Murray Farm Public School
Encyclopedia
Murray Farm Public School (MFPS) is a public primary school in Carlingford
, New South Wales
. It is a relatively large primary school with over 750 students across Kindergarten to 6th grade.
Primarily, students are enrolled from Carlingford and West Pennant Hills
and neighbouring areas. The demographics of this area is somewhat diverse, with families coming from a range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, including Angloaustralian, Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese, Korean and Indian among others. This diversity is reflected in the school's students, with approximately 72% coming from a non-English speaking background (as at 2009).
The school is administered by the Department of Education & Training as part of the Hills Schools Network of the Northern Sydney region. Graduates of the school go on primarily to Carlingford High School
and Muirfield High School
, although a significant number go on to other private, public comprehensive and public selective high schools in the area.
The founding parent groups of the school styled a number of the school's features after Murray, including adopting the Murray of Atholl tartan
(for the girls' school uniform), crest and motto.
students. The school has two challenge classes, with specially selected students in years 3 & 4 in one class and years 5 & 6 in the other class. These classes undertake extension work in a number of areas while still aligning with the teaching programs of the relevant year groups.
. The program began in 2010 with the school teaching students bilingually in English and Japanese
in 2010.. Unlike teaching of Languages other than English that occurs elsewhere in public schools in NSW, the Bilingual teaching at Murray Farm Public School is more immersive involving the integration of the teaching of Japanese with the teaching of other curriculum areas, such as Mathematics
and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE).
In delivering the program, the school has set up strong ties with the Japan Foundation
in Sydney. A Japanese volunteer, sponsored by the Japan Foundation, attends the school daily to assist in the teaching of Japanese.
The program began with students in selected classes in Kindergarten to Year 1. In 2011, as part of the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program, the school has received a grant from the Australian government to further expand the program to provide for the whole school in 2011.
Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It is a relatively large primary school with over 750 students across Kindergarten to 6th grade.
Primarily, students are enrolled from Carlingford and West Pennant Hills
West Pennant Hills, New South Wales
West Pennant Hills is a suburb located in the Hills District region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. West Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire and The Hills Shire...
and neighbouring areas. The demographics of this area is somewhat diverse, with families coming from a range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, including Angloaustralian, Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese, Korean and Indian among others. This diversity is reflected in the school's students, with approximately 72% coming from a non-English speaking background (as at 2009).
The school is administered by the Department of Education & Training as part of the Hills Schools Network of the Northern Sydney region. Graduates of the school go on primarily to Carlingford High School
Carlingford High School
Carlingford High School is a government high school located in Carlingford, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-History:The decision to build a new high school at North Carlingford was made in early 1967...
and Muirfield High School
Muirfield High School
Muirfield High School is a public, co-educational, secondary day school located in North Rocks, a north-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, although a significant number go on to other private, public comprehensive and public selective high schools in the area.
History
The school is named for Andrew Murray, an Australian pioneer who had been granted land in the Carlingford area, and the original farmhouse is believed to be close by to the school's site.The founding parent groups of the school styled a number of the school's features after Murray, including adopting the Murray of Atholl tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
(for the girls' school uniform), crest and motto.
Curriculum
The school teaches a number of subjects in line with the K-6 syllabi produced by the Board of Studies. That being said, a number of different programs are also delivered at the school that extend beyond the normal curricular guidelines.Gifted & Talented
The school places a strong emphasis on providing for gifted & talentedGifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
students. The school has two challenge classes, with specially selected students in years 3 & 4 in one class and years 5 & 6 in the other class. These classes undertake extension work in a number of areas while still aligning with the teaching programs of the relevant year groups.
Bilingual Education
As part of the New South Wales Department of Education & Training's program to promote the learning of priority Asian languages, Murray Farm Public School was chosen as one of four NSW public primary schools to develop bilingual teachingBilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
. The program began in 2010 with the school teaching students bilingually in English and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
in 2010.. Unlike teaching of Languages other than English that occurs elsewhere in public schools in NSW, the Bilingual teaching at Murray Farm Public School is more immersive involving the integration of the teaching of Japanese with the teaching of other curriculum areas, such as Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE).
In delivering the program, the school has set up strong ties with the Japan Foundation
Japan Foundation
The was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
in Sydney. A Japanese volunteer, sponsored by the Japan Foundation, attends the school daily to assist in the teaching of Japanese.
The program began with students in selected classes in Kindergarten to Year 1. In 2011, as part of the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program, the school has received a grant from the Australian government to further expand the program to provide for the whole school in 2011.