We are a student centred school where everyone is valued, where we build authentic relationships, develop a love of learning, have access to a comprehensive and contemporary curriculum and become responsible citizens and confident lifelong learners.

We build our student's capacity to be great communicators, thinkers, collaborators and researchers who manage themselves effectively and are invested in the ownership and success of their learning. 

We ensure a personalised approach to our student’s learning based on their strengths, challenges, interests, talents, experiences and background. Learning and Teaching is explicit and scaffolded to establish learning intentions, success criteria and feedback to ensure access and success for all.

Our faith is at the centre of everything that we do at St Peter's Primary School. We are committed to fostering an environment where we educate the whole person and encourage everyone to reach their full potential.

At St Peter's Primary School, Religious Education promotes the message of Jesus and develops children's understandings of living as a person of faith within their family, school, parish and the wider community. Religious Education permeates all aspects of the curriculum and school activities.

We teach Religious Education using an integrated inquiry approach in line with the new Horizons of Hope Religious Education Curriculum Framework (developed by Catholic Education Melbourne).

Religious Education at St Peter's Primary School aims to help students grow as faith filled people. We aim to build on the experiences of each student, enhance their opportunity for rich dialogue with others and allow them to form their own understandings and make deep connections with their faith.

Our Catholic faith is evident through the artwork and displays around our school. The provision of prayer spaces and the priority of prayer in the school’s daily life supports and enhances our Church’s mission.

Teachers, in their relationships with students, continually give witness to the gospel. We aim to work in partnership with parents who are the primary educators of their children and the creators of the environment in which their children first come to know and love God.​

At St Peter’s Primary School the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, with human dignity at its centre, are embedded in student’s learning experiences across the curriculum and underpin all we do.

At St Peter’s Primary School the aim of Mathematics in Prep - 6  is to enable students to appreciate Mathematics as an essential and relevant part of life and develop their ability to work mathematically.​

We encourage positive attitudes towards learning by developing students’ understanding for applying Mathematics effectively to become proficient problem solvers and to value the place of Mathematics in society.

Through our daily Mathematics program students will:

• Develop a sound understanding of mathematical concepts, processes and strategies and the capacity to use these in solving problems

• Develop the ability to apply their mathematics to analyse situations and solve real life problems

• Develop appropriate language for the effective communication of mathematical ideas and experiences

• Develop an appreciation of the applications to mathematics of technology, including calculators and computers

Developing Digital Literacy Skills

At St Peter’s students have the opportunity to develop digital literacy skills and enhance their learning across all curriculum areas.  Students at all levels have experience in using coding programs such as Scratch and Scratch junior. The students use a range of hardware, including iPads and Chromebooks which are used extensively as tools to enhance learning.

Students have access to a wide variety of software to support teaching and learning. The Seesaw application is used by students to share their learning with their families in an effort to strengthen the relationship between school and home.

Programs related to cyber safety are implemented across all levels. We aim to develop skills and understandings which will enable students to become safe, responsible and respectful digital citizens.

Contemporary Learning gives attention to identifying core knowledge, skills and understandings that are required to be successful in today's world. Core capacities such as higher order thinking, creativity, collaboration and the use of contemporary literacies are considered to be powerful learning opportunities for the contemporary learner.

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At St Peter's Primary School we believe that education should be about developing the whole child. As empowered and intrinsically motivated individuals, students develop the critical skills and understandings that will allow them to be successful, active participants in an ever-changing and increasingly global community.

 Informed by The Victorian Curriculum and guided by the principles and knowledge of how each individual student learns, we provide a developmental approach to teaching which maximises opportunities for success for every student. Creativity, cooperation, problem solving, self-direction, self-regulation, empathy and the capacity to manage change are embedded throughout the curriculum.

As much as possible, we aim to provide learning experiences that:

• allow for flexible learning pathways

• respond to diverse needs

• develop contemporary literacies

• foster communities of learning

• enable rich and timely assessments

At St Peter’s, we value the diverse language backgrounds of our families. We know that Language is much more than a subject – it is a way to connect with one another, to communicate with the ‘other’, to learn about ourselves and to learn from someone else.

The language of Italian is taught at every level. Students have explicit Italian instruction every day, with the expectation that the words being learnt are used throughout the day. We know that using a language is the best way to learn it! Words and gestures are used to enable all learners to embed the new knowledge. Our focus is on 100 common words, that once learnt, will enable students to form sentences and enjoy conversing in Italian.

We also encourage students and families to maintain use of their mother tongue. Languages education offers learners different ways to understand and value diverse peoples’ languages and cultures. While English is important in our globalised world, it is also important to maintain and build academic knowledge of home languages or an additional language, so that young people can work, communicate and collaborate with others across the world.

Visual Arts includes the fields of art, craft and design. Students create visual art works that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas. They learn about the role of the artist, craftsperson and designer and their contribution to society. Students learn about the relationships between the viewer and artworks. Visual Arts supports students to view the world through various lenses and contexts. Learning in the Visual Arts helps students to develop understanding of world cultures and their responsibilities as global citizens.

At St Peter’s, students receive a dedicated 90 minutes per fortnight with our Visual Art specialist teacher. 

We recognise it is just as important to enjoy the process and flow of creating as it is to complete a finished response. Students are able to both relax and challenge themselves whilst immersed in their art, as they continue and strive to produce a diverse and wide range of artforms which reflects the influence of many historical and contemporary cultures and artists. 

Music develops confidence in students to be creative, innovative, thoughtful, skilful and informed musicians. They learn skills to listen, improvise, compose, interpret, perform, and respond to different genres of Music. Students learn about music and music practices across global communities, cultures and musical traditions. At St Peter’s, all students have a Music lesson weekly with our Specialist teacher.                                                 

The curriculum is covered using different instruments across the school. Our students in Foundation - Year 2  are introduced to hand percussion, (including the xylophone), basic movement, solo performance (in class) following a basic tune and also, beginning and emerging performance skills as a part of a group.

In Years 3-6 students are introduced to the Ukulele, learning skills including strumming patterns, rhythm and 2-3 chords and then building on their skills to know many chords and confidently performing. Each class becomes more coordinated with singing and  playing the ukulele. Choral singing is practised and performance skills are further developed as part of a group.

Students are able to demonstrate their skills performing at assemblies, school concerts and also the Clayton Festival.

Physical Education is the acquisition of movement skills, concepts and strategies to enable students to confidently, competently and creatively participate in a range of physical activities. As a foundation for lifelong physical activity participation and enhanced performance, students develop proficiency in movement skills, physical activities and movement concepts and acquire an understanding of the science behind how the body moves. In doing so, they develop an appreciation of the significance of physical activity, outdoor recreation and sport both in Australian society and globally. 

Students at St Peter’s participate in one 45 minute lesson with a specialist teacher each week. Students also take part in a more games based lesson with their class teacher weekly, to reinforce the skills being taught through our specialist program.

Inter school sport

St Peter’s is a member of Sporting Schools Victoria, and joins in a variety of inter school sport opportunities. In Years 5 and 6 there are events across the school year including cross country, athletics, basketball, soft ball, netball and soccer. Students in Years 3 and 4 also have opportunities in gala days for cross country, athletics, T Ball and basketball.

Intra School Sport

All students compete in their house colours in different carnivals though the year, including cross country, Running sprints and house sports.

The swimming program at St Peter’s is for all year levels, usually occurring in Term 4 using the local facilities at Clayton Aquatic Centre. These lessons are run by an external swimming school.