Murray Farm Public School

Murray Farm Public School
Latin: Tout Pret Always Ready
Location
Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°45′56.64″S 151°2′19.81″E / 33.7657333°S 151.0388361°E / -33.7657333; 151.0388361Coordinates: 33°45′56.64″S 151°2′19.81″E / 33.7657333°S 151.0388361°E / -33.7657333; 151.0388361
Information
School type	Public, Coeducational Primary School
Established	1969[1]
Principal	Colin Booth
Deputy Principals	Sharon Williams Terry Gorrie
Grades	K-6
Enrolment	~752[2]
Campus type	Suburban
Colour(s)	Tartan of Clan Murray, Dark Green, Teal and Red
Website	www.murrayfarm-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

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.^[2]

Primarily, students are enrolled from Carlingford and West Pennant Hills and neighbouring areas^[3]. 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.^[4] This diversity is reflected in the school's students, with approximately 72% coming from a non-English speaking background (as at 2009).^[5]

The school is administered by the Department of Education & Training as part of the Hills Schools Network of the Northern Sydney region.^[6] 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.

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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 & 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 teaching. The program began in 2010 with the school teaching students bilingually in English and Japanese in 2010.^[7][8]. 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.^[9]

The program began with students in selected classes in Kindergarten to Year 1^[5]. 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.^[10][11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "School History - Murray Farm Public School". http://www.murrayfarm-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/school-information/history.html. Retrieved 2010-12-28. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "School Locator - Murray farm Public School". School Locator. NSW Public Schools. http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=4401. Retrieved 2010-12-28. 
3. ^ "Enrolment - Murray farm Public School". Murray Farm PS. http://www.murrayfarm-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/school-information/administration.html. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
4. ^ "2006 Census QuickStats : Carlingford (State Suburb)". 2006 Census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?locationLastSearchTerm=carlingford&locationSearchTerm=carlingford&newarea=SSC11187&submitbutton=View+QuickStats+%3E&mapdisplay=on&collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC11187&geography=&method=Place+of+Usual+Residence&productlabel=&producttype=QuickStats&topic=&navmapdisplayed=true&javascript=true&breadcrumb=PL&topholder=0&leftholder=0&currentaction=104&action=401&textversion=false&subaction=1#Country%20of%20Birth. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Murray Farm Public School 2009 Annual Report". NSW Dept. of Education & Training. 2009. http://www.murrayfarm-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/school-information/documents/MFPS_ASR_2009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
6. ^ "Hills Schools Network". NSW Dept. of Education & Training. http://www.hornsbyd.det.nsw.edu.au/Hillsn.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
7. ^ Vanessa Bradbury. "Murray Farm Public School says konnichiwa to languages". http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/murray-farm-public-school-says-konnichiwa-to-languages/. Retrieved 2010-12-28. 
8. ^ "Bilingual Schools Program: Participating schools". http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/languages/bilingual/schools.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-28. 
9. ^ Marina Miki. "The Japan Foundation, Sydney : Language Learning - Teacher Training". http://www.jpf.org.au/03_language/activities-marina-aug10.html. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
10. ^ "Week 8 Term 4 2010 Newsletter". Murray Farm Public School. http://user.enewsexperts.com.au/ws/viewimage.aspx?c=AAdVJ2G_dq84Ly8vnsisLyD2%5BSDqhgHJ&i=2107&ct=application/pdf&f=Newsletter%20Week%208%20Term%204%202010.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
11. ^ "Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools – Round Two 2010". DEEWR, Australian Government. http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NALSSP/Documents/NSWRound2.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-02.