Academies of Excellence – STEM, Rock Band, Choir, Football, Netball
Parramatta State School provides opportunities for students to develop specialised skills in targeted areas. Academy of Excellence programs offer formalised programs in STEM, Rock Band, Choir, Football and Netball. These opportunities are are designed to provide extension of skills and learning to identified students, and can provide pathways to transition into Secondary Schooling Excellence programs. Students also develop a sense of belonging and success through particpation in AOE programs.
2025 Fees
$50 for each AOE program
Asssessment & Reporting
Students will have an Academy of Excellence section included on their Report Card.
Program Requirements
Students wil be required to uphold the Student Code of Conduct and attend most AOE sessions to maintain their place in the program.
Students are required to ensure any regular classwork missed is completed during lunch breaks or as additional home work.
Choral Academy – Overview
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The Parramatta SS Choral Academy is a dedicated program for students with a keen interest and talent for singing. The program is essentially practical and aims to develop skills, knowledge and experiences associated with vocal and choral music from a wide range of styles, cultures and periods.
Areas of Study:
- Vocal skills (voice production, tone, timbre and choral blending)
- Musicianship skills (musical literacy, Aural ability and sight-singing)
- Performance skills (solo, small group, large group)Attitudinal Skills (confidence, independence, responsibility, leadership)
- Appreciation skills (choral music, attentive listening, positive audience behaviour)
It is invisaged that by emphasizing and enhancing student abilities to enjoy and participate in vocal and choral music, they will successfully transition into musical excellence programs in high school settings as confident, active performers.
Rock Band Academy - Overview
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The Parramatta SS Rock Band Academy is a dedicated program that caters for all students interested in developing skills in singing, playing guitar, keyboard or percussion instruments such as Cajon, Djembe and drums. The Academy program is an extension of the classroom music program and provides students with the opportunity to experience the expressive qualities of music through learning to play a rock band instrument.The program is essentially practical and aims to develop skills, knowledge and experiences associated with rock and pop music performance and production.
Areas of Study
- Working as a team
- The instruments (Keyboard, Drum Kit, Guitar, Bass Guitar, vocals)
- Rhythmic and Melodic perception
- Performance
- Stage set up
- Musical literacy
It is intended that through enhancing student abilities to enjoy and participate in rock band music, they will successfully transition into musical excellence programs in high school settings as confident, active performers.
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths
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The Parramatta STEM Academy is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of high achieving Science, Technology and Mathematics students in years 4 to 6, and to inspire them to pursue their interest in STEM. The aim of the program is to deliver quality learning experiences that are engaging, rigorous and develop skills such as team work, project management, critical thinking and problem solving.Aims of the Academy
The aim of the academy is to:
- Develop computational thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Increased chance of participation in STEM subjects in high school.
- Develop young people into responsible, respectful, cooperative and helpful contributors to society through STEM.
- Improve female and Indigenous student participation in STEM.
- Raise the profile of STEM within the school.
- Provide opportunities for students to develop STEM literacy.
- Provide a pathway for entrance into the excellence programs at Cairns State High or Trinity Bay High School.
- Provide opportunities for participation in community-based citizen science projects.
In STEM lessons, students will be immersed in project-based learning in teams that focus on real-world problems that require authentic solutions. Some of the types of activities that students can learn and participate in include:
- Creating multimedia presentations particularly animations
- Coding drones
- Using a visual blocks-based coding program
- Build robotic systems or product for a purpose, including, EV3's, Vex go and mbots
- Create applications
- App development
- Citizen science investigations
Success in STEM requires the developments of vital skills and thinking processes, the academy aims to use challenging and contextual experiences to focus on developing the follow particular skills:
- Team work
- Problem solving
- Project management
- Critical and creative thinking
- Inquiry
- Mentoring
SPORTING ACADEMIES
Football
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The Parramatta State School Football Academy is a dedicated program for students with a keen interest and talent for football. The program focuses on skill acquisition, game simulation and skill application into game situations.
There are three stages of the Football Academy of Excellence.
- Stage 1 - Foundation (Year 4 Students)
- Stage 2 - Development (Year 5 Students)
- Stage 3 - Transition (Year 6 Students)
All stages will include 2 specialised academy lessons per week.
The Academy Structure
The Academy operates at three levels: These include; Foundation, Development and Transition. These programs have been designed to cater for the differing skill levels and overall needs of students enrolled in the Football Academy.
Areas of Focus:
- First Touch
- Passing
- Dribbling
- Shooting and tackling
Academy Program:
Week 1-5 – Skill Acquisition Phase
- Students will be taught foundational skills and apply them to game situations
- Ball mastery
- Dribbling
- Passing
- Receiving
- Conditioning
Week 6-9– Game simulation
- Players will participate in small sided games
- Use of skills acquired in acquisition phase
- Games against other schools
Week 10 – Reflection
The Parramatta State School Netball Academy is a dedicated program for students with a keen interest and talent for netball. The program focuses on skill acquisition, game simulation and skill application into game situations.
There are three stages of the Netball Academy of Excellence.
- Stage 1 - Net (Year 3 and Year 4 Students)
- Stage 2 - Set (Year 5 Students)
- Stage 3 - Go (Year 6 Students)
All stages will include 2 specialised academy lessons per week. Additional after school training sessions may also be require prior to competitions. (Parents and Carers will receive prior notification and approval for any after school hours training)
The Academy Structure
The Academy operates at three levels: These include; Foundation, Development and Transition. These programs have been designed to cater for the differing skill levels and overall needs of students enrolled in the Netball Academy.
Areas of Focus:
- Balance and reaction
- Passing
- Catching
- Footwork- pivoting
- Goal shooting
- Dodging
- Intercepting
- Leading
- Defensive skills
Academy Program:
Week 1-5 – Skill Acquisition Phase
- Students will be taught foundational skills and apply them to game situations
- Ball mastery
- Catching
- Passing
- Footwork
- Conditioning
Week 6-9– Game simulation
- Players will participate in small sided games
- Use of skills acquired in acquisition phase
- Understanding of positions and basic rules
Week 10 – Reflection