Junior Years
Junior Years (Prep – 4) at Melbourne Girls Grammar introduces girls to their primary school education and inspires enthusiastic, curious, creative thinkers.
PRIMARY SCHOOL PREP – YEAR 4
At the heart of our Junior Years Program is a commitment to the development of the whole child – connected, resilient and strong young girls are nurtured in open, collaborative spaces.
Our purpose is to encourage your daughter to ask questions about what she is learning, to establish an aptitude for leadership and team-building, as well as social, personal and cultural awareness.
We believe a Melbourne Girls Grammar primary school education best equips girls with the fundamental skills that they will need to be part of the very fast-paced world that they will enter into.
Explore Our Junior Years Curriculum
PHILOSOPHY
In the primary years, we inspire our girls to be curious, to extend their interest in the world around them and to confidently encounter new situations.
The Junior Years Program integrates academic learning with social development. Learning begins with strong foundations in literacy and numeracy – but to develop the whole person this must be extended through a diverse and rich curriculum.
Specialist teachers provide creative and enriching learning experiences in Music, The Arts, Italian, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Physical Education and Information Literacy.
The Prep – Year 4 curriculum demonstrates our holistic approach to education. We want our girls to be creative, critical thinkers, committed, curious and collaborative learners.
WELLBEING
The wellbeing of our girls is a shared responsibility for all our staff. Teams work together to ensure that the social and emotional development of our girls is always a focus.
We respect and foster the diverse talents and interests of every child. Teachers and support staff are focused on delivering personalised experiences of learning, with adjustments made when girls require greater support or extension.
We believe that positive relationships and personal responsibility are the foundations for healthy human development.
Our Year 4 Leadership Program examines great female leaders who demonstrate our values, particularly courage and compassion. An exciting aspect of this program is the involvement of our Year 12 Student Leaders.
eLEARNING
Our girls make use of a range of mobile devices to access information and to supplement and enrich learning activities.
Whilst we are dedicated to ensuring that our students have access to the latest technology, we are also steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that online learning happens in developmentally appropriate and purposeful ways.
Our Junior Years spaces are designed for the seamless integration of technology, with e-boards, technology rich break-out spaces and specialist teaching areas and access that ensures our girls are able to use technology independently to support their learning experiences.
Our students have one-on-one access to devices from Prep through to Year 4 which ranges from iPads, desktop computers and notebooks.
ENGLISH
High importance is placed on the development of comprehension skills, vocabulary and writing competence, of each student.
Literature classes are an integral part of the English Program, where a passion for reading is nurtured within each individual. We encourage our students to be joyful, voracious readers who engage with a variety of literature.
Our well-equipped physical and digital libraries are available at all times for our girls’ reading pleasure and are used daily for recreation, as well as weekly Information Literacy classes.
During their I-Lit classes (a combination of the fields of Information Literacy and Literature), students are taught skills to enable them to navigate the online world with confidence, integrity and safety.
Empowering Tomorrow’s Women
The Junior Years program at Melbourne Girls Grammar harnesses the curiosity of Prep – Year 4 students and encourages girls to discover their passions.
In our Future Proof video series, we’ve collected real-life examples of MGGS alumnae that have pursued their ambitions to achieve great success.
STEM at melbourne girls grammar
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS
Great value is placed on the importance of a strong foundation in STEM disciplines in the Junior Years.
Research tells us that an enhanced and integrated understanding of STEM disciplines will help our girls to be the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future, actively contributing to the society in which they will live.
The most powerful learning happens when teachers can step back and allow children to take ownership and drive their discovery themselves.
Junior Years Educator
Our expert teachers work across Prep – Year 4, providing the girls with learning experiences that incorporate a range of technologies, from telescopes and coding applications, to planting and harvesting in our sustainable gardens.
Through such experiences, our girls have the opportunity to develop their logic, reasoning and troubleshooting abilities, as well as vital skills in the area of collaboration and communication.
co-curricular studies
Health and physical education
Health and Physical Education in the Junior Years provides opportunities for students to develop fundamental motor skills, as well as an understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Swimming, athletics and a range of team sports are available throughout the year.
ITALIAN
The study of a language other than English has long been considered integral to the comprehensive curriculum offered at Melbourne Girls Grammar.
Our program seeks to broaden students’ horizons by developing their intercultural awareness, for an understanding of diversity and difference.
Junior Years Handbook
Download the Junior Years Handbook (.pdf)
PERFORMING ARTS
Each student at Melbourne Girls Grammar is actively involved in composing, creating and performing. A music specialist works with girls from Prep – Year 4, focusing on a sequential aural-vocal program during classroom music.
An instrumental program is offered to students in Years 2 and 3 as part of their curriculum, where students may choose to study violin or cello. Individual students interested in undertaking instrumental lessons also have the opportunity to do so.
Such musical endeavours serve to encourage self-reliance, time management and confidence within our girls.
VISUAL ARTS
The Junior Years Visual Arts Program includes the appreciation of historical and contemporary art and art practice.
Our Art Studio supports the exploration of sculpture, painting and mixed media, as well as incorporating Artists in Residence for innovative projects.
Our girls are encouraged to reflect and discuss their own ideas, artistic process, techniques and challenges, as well as that of other artists.
Co-Curricular Program
When a girl can explore her interests, develop her passions and discover her talent, she becomes fully engaged in the life of her community.
Our girls are encouraged to participate in a broad range of co-curricular clubs, each one designed to engage, inspire and challenge them, in preparation for the Middle Years. These clubs may take place before or after school, or at lunch times.
We offer STEM clubs, Art Clubs, Mindfulness groups, Coding and Robotics Clubs, Day Camps, Book Clubs and more. Along with our experiential camps, the girls are offered a rich suite of co-curricular opportunities.