Welcome to Currambena "….learning in a co-operative environment in which decision-making and authority are shared." (David Cohen, Currambena founder, and friend). We are a democratic school based on the North Shore of Sydney that offers genuinely child-centered education for both pre and primary school children.
Currambena School was founded in 1969, following a Public Meeting of parents and teachers' academics from Macquarie University. With vision and determination, they pursued the possibility of a less formal school where children's curiosity and love of learning could be stimulated, where children's individuality was respected, and where parental input was valued. These were unusual ideas in the mainstream schools of the time.
Established over 40 years ago, we have long been recognized as a leader in innovative educational thinking. At Currambena, we deliver a holistic approach to learning, with the help of a flexible curriculum, which focuses on developing a child's skills for life and high academic standards.
We believe that every child has gifts and talents that can be recognized and developed at Currambena. Our curriculum – all the child's learning experiences – develops from the view that children are adventurous in acquiring knowledge, intellectually curious, keen to find out, and actively engaged in making sense of their world.
We make sure that the child is placed at the center of his or her education, for example:
- The children decide topics in the classroom. The class teachers then draw upon the NSW curriculum to ensure that appropriate skills in all areas are acquired.
- Children's progress in learning is facilitated by negotiation with the teachers, which reveals the options and choices available to the children.
- Our children are placed in classes according to social and academic maturity, friendships, and age. They move to the next group when they are ready. The transition between classes can take place at any time in the school year.
- Continuous individual assessment replaces formal testing.
- Children usually work as individuals or as members of a small group. Whole class teaching is not a significant part of the teaching arrangements. In this way, we believe that the different talents and needs of each child can be addressed.
- The voices of the children are significant; their views are respected. They develop warm, trusting relationships with their teachers.
The needs of the whole child include academic, social, emotional, and physical needs. At Currambena, many kinds of play become the medium through which the child's development occurs. Play enables the children to feel control and competence in their world with their things around them. So, for example, the time children spend building cubbies, climbing trees, or in the sandpit is seen as valuable to their development.
In our experience, the social bonds formed in-play support collaboration on academic projects. Also, individual academic challenges arise naturally in play and are often resolved by research in the classroom. More formal academic studies based on the syllabus documents of the NSW Curriculum are implemented to suit individual children's needs. The school places great value in balancing the academic curriculum with the needs of the whole child.
Children are encouraged to express their needs, stand up for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and make their own decisions through conflict resolution skills. These skills are taught in preschool and throughout school. Parents are also encouraged to use the same skills. Teachers also conflict resolution workshops for adults in the broader community.
A meticulous selection process ensures that teachers are well qualified to teach in our unique environment. They contribute a vital balance of academic qualifications and caring sensitivity to individual needs. Only motivated and committed teachers are chosen, and they are expected to participate in continual professional development. They also critically evaluate the latest trends in education, according to Currambena's philosophy.
