Dear Drummoyne PS Community,
2025 School Planning Update
As we approach the end of the year, our planning for 2025 is well underway. This includes developing class structures, confirming staffing and refining our enrichment programs to ensure they best meet the needs of our students. Thank you to everyone who has provided input through surveys and discussions
Next year, our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Enrichment program will operate K-6 as whole-class sessions, ensuring that every student has access to this valuable learning experience. These sessions will be team-taught by Mr Sutton and classroom teachers, one-hour per week across one semester (two terms), providing all classes with access to engaging, hands-on, innovative and collaborative activities that foster critical and creative thinking.
We are also excited to announce the trial of a new Creative and Practical Arts (CAPA) Enrichment Program in 2025. This program will follow a similar model to the STEAM program and operate in the alternate semester for all classes. Whole-class sessions led by Ms Suzanne Sole and classroom teachers. These sessions will give our students the opportunity to explore and develop their musical, drama and dance skills in a structured and engaging environment. Ms Sole will also be introducing a number of new extra-curricular and performance opportunities for our students with a recorder ensemble and ukulele group already in the works.
The school’s executive team conducted a thorough review of our school practice of forming enrichment classes for high-achieving students in Year 3/4 and 5/6. We carefully considered feedback from staff and families to ensure that the program continues to meet the diverse needs of our learners and aligns with the Department of Education’s priorities, including the High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy. Changes to the organisation of our enrichment classes are as follows,
- We will continue to form enrichment classes in Year 3/4 and 5/6; however, they will be renamed Academic Enrichment Classes.
- Selection criteria will be based on standardised, school-based and DoE test results, with English and mathematics weighted evenly. Counsellor and external assessment results (WISC, WIAT, IQ etc.) may also be considered by the school’s Exec. in special circumstances. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Students will be offered a place in these classes in Year 3 and remain in this cohort for four years. Except in extenuating circumstances, students will not be removed from the program once placed. This change will also apply to all students currently in an enrichment class.
- The cohort will expand every year with additional students to be offered placements in Yr 4, 5 & 6 based on the selection criteria above.
To help facilitate explicit teaching and effective differentiation, particularly in mathematics, Year 3/4 will trial streamed mathematics classes next year, supported by our LaST. For four one-hour sessions per week, students will be placed in streamed classes based on their results in mathematics assessments. These class groups will be regularly reviewed with changes made based on assessment data.
Our enrichment programs are closely aligned with the DoE's High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, which recognises that students can demonstrate high potential and giftedness across a range of areas, not just intellectual, including creative, social-emotional and physical domains. They are designed to foster creativity, collaboration and a love of learning, catering to different strengths and interests while promoting equity of access and opportunity for all students.
Projected student numbers suggest an enrolment of 430 students next year, only slightly down on 2024, with a healthy Kindy enrolment of 66 students. This will mean we will be able to maintain the current class structure next year (3x Kindy classes, 6x 1/2 classes, 5x 3/4 classes, 4x 5/6 classes).
