The principal, staff and students of Forrest Primary School and Deakin Preschool extend to you a warm welcome.
Deakin Preschool is an integral part of Forrest Primary School located on Hopetoun Circuit in Deakin. Deakin is a unique residential suburb of Canberra, adjacent to the National Parliament and the Governor-General's Residence.
We are an International Baccalaureate (IB) World school, delivering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) with 45% of enrolments from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The school educates over 600 students with 44 children attending the preschool.
Deakin Preschool responds to our community by providing an international style of education whereby we bring hearts and minds together to develop global citizens who will make a difference in the world. In order to develop learners who are knowledgeable and compassionate we provide an inspiring, challenging, significant and relevant educational programme.
The preschool programme is informed by Belonging, Being and Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This describes the principles, practices and outcomes that support and enhance young children's learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school.
The framework is a key component of the National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care.
Deakin uses an inquiry model in which students’ question, research and reach their own conclusions, showing their understanding in a variety of ways. We celebrate students who take action to make a difference in our world. The programme uses EYLF principles and practices to explore big concepts, driving deep-thinking and helping students make connections. A Preschool Programme of Inquiry (POI) balances the short term and long term knowledge needs of each child and it helps them make considered choices and take positive actions to make the world a better place.
In all of our endeavours we maintain the integrity of an individualised programme that is tailored to the needs of every child. This has the effect of providing both extension and remediation as appropriate. The preschool uses a Restorative Practice approach to both student welfare and staff cohesion. This approach focuses on developing and maintaining healthy, thriving relationships that underpin effective learning. From this approach we cultivate a strong staff culture and we develop students who are confident, emotionally literate and resilient.
IB learners strive to become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. These attributes represent a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond intellectual development and academic success.
Christine Pilgrim
Principal