Learning

Pymble’s Middle School provides each girl in Years 7 and 8 with tailored and challenging learning experiences while nurturing their abilities and interests in a caring and supportive community. Through our comprehensive Academic, Co-curricular and Mind-Body-Spirit programs every girl has the tools she needs to develop her intellectual, emotional, social, physical and spiritual growth during these formative years.

Our Middle School program focuses on mastering subject specific skills, while developing competency in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. Learning is designed to be social, learner-centred and perspective-rich so girls are challenged enough to grow while confident enough to become independent.

In Year 7, all girls study English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, Religion and Ethics, PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education), Music, Visual Arts and Technology, and select one language from French, Japanese, German or Mandarin (Beginner or Heritage level).

In Year 8, students add History as a learning area and are given the choice to continue their Year 7 language choice along with an additional elective; or they can select two electives. Year 8 elective subjects are: Financial Literacy, Latin, Visual Arts, Music, and – by invitation only – Literacy and Learning. Students can also select the ‘Design Thinking’ elective which covers a range of 20-hour subjects such as Entrepreneurship, robotics, coding and more.

LEARNING SUPPORT AND GIFTED AND TALENTED

Our Student Support Services team is dedicated to ensuring that the learning environment at Pymble is fully inclusive and that every girl can access what she needs, from a broad range of learning experiences. Our targeted programs ensure that students with a physical learning or English language difficulty can participate in the education and choices provided by the College on the same basis as all students.

Pymble’s targeted English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) programs for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 will help girls develop and consolidate their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

Meanwhile our Literacy and Learning program underpins core programs to provide additional support for girls with identified learning needs.

Gifted and talented students at Pymble also have the opportunity to extend their learning and to embrace academic excellence through inter-school academic competitions such as the da Vinci Challenge, through the Hypatia program, and via Challenge Café and our Sokratis program.