Junior School
Starting early makes a difference
We believe children are capable, creative learners – and our expert educators are here to nurture that. At St Michael's Junior School, small class sizes, dedicated teachers and a strong sense of community create an environment where every child is known, supported and encouraged to thrive.
Our ELC and Junior School are underpinned by a rigorous, evidence-based curriculum that takes a balanced approach to explicit teaching and inquiry-based learning. We design every experience with intention – nurturing curiosity, supporting identity development and building the academic foundations students need to thrive.
By the end of Year 6, St Michael’s students are well prepared for secondary school, equipped with strong literacy and numeracy skills, a sense of belonging, and emerging strengths across academic, creative and sporting pursuits.
An inside look
Why choose our Junior School
Our Junior School brings together strong academic foundations, genuine wellbeing support, and experiences that stretch beyond the classroom — because we know that children don't just need to know things, they need to feel capable, connected and curious about the world around them.
Lower Primary School (Prep to Year 3)
The early years of school are where so much begins — a love of reading, a curiosity about numbers, the first real friendships. At St Michael's, we take that seriously.
From Prep, children are immersed in a curriculum that balances structured, evidence-based teaching with experiences designed to genuinely spark curiosity. We want children to love learning, and we also want them to be strong at it.
Curriculum Highlights
Our curriculum spans English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts, Literature and Research, Spirituality and Languages — with French or Mandarin beginning in Prep. STEM opportunities introduce robotics, coding and design from the earliest years, building comfort and confidence with technology long before it becomes expected.
Signature Programs
- Little Farmers (Prep) – exploring life cycles through hands-on learning at Collingwood Children’s Farm.
- Surfer Gulls (Year 1) – teamwork, resilience, and water safety with Port Melbourne Life Saving Club.
- Sailing Cygnets (Year 2) – developing independence through sailing and environmental exploration at Albert Park Lake.
- Penguin Squad (Year 3) – partnering with Earth Care to study and protect St Kilda’s penguin colony.
Beyond the Classroom
Swimming, gymnastics, local excursions and a first overnight Exodus camp in Year 2 round out an active, connected school life. Co-curricular activities include Kitchen Garden, Art, Robotics, Chess Club, Junior Band and House activities — so there's always something for every child to look forward to.
Upper Primary School (Years 4 to 6)
The upper years of Junior School are where children build on the foundations of learning. Learning broadens into leadership, community and real-world problem-solving. Students take on greater responsibility, think more critically about complex ideas, and start building the independence that will carry them into secondary school and beyond.
Curriculum Highlights
Transdisciplinary Inquiry connects English, Mathematics, Humanities, Science and STEM, supported by specialist subjects across Languages, Visual and Performing Arts, PE and Sport, and Literature and Research. Students develop digital fluency through coding, digital and design technologies. In Years 4–6, Complex Competencies as outlined by the University of Melbourne are formally recognised and accredited, giving students a language for their own strengths.
Signature Programs
- Conservation and Ethics Through Culture (Year 4) – explore how First Peoples in Asia and Boonwurrung Country care for land, animals, and ecosystems through deep cultural knowledge, tradition, and creativity. Through immersive experiences at Yalukit Willim, Melbourne Zoo and the St Kilda Botanic Gardens Ecocentre, students learn how to read and respond to the living world around them.
- Lead the Future (Year 5) – explore leadership as a shared responsibility that grows from self-understanding, collaboration, and civic action. Working alongside local council, Kids in Philanthropy and Port Melbourne Football Club, students develop the awareness and confidence to contribute meaningfully to the communities they are part of.
- Enterprising Futures (Year 6) – step into the world of entrepreneurship, design thinking, and purposeful storytelling. Rooted in the school's Learner Dispositions — Just, Agile, Curious, and Confident — and brought to life through the Signature Strengths, the program challenges students to move from idea to real-world impact.
Beyond the Classroom
Multi-day Exodus camps take learning well outside the classroom — Coastal Guardians in Year 4, a journey through history at Sovereign Hill in Year 5, and a Canberra study tour in Year 6. Leadership pathways include Captains, House Leaders, Music Leaders, STEM Leaders, Community Action Leaders and SRC. Co-curricular opportunities expand across sport teams, robotics, music ensembles, community action projects and extended tuition in STEM and the Arts.
Award-winning spaces that inspire
St Michael's Junior School facilities were purpose-built to support primary school children as they collaborate, explore, make things and find their own ways of thinking.
Marlton House and the Allan Pizzey Building offer flexible, home-like classrooms with breakout spaces for both collaboration and quiet, independent work — environments where belonging is felt, not just talked about. The Octavius Brown Kitchen Garden serves as an outdoor classroom where students grow and prepare their own produce, connecting sustainability, science and food education in a way that simply can't be replicated inside four walls.
The Gipson Commons brings together a Knowledge Commons library, a STEM hub and collaborative study spaces, all connected to the wider school community through an on-site café. The award-winning Centre for Inquiry and Innovation supports research, design thinking and problem-solving — giving students the space and the tools to take an idea somewhere real.
The St Michael's Difference
St Michael’s is one of Australia’s leading independent coeducational schools, educating more than 1200 students from Kindergarten to VCE. We acknowledge the Boonwurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which St Michael’s stands. We pay respect to their ancestors, elders and emerging leaders, and we are committed to reconciliation through authentic relationships and continued cultural learning.
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