Primary School

From the first day of Reception, Sunrise primary school families share a close bond with the committed and caring staff, all of whom invest deeply in your child’s wellbeing as they journey through to the completion of Grade 6. The small family setting at Sunrise Fullarton contributes to a safe and positive environment to encourage excellent learning outcomes.

Our staff are passionate about building Christian character in all students. We strive to help your child fulfil their potential academically, emotionally, socially, and physically.

As you come for a tour of our school you will see children engaged in learning, you will see them working quietly with pencil and paper, you will see other children working outside getting hands-on learning in the garden with aspects of nature, there will be children working with different materials to understand a maths concept and you will other children doing practical Science experiments.

We understand that all children learn in different ways

We don’t use just one method of teaching at Sunrise, and we need to use a range of teaching strategies to cater for all the needs of children within the class.

On top of that, each subject has particular teaching strategies that work the best. We integrate technology by using iPads throughout our school, but we also understand and recognise that technology has its place and is not the be-all and end-all of learning and our younger years have a real focus on continuing to learn through pencil and paper. The physical act of handwriting is so important for making connections in the brain.

Our senior students are involved in a variety of leadership opportunities, encouraging younger students in faith and academics. They also learn business skills through a hands-on project to set up their own business, providing products and selling to the school community.

Phonics Program

At Sunrise, we take great pride in our Phonics Program. Years of development and refinement have led to outstanding outcomes for our students.

Phonics is an analytical approach to teaching literacy, providing students with the skills to successfully decode both known and unknown words. It is not just about memorisation, but rather, understanding the rules of why words are spelled and sound the way they do. Phonics has shown positive results in our classrooms, is backed by research, and has been perfected by teachers and educators for over 40 years.

Our Sunrise Phonics program is made up of:

Phonograms - Using the phonograms inspired by Spalding and LEM Phonics is the most comprehensive phonics approach available in Australia today. Each phonogram is taught in the order in which it occurs in the English Language, which provides inbuilt strategies for decoding print.
Fingerspelling - teaches children to blend and sound out words based on their phonograms. It provides the scaffolding needed for children to be actively engaged in working out how words are spelled.
Syllables - teaching students how words can be broken down into smaller units and then blended back together has been shown to be essential in teaching good spelling and reading strategies.

Knowledge of the Rules - enables children to approach reading with higher order thinking. Understanding the why can be empowering and motivating for children, rather than becoming a mindless, memory exercise.
Base Words and Endings - teaching students how words can be changed and manipulated by adding endings.

We make Phonics enjoyable for children and through these activities, children become excited about learning to read and write. We believe that Phonics is a crucial part of educating students for reading and writing, and we are dedicated to providing the best possible program to our students.

Bus Service

For your convenience, we offer a bus service before and after school. These services run from the school to Mount Barker. For more information regarding the bus route, our policies as well as the fees, please contact us.

If you wish to register your child for the use of the school bus services, then a student participation/commitment form must be completed. This form is available from the front office.

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Testimonials

School Life

Experiences and Activities

There are some fantastic opportunities for Sunrise Fullarton students to engage in academic, sporting, and artistic events throughout the year including: