Erasmus School

Erasmus Primary School is an independent, non-denominational primary school that draws on some of the great philosophic traditions from across the world. It is devoted to providing the finest education for Years Prep – 6 and is one of the worldwide group of 11 Renaissance schools. The school’s focus is the cultivation of every aspect of the child’s being – body, mind, heart and spirit, and it offers an ambitious and creative curriculum including philosophy, meditation and mindfulness as a way of nurturing these four aspects. All staff and students eat together every day, enjoying a freshly prepared vegetarian morning tea and lunch.

The primary years are the time to lay a firm foundation for the adult of tomorrow. At the heart of all that we do at Erasmus Primary School is the desire to provide each child with what he or she needs to flourish and live a civilised and cultured life for the good of society.

This means developing a character that is caring, thoughtful, resilient, happy, effective and disciplined. Through the provision of the finest materials, a rich and rigorous academic program, performing and fine arts, physical education, classical languages, philosophy, meditation and service, we seek to empower each child to express his or her unique talents wholeheartedly with true self-confidence. Our focus is the cultivation of every aspect of the child’s being – body, mind, heart and spirit.

The aim of Erasmus Primary School is to nurture the whole child – body, mind, heart and spirit. It is part of the School’s vision that our students experience wellbeing in a positive school community with integrated social emotional learning. We are committed to the development of good mental health, resilience and wellbeing.

We appreciate that discipline means to learn useful habits and to follow specific school practices for our own good and the good of others. Our whole-school approach aims to promote positive student behaviour, prevent antisocial behaviour and encourage respect, compassion, cooperation and inclusiveness in a supportive environment that provides equal opportunity and values diversity and fairness.

Erasmus Primary School ensures that the care, safety and welfare of students is in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, and advises staff of their obligations under those laws. The School has policies and procedures to provide students with a safe environment where the risk of harm is minimised and students feel physically and emotionally secure.

We provide a thorough, systematic grounding in all subjects including English, mathematics, scripture and philosophy, science, health and physical education, history, and geography. We take a classical approach to languages including studies in Sanskrit and Latin. A diverse range of visual and performing arts programs includes art, music, drama and dance, and activities such as needlework, woodwork and calligraphy. These pursuits greatly assist in the development of intellectual and cognitive skills, self-expression and fine and gross motor skills.

We use simple mindfulness exercises to help focus the mind and enable children to develop an inner quiet, strength and steadiness. They are then able to attend with greater application to the task at hand. For example, the children learn to pause and be still and quiet for a few moments before and after each activity. From the age of 10, about 10 minutes is set aside twice a day for quiet reflective time. With parental approval, these older children can learn meditation.