Specialist Learning Areas
Rose Park Primary School prides itself on offering a wide array of specialist learning programs that cater to the diverse interests and talents of our students. Our comprehensive curriculum includes subjects such as The Arts, Physical Education, Music, and Languages. Led by passionate and skilled specialist teachers, these programs provide students with enriching experiences that foster creativity, physical fitness, linguistic skills, and cultural understanding. Through these dynamic and engaging learning opportunities, we strive to cultivate well-rounded, confident, and inquisitive learners ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Physical Education
At Rose Park Primary School, we are committed to fostering healthy, active lifestyles in alignment with the South Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum and the IB Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) philosophy. Every student participates in a 50-minute Physical Education lesson each week, delivered by our specialist PE teacher. These lessons focus on building fundamental movement skills, developing game sense, enhancing spatial awareness, and encouraging teamwork and fair play.
Classroom teachers further complement these sessions with regular fitness activities that support physical development, wellbeing, and engagement.
Throughout the year, students in Years 3–6 take part in a Swimming Carnival (Term 1), while all students from Reception to Year 6 participate in a much-anticipated Sports Day (Term 4). In addition, government grants provide opportunities for all students to experience sports clinics in a range of disciplines such as hockey, tennis, touch football, and volleyball.
School Sport SA
Students aged 10 and above are eligible to represent our school in School Sport SA (formerly SAPSASA) programs, including cross country, swimming, and athletics. Year 6 students also have the opportunity to participate in knock-out sports competitions throughout the year, developing skills in leadership, collaboration, and resilience.
Premier’s Be Active Challenge
The Premier’s Be Active Challenge promotes daily physical activity and wellbeing. Students are encouraged to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for a minimum of 4 weeks. Successful participants are recognised with a medal, supporting our ethos of striving for personal excellence and wellbeing.
At Rose Park Primary School, we inspire our students to lead active, balanced lives, developing lifelong skills and attitudes that are essential for their future.
Japanese
Konnichiwa!
Welcome to Nihongo at Rose Park Primary School.
Our Japanese programme is a vibrant and engaging part of school life at RPPS. Throughout their primary school years, students explore Japanese language and discover the rich culture, traditions and perspectives of Japan.
The programme is thoughtfully structured from Reception to Year 6, with each year level building on prior knowledge to strengthen understanding, confidence and language retention. Learning is carefully aligned with the South Australian Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate – Primary Years Programme, ensuring that language and culture are authentically embedded in every lesson.
Japanese lessons at RPPS are hands-on, interactive and designed to encourage every student to “have a go” in a supportive and inclusive environment. Through games, role-plays, cultural activities and collaborative tasks, students develop their communication skills while building resilience and curiosity.
Special events such as Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day), Matsuri Days, and the inclusion of Japanese elements in our school Sports Day provide meaningful opportunities for students to experience key aspects of Japanese culture in authentic and memorable ways.
Annual visits from our partner schools and universities in Japan provide our students with authentic, real-life opportunities to connect with native Japanese speakers. These meaningful interactions allow students to practise their language skills in genuine contexts while building cross-cultural friendships and understanding. Through these exchanges, students gain confidence, broaden their global perspectives, and strengthen our school’s intercultural connectedness within the wider international community.
We believe that the skills developed through learning a second language — confidence, intercultural understanding, problem-solving and global awareness — are lifelong skills that will benefit our students, no matter where their future learning journeys take them.
Ganbaremashou! Let’s keep learning together.
Science
Science is taught from Reception to Year 6 at Rose Park Primary School. Each student attends a 50 minute lesson per week focusing on the three strands of Science; Science Understanding, Science Inquiry Skills, and Science as a Human Endeavour. Science Understanding is split into a further 4 branches of Science; Biological, Chemical, Physical and Earth and Space. Students engage in an inquiry-based learning program in order to develop as a scientist. This enables them the opportunity to develop their skills in questioning, predicting, planning, conducting, processing and analysing data, evaluating and communicating. Students also reflect on the use and influence of science, and its nature and development as part of their units.
Oliphant Science Awards
During the year, students are able to participate in the Oliphant Science Awards. The Awards allow children to develop their interest in science, by competing in wide range of categories including photography, science writing, posters, crystal investigation, games, computer programming, multimedia, scientific inquiry and models and inventions. The Oliphant Science Awards provide students with an opportunity to expand their scientific literacy, by showing interest and understanding in the world around them and engaging in discussions about science.
Premier’s STEM Challenge
The Premier’s STEM Challenge is an exciting program designed to spark students’ interest in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. By engaging in real-world projects, students enhance their critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills. Open to various year levels, the challenge promotes teamwork and innovation, allowing students to apply STEM knowledge to practical problems. Participants and schools are recognised for their contributions, empowering the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.
Performing Arts
At Rose Park Primary School, Performing Arts supports students to explore ideas, build skills and grow in confidence. Through Music, Drama and Dance, students engage in rich learning experiences that develop strong knowledge of the Arts, practical skills in creating and performing, and important dispositions such as resilience, collaboration, creativity and reflection.
Our specialist program is aligned with the South Australian Curriculum and the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Performing Arts supports the development of PYP Learner Profile attributes and Approaches to Learning while delivering focused, skill-based learning in the Arts. Students are encouraged to be communicators, courageous, reflective thinkers and caring collaborators, developing both artistic capability and transferable lifelong learning skills.
A highlight of the program is the Year 5 production. In 2026, our Year 5 students will present Rock Bottom – The Prehistorical Hysterical Stone Age Rock Musical by Craig Hawes. This exciting production provides students with the opportunity to work together as an ensemble, developing leadership, teamwork and stagecraft while sharing their learning with the wider community.
Technologies
With the exposure to technology becoming more and more prevalent in our children’s lives, we as educators have an obligation to ensure they are able to enjoy the benefits this brings, and whilst not ignoring the potential associated negatives, with correct management (at both school and home) these can be minimised. Benefits such as improved student engagement, enhanced individual learning (speed and style of learning), greater collaboration, enhancing student agency, and developing essential skills for the ever changing workplace.
The classroom of the 21st Century blends onsite and online learning, and with the use of Google Suite for Education and Chrome books, our students will enjoy a wide range of resources available to them. Students will be able to store their work safely and securely (through managed school settings), collaborate with their peers and teachers anywhere, anytime, and have access to a range of Google Apps (Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Presentation tools). By working together, the students will be able to enjoy the benefits the devices will bring, while safely navigating the pitfalls of greater access to technology.
Instrumental Music Teaching
Rose Park Primary School facilitates onsite instrumental music tuition through the Department for Education Instrumental Music (IM) program, and through private providers outside of school hours.
Instrumental Music (IM) offers tuition in strings from Year 3, and woodwind and brass from Year 4, to students in a small group format. These are held weekly for thirty minutes. Tuition costs are supported by the Department, with a levy charged to parents for consumable resources. Parents make private arrangements for purchase or hire of instruments.
The school also facilitates the provision of private tuition by offering space to Learning Through Music tutors outside of school hours. Costs for these lessons are arranged between parents and providers.
