadors are also inducted to support their peers in each Middle and Upper primary class.

Building Strong Foundations

The Reception offering at Scotch College Adelaide is carefully crafted to ensure every student is known, nurtured and valued – academically, socially, emotionally and psychologically.

Before a Reception student even commences at Scotch, they are nurtured through a carefully planned transition program, including ongoing dialogue with our Early Learning and Prep teachers, which continues throughout the first term of a child’s Reception year.

Our youngest students enjoy capped class numbers to ensure the best possible learning environment and an exceptional classroom Literacy program, supplemented by Early Literacy Intervention for students who have assessed needs, providing flexibility for our Home Group teachers to work closely with all students in the classroom.

Beyond the Home Group program, every Reception child also works with specialist teachers in programs such as PE, Swimming, Dance, Drama, Digital Technologies, Science and so much more. From their first day, students are involved in broader programs, initiatives and activities such as the House system, Buddy program, excursions, incursions and an Outdoor Education experience.

Wellbeing & The Live Well Program

Student Wellbeing is at the core of all we do and at the heart of Scotch’s culture. The Scotch Fit model promotes and acknowledges the importance of students being academically fit, physically fit, socially fit and psychologically fit. We also teach stand-alone, ‘Growing with Gratitude’ and ‘Wellbeing and Values Education’ programs.

Nestled into the foothills of the Adelaide Hills, with Brownhill Creek traversing Mitcham Campus, students always have opportunities to climb logs, gather gum nuts, float sticks down the creek or shadow ducklings, along with choices to play on custom built sports courts, playgrounds or on the oval. A progressive Outdoor Education experience also enables students to work in aquatic, coastal, parkland and rural settings.

This broad range of programs and opportunities, both physically and mentally challenging, are critical to the wellbeing of young people. A major element of Wellbeing education at Scotch is the Live Well Program, commencing in Year 5. The program aims to give students the tools they need to be happy, independent and resilient learners ready to take on the world.

Year 5s begin to develop their personal voice and explore the concepts of influence and action, taking major steps into a world where they can take charge of their own learning and personal development. The program continues through to Year 9 in the final year in our Middle School.

This comprehensive learning program is a first in any Australian school with a focus on what it means to lead a life that is well-lived, with modules exploring sustainable living, food, technology and nutrition, physical wellbeing, global responsibility and service learning.

An Inclusive Community

As learning is not something that takes place in the isolation of school, we are committed to establishing and maintaining positive partnerships with parents and carers. We recognise that our families have busy and connected lives beyond school so we aim to keep our communication formats consistent and predictable. Parents are invited into the classrooms on a daily basis and their assistance is always welcomed.

The Junior School also has numerous major community events with wide, family participation, including Sports Day, Swimming Carnivals, Grandparents’ Day and musical performances.

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