Gunnedah South Public School

Gunnedah South Public School, located in the New England Region of New South Wales, comprises approximately 460 students, with 19% of the school population identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The school is set on nearly four acres of sporting field, grass areas playgrounds and vibrant classrooms. It offers students the opportunity to learn in a happy, motivated and safe environment. Our core values of integrity, excellence, respect, responsibility, cooperation, participation, care, fairness and democracy are embedded within all aspects of Gunnedah South's school life. The school is devoted to excellence in all academic, sporting, cultural and social endeavours and it aims to give students the best opportunities available though a committed focus on Quality Teaching and Learning. Staff work together to enable and inspire the intellectual, physical, social and emotional capacity of each student. Students are provided with a high quality education so that they may learn to the best of their ability and become self-disciplined, tolerant and contributing members of the school and community. Our learning environments challenge students with personalised learning activities through flexible curriculum delivery. Individual students are the continued focus for our staff within and beyond the school, leading to an ownership of learning that serves students from pre-school through to their post-school life. Our aim is for every student in our school to enthusiastically engage with their learning and perform to the best of their ability. Students demonstrate a healthy self-image and effective interpersonal skills. The teaching and support staff of Gunnedah South are enthusiastic and committed to ongoing professional learning and are members of professional associations and/or networks. Staffs are aware of and use professional practices and new technologies to support their teaching. The school is committed to sustainable and innovative leadership, which is evident through teamwork and supportive teaching building a capacity to deliver high quality programs to achieve excellent educational outcomes for all students. Gunnedah South employs the Accelerated Literacy approach throughout infants and primary classrooms to teach reading, writing and talking and listening skills. It has been responsible for a resurgence in student enthusiasm and high student outcomes in literacy. In the AL approach students experience high levels of engagement, success and involvement in lessons and therefore develop deep learning and understanding of literate strategies and techniques used by authors. Social and emotional learning is a large focus within the school. It employs the You Can Do It program as a pro-active way to develop the student's self esteem, confidence, peer relations and mutual respect for others. The school strives to help every child achieve their potential and take their place as responsible and productive members of society.