At Blaxcell Street Public school , we have approximately 827 students, 94% of which speak a language other than English at home. Our school values the development and maintenance of students' home language. We encourage all students to learn their first language as it is the key to building a strong literacy foundation. It also enhances the child cognitive and social development.
We have two community language programs that cater for the students who come from an Arabic or Chinese language background. These languages are taught for two hours per week. During these classes, students are exposed to language programs that aim to maximise their fluency in the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and to enhance their cultural knowledge and understanding of the target language studied.
We base our languages programs on the languages syllabuses K-10 endorsed by the Board of Studies and the Department of Education and Communities.
Students in Year 5 and 6 who are not from an Arabic or Chinese language background attend a cultural studies class which provides a thorough program that engages them with learning experiences about the cultures of the world that surround us.