Our attentive approach and immersive learning experiences empower each child to wonder in Junior School and beyond.
Split into two pillars, Early Years (PK–2) and Primary Years (3–5), our Junior School is among the best private primary schools in Perth. We pride ourselves on providing exciting and all-encompassing programmes, tailored to how children learn best.
Junior school lays the foundation for all that is to come in a child's educational journey. The early years are an important catalyst in defining their future. We offer a dependable support network and innovative teaching methods to suit students' individual needs and learning styles. This enables them to thrive in our Junior School and beyond.
We are honoured to be amongst some of the top primary schools in Perth, valuing integrity, service and stewardship. We strive to nurture every child to become their best self. Offering a wide variety of intellectual, physical and creative opportunities, our students are encouraged to explore and try new things while learning more about themselves.
Find your child's entry year for our primary school
Select your child's birth date below to calculate their year of entry for our primary school in Perth, as well as subsequent years of schooling.
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Sparking a love of learning
Enrolling at our progressive, independent primary school in Perth means hands-on, engaging learning opportunities will be part of your child's everyday schooling experience. They will be empowered to think independently and become an active inquirer through play, exploration and investigation.
Nature School
Our brains connect to learning experiences in different ways. Whole-body experiences, especially those in natural environments, open up our senses and cognitive function in ways that learning indoors cannot achieve.
Our private primary school is ideally located in Perth, exposing students to the beautiful nature of WA. In Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Pre-Primary, our students head to Bush School at the adjoining Lake Claremont. In Years 1 and 2, they encounter Beach and River School.
Nature School ignites our students' natural curiosity, provokes problem-solving, fosters their innate sense of wonder and encourages a sense of responsibility for the care of their world.
Curriculum and International Baccalaureate
We teach the Australian Curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Through the IB, our students are encouraged to be curious about the world around them and pursue areas of interest in their learning.
Our carefully designed teaching and learning programmes focus on students' engagement and cater to boys' specific learning styles.
Developmental needs
We recognise that all boys develop differently and therefore need a broad-based curriculum that nurtures them through this development stage. At our private Junior School, we offer numerous intellectual, physical and creative opportunities.
Thanks to our substantial Academic Support team, our students also benefit from targeted learning support. This eliminates any learning gaps, in addition to providing challenges and enrichment opportunities.
Tour our private primary school in Perth, WA
We invite you to take a tour of our private primary school in Perth, WA and see the Junior School community in action. Additionally, we are pleased to offer a Discover Day at Scotch College, where your son can gain some insight into the rich experiences on offer. Please contact Admissions by emailing admissions@scotch.wa.edu.au to arrange this.
Find out more about what makes Scotch College one of the top primary schools in Perth. Located in the heart of Swanbourne, our private boys' school offers a nurturing and inclusive environment where students thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
In the video below, our Head of Junior School, Maria Hodges, explains why choosing Scotch is the best choice for your son.
Our boys' primary school has been sectioned into two distinct areas to fit in with the National Quality Framework and Standards: Early Years (PK–2) and Primary Years (3–5).
Early Years (PK–2)
Wonder | Explore | Ignite
The Early Years is when children are in their peak developmental and learning phase. This is where good quality teaching can have the most significant impact on a child's cognitive, social and emotional development.
Children's brains develop at an incredible speed in the early years of life, a time when they form neural pathways and make connections. Learning is rapid at this time, and the foundations built early will be ever relied upon. The experiences and opportunities a child is given are integral to their growth and learning, now and in later years. Put simply, the early years of a child's learning experiences lay the foundation for all that is to come.
Wonder
Wondering about the world and its people, as well as a sense of natural questioning and curiosity, are innate at this young age. We aim to capture and promote this to retain that ability to naturally question for as long as possible. We support children to learn how to act on their wonderings, hypothesise, investigate and make meaning of the world in which they live.
Explore
We encourage children to explore through play. Co-constructed activities and provocations promote critical thinking, enabling learning to occur in an interdisciplinary way. Exploration can lead to discovering a passion, interest or talent. It can also help children become more confident, independent, creative and collaborative.
Ignite
Our mindfully constructed learning environments engage and become our third teacher to provide rich, authentic opportunities. We strive to provide a foundation and passion for lifelong learning, igniting children's interests, curiosities and natural thirst to learn.
Philosophy Statement
As part of the first Quality Improvement Plan embarked upon by the Early Years (PK–2) staff, the following Philosophy Statement was created to encapsulate what it is that we provide for students at our private primary school in Perth.
In the Early Years, we honour the image of the child as one who is capable, competent, rich in potential and unique in their characteristics. Cultural identity and diversity are respected and reflected in our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.
Through provocations, students are empowered to think independently and become active inquirers through play, exploration and investigation. Our mindfully co-constructed learning environments engage and become our third teacher, providing rich, authentic opportunities for children. We strive to provide a foundation and passion for lifelong learning.
To build awareness of the interconnectedness of their world, we take students outdoors to investigate their environment. Our Nature Pedagogy enables children to explore through their innate sense of wonder, ignite their natural curiosity and develop a sense of responsibility for the care of their world.
Building a strong partnership with families and connecting to the surrounding community is the start of a magnificent journey here at Scotch and beyond. We build resilience to develop independence and perseverance when engaging in everyday experiences. Our priority is to ensure all children feel safe, secure and supported in a fun, dynamic and holistic learning community.
Primary Years (3–5)
Inquire | Discover | Strive
In the Primary Years, we recognise that boys have different needs as they grow and learn at different rates. We provide an environment that supports each boy in learning and engaging through our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Our staff have a strong understanding of teaching and engaging boys at each age. Our focus is on ensuring each boy develops his skills and confidence in literacy and numeracy. Our Academic Support team supports classroom teachers to ensure each child is targeted at their exact area of learning needs. This eliminates any learning gaps and provides challenges and enrichment opportunities to support boys with a strong foundation on which to continue their learning into Middle School.
Inquire
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) aims to engage students more than other curricula, incorporating quality practices based on national and international research and the IB global community. Through the PYP, we create an authentic, inquiry-based learning and teaching programme that is engaging, significant, challenging and relevant. Boys are supported to become independent and collaborative learners, as well as encouraged to have voice, choice and ownership in their learning.
Discover
We meet the challenge of creating a positive foundation for school by providing a broad-based curriculum that enables each boy to explore a wide variety of intellectual, physical and creative opportunities. We teach the Australian Curriculum within the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme framework, which empowers boys to wonder about their world and recognise connections between learning areas. This also allows boys to choose and pursue areas of interest in their learning. Specifically built teaching and learning programmes focus on boys' engagement and cater to their specific learning styles.
Strive
We pride ourselves on ensuring we create engaging, challenging and all-encompassing teaching and learning programmes, which are delivered to specifically reach boys and tailored to how we know boys learn best. Our strong pastoral model and genuine care for understanding and relating to each boy are crucial. We work with our boys so they may strive to reach their learning goals and achieve their personal best.
Our points of difference
Teaching and Learning
We teach the Australian Curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, designed to challenge and inspire young minds with a global outlook.
Your child will learn how to think laterally and uncover the world around them while being supported by our experienced staff. In Year 5, each student uses their accumulated findings to develop their own research-based project on a topic of their choice.
Our transdisciplinary units of inquiry are:
Who we are
Where we are in place and time
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organise ourselves
Sharing the planet
We are committed to building solid literacy and numeracy skills while offering a breadth of stimulating subjects. Our Junior School subjects include English, French, Health, Humanities, Mathematics, Performing Art, Physical Education, Science and Visual Art.
Co-Curricular
Our rich Co-Curricular programme offers each student opportunities to explore and learn more about themselves outside the classroom. Your child will be supported by specialised coaches and mentors and use advanced equipment to develop their skills. We tailor each activity to fulfil the needs of students at each age, ensuring each child is engaged and has fun.
Your child can choose from a range of activities and are always encouraged to try something new. Some of the clubs we offer are:
Art
Aviation
Chess
Coding
Cycling
Engineering and Robotics
Environment
Lego League
Mindfulness
Students can also join a swimming squad, music ensemble, band or the annual Drama production.
Community and Service
Giving is important to us. We encourage all of our students to find ways to help other people and their environment with our Service and Citizenship programme. By meeting and learning about other people, our students grow into considerate young people and active community members who strive to do good.
We partner with local charities and hold service activities on campus, each carrying valuable lessons about giving and compassion. All students are encouraged to propose their own service initiatives that are supported by our staff and facilitated at school.
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is centred on the importance of taking action. In each unit of enquiry, we encourage all students to inquire and reflect before considering how they can use their skills to enact positive change. Our annual Junior School Day of Action takes all Junior School students to neighbouring charities, community centres and local beaches to give back to their community.
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing
Helping our students develop strong wellbeing and interpersonal skills from a young age is a priority for us. We know that each student is unique, and we've based our pastoral care approach on ensuring your child feels understood. Every student is known by their teachers for all the things that make them unique — their personality, likes, dislikes and passions — which enables them to feel confident and secure in the classroom.
Our students have no shortage of touchpoints, with classroom teachers, our Chaplain, Psychologists, the Deputy Head of Junior School and the Director of Wellbeing always available for support.
Your child will have four sessions of pastoral care time each school day, including after recess and lunch. We use this time to reflect on pastoral incidences and develop wellbeing strategies in class. Each student is encouraged to express their feelings and constructively resolve conflict within a safe space.
Sport
At our independent primary school, sports are a vital component of students' lives. Your child will have Physical Education lessons each week, where they'll learn how to play sports and develop related skills. We have specialised sports coaches and advanced facilities to help our students learn and understand the benefits of staying physically active. No matter your child's sporting level or experience, our staff are committed to helping them achieve their personal goals and have fun along the way.
Our Year 5 students play in the JPSSA Competition against six other schools. Your child can choose to play Basketball, Cricket, Football, Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo.
Our Year 4 students play against other schools in Basketball, Football, Hockey, Rugby and Soccer carnivals.
Your child will compete in our Inter-House Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics Carnivals and can choose to represent the College in Inter-School competitions throughout the year.
Outdoor Education
Our brains connect to learning experiences in different ways. Whole-body experiences, especially those in natural environments, open up our senses and cognitive function in ways that learning indoors cannot achieve.
Our Junior School students experience the outdoors at our immersive Nature School and Beach School. Set under the trees at the neighbouring Lake Claremont and on the sandy shores of Cottesloe, your child will tap into their imagination and connect with nature.
In Year 4, your child will join our rich Outdoor Education programme, which can continue up to Year 12. They learn how to camp for the first time without venturing too far from home. Your child will spend the night on our grassy Playing Fields and discover how to set up a tent, cook food and read maps.
In Year 5, our students travel to our dedicated Outdoor Education facility in Dwellingup, Moray. Set amidst Jarrah forest and next to the Murray River, it is the perfect hub for camping, rafting, hiking, canoeing, climbing and team building activities.
Information Learning Technology and Libraries
Your child will have the most up-to-date devices, resources and tools to enhance their learning experience. We have a specialised IT team that supports students and families each day. We encourage innovation in every class, and creative use of technology will become a part of your child's everyday learning experiences.
Our modern Junior Middle Library is a vibrant hub containing an array of age-appropriate books, advanced resources and activities. Your child will have regular library sessions where they'll spark a passion for reading and establish lifelong research skills. Our specialised library staff are on hand to help students find information and uncover our extensive library collection. We encourage every student to read daily, kickstarting their literacy skills and enhancing their curiosity.
Specialist Facilities
Our Black Thistle Pirate Ship playground is a popular hub for imaginative play, while our iconic Playing Fields boast hectares of space for children to run and play. Your child will learn in specialist learning areas designed to enhance and complement what we teach. These include the:
Art Centre
Black Thistle Pirate Ship playground
Bush School at Lake Claremont
Early Learning Centre
Heated 50m swimming pool
Junior Middle Library
MacKellar Hall
Performing Arts space
Peripatetic Music instruction rooms
Private Academic Support consultation rooms
Scotch College Playing Fields
Academic Extension
There is no shortage of enrichment and extension opportunities for our Junior School students with natural abilities and talents. We challenge bright young minds within the classroom with an accelerated or extended curriculum. Joined by like-minded peers, we will challenge your child daily with differentiated lessons pitched at their ability level, ensuring each student sees their full potential.
Out of the classroom, we provide insightful mentors, competitions, unique learning programmes, short courses and collaboration opportunities targeted to your child's interests. We also offer international collaborations with Stanford International Institutes and The Nueva School.
Your child will be part of a culture of curiosity, creativity and a service mindset, where the benefits of the inquiry process outweigh the outcome. Separate from the classroom curriculum and teamed with specialised staff and academic mentors, we encourage each student to take opportunities that build on their strengths while challenging them to go beyond their comfort zone.
Academic Support
Our Academic Support programme ensures each child creates solid foundations for their learning journey by offering targeted support, direct intervention and tailored learning plans. We promptly identify students with special education needs or learning difficulties to provide extra support, helping them build confidence, develop fundamental skills and learn in a way that complements them.
Our support teachers and education assistants provide individualised support to students during classes, and our Academic Support team works with class teachers to curate a differentiated curriculum. As our students progress through their school journey, we monitor and track their progress to adjust our learning plans and ensure each student is set in the very best place to achieve their personal best.
Outside School Hours Care
We've partnered with TheirCare — a provider of high-quality outside school hours care — to offer engaging, inclusive and safe before and after school care programmes as part of our Early Learning Centre.
Scotch College is a progressive all boys' private primary school in Perth, Western Australia committed to enriching the lives of our students. Enrol now and discover why we are one of the best independent private primary schools in Perth.
