Your child’s education is one of the most important considerations made by a family. We can assure you, that decision is held in the highest regard when you entrust your child’s educational future with Ridgelands State School.
We look forward to working in partnership, with you and your family to ensure that your child develops to their full potential and has the opportunity to become a successful ‘life-long learner'.
Our distinctive school offers:
- A proud tradition of being a caring, family orientated and supportive school community. At the heart of our planning is a shared vision of children who are caring, respectful and responsible. They are supported within a safe, inclusive learning environment that optimises learning through a commitment to wellbeing.
- A small, rural school atmosphere with a defined physical space of 3 hectares, imparts a community atmosphere and positive school spirit, whilst providing opportunities equal to that of a larger school.
- Experienced and dedicated staff, who work diligently to deliver engaging curriculum that challenges and inspires students, to achieve the highest level of success of which they are capable across all areas – academic, physical, social and emotional.
We achieve this by:
- Implementing clear school-wide behaviour expectations to foster and promote citizenship through respect for self, others and environment.
- Effectively delivering and following the guidelines of the Australian Curriculum and Queensland Curriculum. We have explicit and detailed curriculum and assessment year level plans.
- Implementing a school-wide pedagogical framework that articulates clear expectations about teaching. Teaching demonstrates mastery of all aspects of the Explicit Instruction teaching sequence as outlined by CQ region.
- Incorporating inclusive teaching practices promotes successful learning for all students.
- Differentiating and personalising learning to improve student outcomes from accelerating curriculum to offering support programs for students with learning difficulties.
- Improving teaching and learning through identifying priorities for improved student learning through clearly written measurable goals. Goals articulate high expectations for teaching and student learning. Goals guide and align key strategies and resource allocation.
- Collecting and analysing student data regularly to monitor progress towards achievement of the goals.
- Placing great value on the professional development of our staff to ensure they are provided with skills to deliver the very best teaching to your child to maximise learning.
- Including Indigenous perspectives in curriculum across all year levels and we maintain strong relationships with family groups. Recognize diverse cultures through special events such as National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) celebrations.
- Providing specialist lessons including Music, Languages Other Than English (LOTE) and Physical Education.
- Providing an extensive support network including Guidance Officer, Speech Language Officer, Advisory Visiting Teacher, Learning Support Teacher, Literacy/Numeracy Coach and qualified Teacher Aides.
- Supporting the needs of identified students and work with students’ families to ensure their particular needs are met. Through consultation with parents individual learning plans are designed and implemented.
- Developing leadership skills for aspiring students, assigning portfolios of responsibility for Student Councillors (Year 3 – 6), School Captains, Vice Captains, Sporting House Representatives, Library Monitors and Equestrian as well as Music leaders.
- Encouraging parent and community volunteers to assist in class or with other activities. We celebrate the strong support of a vibrant parent and volunteer community who support the school with their time, energy and commitment.
- Engaging a Chaplaincy service to provide pastoral care and values-based support to our school community.
- Developing a partnership with the Adopt-a-School program run by the Queensland Police Service including the appointment of an Adopt-a-Cop Constable who performs duties at the school.
- Maintaining the latest in classroom technology integrating iPads and interactive whiteboards. Computer labs are located in every teaching space to optimise student learning.
- Offering a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including a competitively successful school equestrian team, chess club and table tennis tournaments.
- Delivering co- curricular enhancement programs such as our award winning Robotics program that strengthens student use and knowledge of computer software and programming. Another example is the Project 600 which emphasises the use of digital pedagogy to engage, connect and draw more out of students to improve student reading results.
- Encouraging regular sporting group program visits, delivered by experienced and professional coaching representatives. Each program is designed to cater to all students irrespective of their aptitudes and interests including Football for Children, Backyard Rugby League, Beak’s Tennis and Greg Norman Golf Foundation.
- Participating in the Rockhampton District Interschool Sports Competition including Athletics, Swimming, Winter (Rugby League, Netball) and/or Summer (Cricket, Softball) team sports.
- Fostering the diversity of student talents by offering the opportunity to participate in great events such as school musicals, singing choirs, eisteddfods and events such as “Music Count Us In”.