Whole School Inquiry

Whole school inquiry is an approach where all year levels within the school connect to intentional conceptual learning in multiple directions. These concepts become visible as we engage in differentiated learning opportunities to extend upon children’s thinking through their explorations of our environments.  

Whilst working on our whole school inquiry, children co-construct knowledge—moving from what they already know to building new understandings and making fresh discoveries. Together, we gather information from a variety of sources during our research, form hypotheses, manipulate materials to enhance possible connections, engage in quotidian discussions and debate critically, ask questions and pose wonderings, reflect on and rework our original thinking collaboratively. Then we revisit and represent our new ideas in a variety of formats and through many different languages.

As we embrace an Image of Educator that emphasises lifelong learning, we place emphasis on our pedagogical growth and development as educators to continue to engage in constant research. This provides us with rich opportunities to come together as a community to decide upon a research statement that we can unpack in multiple ways across all year levels. 

One key aspect is that we collaborate with each other to share our observations of children’s inquiries throughout the year to direct us towards our whole school inquiry. We become researchers as we analyse learning, connect with concepts, discuss possibilities and intentionally plan for whole school inquiry. Our shared learning spaces are uniquely connected. They are additional classrooms where children of all ages explore in small groups and inspire each other’s thinking. This naturally promotes the power of whole school inquiry as children explore the same concept through multiple lenses. 

We engage in inquiry with children in a way that invites them to become researchers, thinkers, and creators. We are opening up their world, encouraging questions and wonderings, and facilitating their joy in discovery and learning! We welcome you to view one of our digital galleries created to showcase our whole school inquiry by clicking on the links below! 

Pre-Nursery / Step – Up

N1A The Caring Storytellers

N1B The Kind Leaves

N1C Creative Designers

Nursery 2 Above and Below Ground

Specialists