Welcome to Palmer Primary School

At Palmer, the staff believe that quality teaching and learning is fundamental to all students reaching their full potential and experiencing success. With this as our overarching philosophy, we have jointly developed our Site Improvement Plan on agreed values, vision and purpose, and identified priorities for establishing optimum learning conditions for all of our students.

The core learning at Palmer Primary School aims to:

· Provide all children with a knowledge rich curriculum with particular emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy.

At Palmer PS you will find that:

· Literacy instruction across all year levels is based on the Orton-Gillingham method, which is highly recommended by dyslexia experts, which includes explicit instruction in the teaching of reading, writing and spelling and covers all elements of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. All staff have completed the O-G four-day training.

· Numeracy instruction also uses explicit instruction and includes a focus on arithmetic fluency (with daily practice opportunities), daily review of previously learned knowledge, and all new content is taught using a systematic and explicit approach. Use of manipulatives in the acquisition stages of instruction is vital and provides scaffolding for students as they move from concrete understandings to representation with symbols and algorithms, and then adapting to abstract, high-level thinking.

· Vertically streamed classes allow for high quality social skill development, mentoring, and interactions that encourage community engagement and participation, and has the added effect of reducing bullying.

· We ensure quality teaching by working as a team to develop whole-school standards and goals for all subjects to ensure a seamless and comprehensive curriculum for all our students, guided by the South Australian Curriculum.

· Staff are continuously engaged in a variety of professional development to ensure we are up-to-date with reputable and supported best practice.

· We develop home / school partnerships to achieve improved learning outcomes.

· We use assessment and reporting practices that inform teaching and learning and also contribute to the partnership and sharing of knowledge of the child’s development with families.

· As a small school which uses explicit direct instruction we are well suited to supporting students with a diverse range of capabilities and interests, including students with extended skills as well as students with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyscalculia and intellectual disability.

· We have extensive experience working with Autistic students and ADHD students, and can provide safe learning environments where all students are respected and supported in their learning.

Well Being

Well-being is a constant focus for us at Palmer PS. We pride ourselves on supporting all our students and work with families and students throughout the year to develop personalised learning plans for those in need. In addition, all staff have completed training in the Berry Street Education Model – a four-day course designed to support staff in understanding more about trauma informed practice.

 

Yours Truly, Lauren Poole

Principal