Psychologist

Pakenham Primary School’s vision is to create an inclusive school environment that empowers students to achieve their personal best socially, emotionally and academically. Our purpose is to create a learning environment where all students take responsibility for their learning in order to reach their personal best. We provide each student with the academic, social and emotional skills to become lifelong learners and successful participants in society. We aim to create an inclusive, positive and supportive learning environment reflecting a personalised approach to education.

Pakenham Primary School is centred in a rapidly growing area in the South-East growth corridor. The school will work in partnership with the local community to provide authentic learning opportunities for all students.

Pakenham Primary School is a brand new school, built to accommodate 475 primary school students. The school represents an innovative, collaborative and contemporary approach to education.

The school has two Learning Communities that have been architecturally designed to allow for a flexible learning space catering for a range of teaching and learning styles. Each Learning Community will house over 200 students and are designed to incorporate learning activities including art, science, independent learning and flexible group work.

The Learning Communities create collaborative interior and exterior spaces providing rich and diverse learning environments. They include a number of physically enclosed and acoustically separate spaces. The intent is to create choice by providing multiple learning settings that can be used in numerous ways. There are small, sheltered learning terraces linked to the Learning Community buildings to extend the collaborative opportunities of the explicit teaching spaces. Along the length of the Learning Community buildings there are several undercover areas that can also be used in conjunctions with interior spaces. There are multiple openings along the length of the building that open onto the Learning Street. The Learning Street promotes the inclusion of outdoor learning activities.

There is a dedicated building for Performing Arts and Physical Education that will be available from early 2019. There will be a strong focus on developing the arts into the school culture. This building also houses the school canteen and can be used after hours by different user groups.

Pakenham Primary School acknowledges that the behaviour of staff, parents, carers and students has an impact on our school community and culture. We have a shared responsibility to create a positive learning environment for the children and young people at our school. Pakenham Primary School’s three school-wide expectations of Be a Learner, Be Respectful and Be Safe reinforce our positive school culture.

Be a Learner

To be a learner at Pakenham Primary School, students need to value the importance of education, put their best effort into learning, utilise a range of learning strategies to achieve success, and demonstrate a growth mindset.

Be Respectful

To be respectful at Pakenham Primary School, students need to maintain an attitude that demonstrates respect for themselves, others, learning and the environment.

Be Safe

To be safe at Pakenham Primary School, students need to behave in a manner that exhibits safety towards themselves and others, both physically and emotionally, as well as the environment.

The school will ensure our expectations are demonstrated by:

    The provision of a balanced curriculum that caters for individual needs and abilities which encourages academic achievement and personal success

    Ensuring that the development of literacy and numeracy skills and the acquisition of critical thinking, problem solving and decision making strategies are a key part of our curriculum

    Students having a positive and happy attitude to their learning

    The continued development of positive school wide behavioural attitudes and relationships with all members of the school community

    Students, staff and community demonstrating a sense of pride and respect for our school

    The provision of opportunities that engage parents and the local community in the school.

At Pakenham Primary School we foster a belief that each student will be given the opportunity to achieve social, emotional and academic excellence. We aim to ensure each child learns the strategies, behaviours and attitudes of lifelong learners, along with the social skills needed to work, play and get along with others.

Pakenham Primary School presents an exciting and unique opportunity for staff to collaboratively bring the school vision to life.

Staff will be expected to contribute to:

    Creating a professional learning community

    Developing shared practice with a persistent focus on continual improvement

    Developing an innovative pedagogy and curriculum reflective of 21st century learning and maximising the use of the flexible learning spaces

    Developing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment based on School-wide Positive Behaviour support and trauma informed practice

    Engaging the community in student learning.