Activities that enhance the school experience for
each and every student.

Forest School

Our exceptional Forest School Program is an inquiry-based learning approach where students can spend time outside the classroom engaging with God’s natural creation, which they uncover each week by exploring our school's beautiful bushland. Based on the Forest School Movement in the United Kingdom, there is a strong focus on providing children with experiences that develop self-confidence, resilience, appropriate risk-taking, and enhance social and emotional skills.

Classes rotate through the program, with each class allocated a term during the year to build on their knowledge and understanding by participating in age-appropriate activities, learning new skills, and exploring various locations around the school. The Forest School Program teaches students to be stewards of God’s world and treat all His creation with respect.

STEM

We place a strong emphasis on embedding STEM into learning. We also have a specialist STEM teacher and a dedicated Stem Lab. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and focuses on equipping students for the future.

STEM encourages students to be curious and overcome challenges through investigation and problem-solving. These ideas are important because we use them in everyday life to help others, build a better community, and solve problems.

Physical Education

Your child will have the opportunity to be part of a strong and active Health and Physical Education Program. Not only are students engaged in physical activity during Physical Education lessons, but they also have opportunities to join teams and represent our school at sporting events. All classes integrate fitness activities into their daily program. Students also participate in yearly swimming and a biannual gymnastics program as part of the curriculum for Physical Education.

Music

Our Music Program at Northern is unique in how it unlocks students’ God-given gifts through worship and praise. Self-discipline, working collaboratively, and growing performance skills are major focuses in weekly lessons with our specialist music teacher. Students can also join the Music Interest and Choir programs. Both groups have opportunities to perform within the school community. In addition, second year students are involved in our drama and music production. Students learn the value of working together while expressing themselves and bringing joy to their audiences.

Social & Emotional Learning

Our goal is to equip every student to grow and flourish. Supported by our counsellor and chaplains, we have schoolwide, classroom, and individual strategies to support social and emotional learning. Helping children self-regulate and grow their understanding of their own and others’ emotions is achieved by using the Zones of Regulation. An internationally-renowned intervention tool, the Zones of Regulation assist children to be aware of and manage difficult feelings, known as 'self-regulation'. All students regularly participate in activities to develop their self-regulation skills.

Camp Program

Students in Years 3 to 6 experience the opportunity to build relationships between teachers, parents and peers through our Camp Program. Bonds are built through shared experiences, laughter and making memories. The biennial Canberra Trip is a highlight for our Years 5 and 6 students and the biennial ‘Drive In Cinema Night’ for our Prep to Year 2 students is also a favourite on the calendar.

You Can Sit With Me

As a christian school, we believe we need to be intentional in our kindness. The same loving-kindness God has poured on us in Jesus. As kindness is a school value, the You Can Sit With Me initiative encourages students to be deliberate with their kindness. Students from each year group are nominated as Ambassadors and wear brightly coloured wrist bands which indicate to their peers they are willing to ‘sit with them’. During recess and lunch if a child has no one to play with, they can find a ‘You Can Sit With Me’ Ambassador and be welcomed into the activity the Ambassador is participating in.