STEM at Vermont Primary School

At Vermont Primary School, we believe it's important for every child to feel confident using technology. The technological landscape changes so fast it’s important for students to not just know how to use a program but also have a digital toolkit that allows them to learn, solve problems and be prepared for whatever is coming in the future.

Our Digital Technologies program grows with the students. Digitech in Foundation to Year 2, focuses on helping students feel comfortable with technology. They learn basic skills like using a mouse, saving, opening and typing while understanding how digital systems work, and how to stay safe online. From Year 3 to Year 6, the program switches to STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) as students explore bigger ideas like how to think through problems, design solutions, and use coding and technology to create and share their ideas.

We place a strong focus on student voice and giving children the opportunity to follow their interests and work at their own level. The design thinking underpins approach, students are encouraged to identify problems, think creatively, test their ideas, and keep improving their work. We believe these skills aren’t just for technology, they’re life skills that help students in all areas of their learning.  

Students at Vermont Primary School enjoy using a wide range of digital tools. They design in 3D and bring their creations to life with 3D printing. They make animations, games, quizzes and interactive stories using Scratch or other appropriate programming languages based on student skills and passions.  Our robotics program allows students to build, program and problem-solve with real-world challenges, building teamwork and resilience along the way.

Our students in Years 5 and 6 can apply for the FIRST LEGO League competition. This international competition combines robotics, coding, teamwork, and real-world problem solving. Working in teams’ students research a yearly theme, create solutions, and design, build and code a LEGO robot to complete missions on a challenge board. We are proud to have had teams represent our school at both the National Championships and the Asia Pacific Championships in recent years, demonstrating creativity, perseverance and teamwork at the highest

levels.

Technology will keep changing, and that’s exciting! At Vermont Primary School, we aim to give every student the skills, confidence and creativity to enjoy learning with technology and be ready for whatever comes next.