Also explore at Whyalla

Supportive Environment

Sunrise at Whyalla is an exciting ELC to Grade 10 school with a highly academic curriculum supported by Christian values.

Our supportive staff bring out the best in every student, whether through intellectual achievement or character development and responsibility.

Learn more about our Primary School, and book a tour with our principal.

Learning Opportunities

In our Primary School, your child will have the opportunity to develop in a variety of areas such as music, sport, and technology while discovering the benefits of serving their communities.

From Grade 4, camps provide opportunities to build confidence and relationships.

While Upper Primary students become buddies with ELC and Reception children.

We encourage parents to get involved in our Primary School and help in class activities or go out on excursions held throughout the year.

Hear from Jessie, a student at Sunrise Whyalla.

Christian values

By building Christian character in your son or daughter, we strive to equip them to fulfil their potential, academically, emotionally, socially and physically. Your child will be encouraged to shine and be all that God has made them to be. To build fun and engaging learning environments we have implemented ‘Fun Fridays’. Every second Friday afternoon, with the help of parents and friends, students get to participate in a variety of activities from arts to games and building.

A biblical worldview forms the foundation for rich and diverse learning and allows students to develop enhanced thinking skills and enthusiastically engage in the joys of discovery.

Kitchen Garden

Our Kitchen Garden Program, which includes an Aqua and Hydroponics setup, is a weekly activity for students to learn about food production, cooking, and sustainability. It’s the perfect complement to our Business Enterprise Program which teaches Upper Primary and Middles School students to operate a small business.

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.

Experiences and Activities

Take a look at some of the exciting experiences Sunrise Whyalla students engage in each year.

  • Aquatics Program
  • Grandparents Day
  • Chaplain Programs
  • Swimming Carnival
  • Sport's Day
  • School Musical
  • Book Week
  • Camps and Excursions
  • Kitchen Garden Program
  • Charity Events
  • Special Days (e.g. Remembrance Day).