How do you decide whether to move your son to a preparatory school for Year 5 and 6? Here are a few benefits that may help you to make your decision....
In NSW primary schools, the Stage 3 curriculum begins in Year 5 – so it is the perfect time to consider a switch. Year 6 builds on the work started in Year 5 and offers more challenges, but for confident students this may become a time of boredom, particularly if a good range of extension activities are not offered. The Junior School’s teaching staff includes specialist teachers for math, languages, music and drama. A switch in Year 5 offers new faces, new teachers and new learning opportunities that can keep your son engaged and challenged … and at Waverley College there are no composite classes. Ever.
How many boys are in your son’s year now? Six? Twelve? 30? … How about 145? That’s how many students are in Year 5 at Waverley College, yet the school is probably no bigger – and maybe considerably smaller – than your son’s current school, at just 290 students. For your son, this means he can explore new friendships and friendship groups, developing enduring connections that will carry over into high school and beyond.
Does your son’s teacher say he’s disruptive? … or that he sometimes finds it difficult to concentrate or sit still? Differences in learning styles between girls and boys are most pronounced in younger children. Boys are generally action-oriented, often competitive and impulsive. Adapting the classroom to suit these learning preferences happens naturally in a single sex environment. A move for Years 5 and 6 means any slippage in performance can be addressed before the he starts high school.
A preparatory school does not need to accommodate the needs of very young children and can focus on providing its rapidly maturing youngsters with the right support to develop good organisational skills, independence and self-reliance. At Waverley College, new Year 5 students often comment on the high expectations of their teachers, the pride they gain from meeting those standards, and the confidence they feel after achieving – and in many cases exceeding – expectations.
Settling into a new school at Year 5 smooths the path to high school by removing the fears associated with making new friends and adapting to unfamiliar environments. After entering Year 5 at Waverley College, students are guaranteed a place in the Senior School. Familiarity with the Senior Campus, plus a matching timetable and shared teachers, means the move to high school becomes much less daunting when Year 7 arrives.
Every child should enjoy sport, and we can help your son to explore his potential. Year 5 students have access to basketball, cricket, softball, tennis, touch football, water polo and swimming in summer; and AFL, football, rugby and athletics in winter. In most sports we compete against other independent schools and there are opportunities to succeed at Regional, State and National levels. Sport benefits boys by enriching relationships and building character, teamwork, skills and fitness – all important personal development milestones.
If you are spending lots of time and quite a bit of money on your son’s sport and other interests, a move in Year 5 will see much of this work shifted from your shoulders. At Waverley College he’ll be kept busy with two weekly sport training sessions followed by Saturday games, which are a compulsory part of the school program. Public speaking, debating, musical ensembles and choir are also available if he wants to get involved. Private music tuition costs a little extra, but is organised for you by the College with lessons before or after school, or even during the school day. In the summer months Waverley College also runs a swim school onsite at its aquatic centre. Does your son argue about doing his homework? We can help. A free Homework Club runs after school until 4:45 Monday to Thursday.
Recent research has shown that close to 50% of men say a male teacher has been a fundamental role model in their lives. Half also said that they found a male teacher more approachable and worked harder in class for them. So it makes sense to look for a school where your son will have this option. Including specialist teachers, at Waverley College Junior School we have equal representation of male and female teachers.
Confidence is great – cockiness, not so much; and that can happen when your son begins to outgrow his primary school environment. Boys tend to love boundaries, so our systems for wellbeing and discipline take into account the need for clear expectations on everything from behaviour to uniform and homework. Impulsiveness at this age is typical, so the opportunity to recover from mistakes is crucial. At Waverley College, we place the wellbeing of our students at the heart of everything we do. We have developed unique structures and leadership to help liberate your son’s potential.
Waverley College was established in 1903 and over more than 113 years its community has contributed to the outstanding facilities now available. They include a Student Wellbeing Centre, Health Centre, technology workshops, Performing Arts Centre, Gymnasium, commercial and domestic kitchens, Queens Park playing grounds, Chapel, two libraries, canteens, tennis courts, pool and diving pool, basketball courts, cricket nets, and state of the art technology with a MacBook Air laptop program and wifi throughout the campus. Right from Year 5 our students benefit from access to these great facilities.
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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