Junior school

Our Junior Secondary Program blends the very best of Primary with the very best from High School.  We strengthen the learning foundations with high expectations for reading, numeracy and writing.  We teach your child to adopt a growth mindset and to develop academic, social and emotional resilience.  It is our intention that our program will prepare your child for the best pathway into Senior Secondary learning and beyond.   

Aspley High is a safe and happy place to learn. Students enjoy their learning and teachers enjoy teaching. Classrooms are calm and organised. We believe in a strong home/school partnership and work hard to make sure our communication is effective.  We use email, text message families about absences, report each term and host Parent Information sessions at many times during the year.   

Your Pastoral Care teacher will be the “primary” teacher who will be responsible for making sure you and your child are having a good High School experience. Our teachers love teaching adolescents. They understand the unique characteristics of the adolescent learner and what they need to become resilient learners. Our teachers are expert in their teaching area.   

Mrs Lonsdale is our Deputy Principal for Junior Secondary, Mrs Major is our Head of Year 7/8 and Miss Booth, Junior Secondary Head of Department. These key people are located close to where your children will be learning and playing. 

Our goal is for all students to graduate from our school with the best results possible to ensure the pathway that best suits them.  In the modern educational context, there are many pathways – University, Vocational Study (TAFE), School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships. Given this reality, our responsibility is to ensure that the Junior Secondary School Curriculum offered, builds student capacity and achievement in a broad way, to success in the senior years.

The Aspley High School Junior Secondary Curriculum has been deliberately built around:

We are an Australian Curriculum School.  Students will learn specialist subjects in specialist rooms – purpose built laboratories, workshops and kitchens.  This is a special feature of our Junior Secondary program and will help our students to enjoy high school subjects and to learn subjects like Science in a very different way.  

Features of our Junior Secondary Academic Program include:

• Aspley Leading Learners (a program for our Academic High Performers)
• Reading Program
• Numeracy Program
• Extension classes
• SPAR’C classes in Year 7
• Junior Secondary Science facilities
• Junior Secondary Technology facilities
• Formal School Reports four times a year
• Mentors and Individual Learning Plans
• Homework Club

In Year 7 our students study English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science (History and Geography), Health and Physical Education and LOTE for the full year. Students also study one semester of Technology and one semester of The Arts. The table below outlines the curriculum structure, time allocations and number of teachers that underpins our teaching and learning at Aspley State High School for Year 7.

We encourage our Junior Secondary students to grow beyond the classroom environment, and explore new horizons in the cultural, special and sporting arenas.

Features of our Junior Secondary Cultural and Sporting Program include:

Wellbeing 

Student wellbeing is a critical part of academic success.  At Aspley our Wellbeing Program is recognised by Education Queensland as being outstanding.  Happy, safe and well-supported students are productive students.  Key people involved in wellbeing at Aspley are:  the Pastoral Care Teacher, Junior Secondary Coordinator and Deputy Principal (Junior Secondary) with the assistance of the Guidance Officer, Chaplain, Youth Support Coordinator, Youth Health Nurse, Indigenous Liaison Officer and the Year Eleven Big Brothers and Sisters combining to support students in their transition to Aspley High and in their social and emotional wellbeing. 

The Junior Secondary Wellbeing Program is underpinned by three key concepts – Growth Mindset, Civility and WAIT.  Each concept is woven through the Junior Secondary Program and is the common language used to support students. 

Key elements of our Wellbeing Program include: