Director of Teaching and Learning, Nadia Maglica

Find out about some of the fantastic opportunities on offer to our students this semester: 

1     Year 5 students to partner with Futureneers Adelaide to tackle real-world challenges.
2     VET Certificate III in Sports Coaching is underway for Year 10 and 11 students.  

Year 5 Students to Partner with Futureneers Adelaide to Tackle Real-World Challenges!  

Next term, our Year 5 students will have an exciting opportunity to work with Futureneers Adelaide for a five-week engineering challenge designed to bring to stretch their collaboration, creativity and STEM cognition skills.  

Pulteney is partnering with Futureneers Adelaide founder Ben Kelly. “We use robotics and emerging technology as the vessel, not the destination. The real goal is building the dispositions every child needs for a future none of us can fully predict yet, curiosity, problem solving, and the resilience to keep going when the first attempt doesn’t work. Every child deserves the chance to think critically, solve problems, and step confidently into a future that’s being built right now.” 

Ben is also partnering with the University of Adelaide’s ThincSeed Accelerator, where he is researching how schools can integrate the Digital Technologies curriculum into cross-disciplinary projects that provide authentic, industry-connected learning. 

A bit about Ben: 

I’m a biomedical engineering student at Flinders and the founder of Futureneers Adelaide. I got into biomedical engineering with a particular interest in developing prosthetic devices, it’s a nice crossroad between my interest in maths and physics and the human body, and helping people. After spending time working in schools, I kept seeing capable students lose interest in maths and science well before they’d had a real chance to enjoy it. I found robotics to be a beautiful hybrid of the physical and digital world, a way to bring maths, science and engineering concepts to life while building the digital literacy skills students need for the future. As a kid I was obsessed with sequencing and building marble runs, working out how one action triggers the next, and that same idea, learning by building and testing rather than being told, is the framework I still use to introduce coding today.  

Working with highly intuitive LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime kits, our students will investigate authentic community and environmental problems before designing, coding, testing and refining their own solutions.  

Each Year 5 class will undertake a different challenge: 

• Automated Recycling: Students will design an automated recycling bin that uses a reflectance sensor to distinguish between materials based on the amount of light they reflect, before sorting them accordingly. 

• South Terrace Crossing: Students will investigate accessibility around the Park Lands and design a pedestrian crossing signal, considering how engineering can make shared spaces safer and more accessible. 

We look forward to seeing our Year 5 students think like engineers! Can’t wait to see what solutions they create! 

Building future coaches through the Certificate III in Sports Coaching

This semester has marked an exciting milestone for Pulteney Grammar with the introduction of our new Certificate III in Sport Coaching course, delivered to both Year 10 and Year 11 students in partnership with the Australian College of Sport. Designed to provide students with a nationally recognised qualification while remaining fully integrated within the school timetable, the course offers a unique blend of academic challenge, leadership development and practical learning. The program reflects Pulteney’s commitment to creating purposeful learning experiences that connect classroom learning with opportunities beyond school.

The Certificate III in Sport Coaching has been developed to support students with interests in sport, leadership, coaching, teaching and working with others. Throughout the course, students learn how to plan, conduct and evaluate coaching sessions, communicate effectively with participants, manage interpersonal situations, respond to emergency scenarios, and create safe and inclusive sporting environments.

Beyond the qualification itself, students are developing highly transferable skills including leadership, communication, collaboration, organisation, critical thinking and self-management. These capabilities are highly valued by universities, employers and community organisations and will serve students well regardless of the career pathway they ultimately choose.

“It’s different to normal lessons because we have to manage its organisation, but it also gives us the freedom to determine what we do.” – Jemima Darling – Year 10 Sports Coaching Student

The course also provides valuable future pathways. Students gain a nationally recognised qualification while still at school, strengthening opportunities in sport and recreation industries, coaching roles, education, leadership positions and further vocational training. It also complements Stage 1 and Stage 2 Physical Education, particularly the coaching and performance analysis components of Senior PE. For some students, completion of a Certificate III qualification can contribute towards their SACE and ATAR pathway while also providing greater flexibility in their senior school studies.

Importantly, the qualification has strong links to employment opportunities. Pulteney currently engages more than 50 Old Scholars as coaches within our co-curricular sporting program, demonstrating the growing demand for knowledgeable and capable young coaches. Students who complete the qualification are well positioned to pursue coaching and mentoring opportunities both within and beyond the Pulteney community.

“I’m hoping to learn the skills necessary to then come back and coach in the School’s Co-curricular program after I finish.” Rose Pryce – Year 10 Sports Coaching Student

One of the most pleasing aspects of the program’s inaugural implementation has been the enthusiasm and growth already demonstrated by students. They have quickly begun to understand the responsibilities associated with a vocational qualification and have embraced the challenge of demonstrating competency through practical coaching contexts. Staff have already observed growth in students’ ability to plan, implement and reflect on their coaching, while the collaborative nature of the course has encouraged students to learn from both teacher and peer feedback.

Students have already explored a wide range of coaching concepts including coaching principles, session planning, participant needs, skill acquisition, inclusion and effective coaching methodologies. As the semester progresses, they will continue applying these concepts in practical settings while further refining their ability to lead, motivate and support others.

“ I hope to use the skills I’ve learnt for job opportunities and to improve my leadership skills for the future” Tommy Jarmer – Year 11 Sports Coaching Student

The success of the program thus far reinforces the value of providing students with learning experiences that connect theory to practice. We look forward to seeing this inaugural cohort continue to develop the confidence, knowledge and expertise required to become effective coaches, leaders and role models within our co-curricular community.

The Certificate III in Sport Coaching represents an exciting addition to Pulteney’s learning pathways and exemplifies the School’s commitment to developing young people who are not only successful learners, but also capable contributors to their communities. Through this qualification, students are gaining industry-recognised credentials while developing the curiosity, leadership, resilience and collaboration that underpin the Pulteney Learner Compass and will serve them well long after they leave school.

Matt Down
Head of Health & Physical Education