Year 5 @ Canterbury: A Flying Start

Year 5 Fully Enrolled For 2024: Please contact our College Registrar for Waiting List information - Tel: 07 3299 0888 | Email: 

Year 5 and 6 at Canterbury is a carefully developed two year program aimed at giving students a flying start to their Senior School education.  It is delivered by a classroom teachers who specialise in upper primary teaching and learning.

Year 5 and 6 students are together the leaders of the Junior School and regular participants in the life of the Senior School.

Year 5 and 6 students take part in the following Senior School activities each year, to create a gentle and supportive introduction to senior schooling:

Sports carnivals, including Athletics and Swimming

House Chorale and Interhouse singing

House meetings

House chapels

Senior School assemblies

Each Year 5 student has a Year 10 buddy and each Year 6 student has a Year 11 buddy, from their same House.

Canterbury’s Year 5 and 6 program consists of a range of unique curriculum:

Spark is an elective-based ‘hands-on’ program for Years 5 and 6 students, unique to Canterbury.

Each semester our students choose a subject to study. Then students from both year levels are combined into the same classroom and taught by relevant staff.

Spark is about building curiosity, encouraging students to try something different, and providing an exceptional opportunity for them to embark on their own learning journey as part of their World Ready Canterbury education.

“I love Spark. I chose the Entrepreneurship subject this semester. Mrs Anderson is teaching us about small business and entrepreneurship.” Grace, Year 5 student.

As part of Curriculum Music, students begin the Immersion Band Program in the second semester of Year 5 and continue through the first semester of Year 6.

Each week, they have a group lesson with specialist instrumental teachers as well as a full band rehearsal with the Coordinator of Bands, Mr James Temple.

Students have the opportunity to learn flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium and percussion and may opt to further their learning by taking lessons in the Studio Tuition Program and/or playing in the Performance Program Beginner Band.

“I am learning the flute as part of the Band Program. I love playing in the big band at school performances with all my friends.” Eliza, Year 5 student.

The Resilience Project logo

The Resilience Project shares the benefits of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness and easy ways to practise these in everyday life, through evidence-based, practical wellbeing strategies and emotionally engaging stories that build resilience in our students.

For more information, go to The Resilience Project

Knowledge-based units are implemented to embed comprehension of complex texts within high-quality curriculum content in History, Geography, Civics and/or Science.

This approach ensures students are reading to learn utilising a range of targeted mentor texts that broaden and deepen their knowledge whilst creating clear connections to other subjects and real-world experiences.

Students are then able to apply this knowledge to a range of contexts and inquiry-based tasks.

Each student at Canterbury will have their progress continually reviewed by their teachers, along with curriculum and support staff.

Enrol in Year 5

Year 5 is a major intake year at Canterbury. An extra class is offered at Year 5 level to cater for additional demand.

“We couldn’t be happier with our decision for our eldest to commence in Year 5 instead of Year 7. She has thrived in the disciplined and kind environment and the opportunities in academic and co-curricular she wouldn’t otherwise have received.” Amarjot, parent of Year 5 student.