School Profile
Willmott Park Primary School serves the township of Craigieburn and surrounding areas, along with two other State Primary Schools, a Catholic Primary School, an Anglican Primary School, a State Secondary School and a new State P-12 School currently under construction. Since first opening in 1995, the school has grown from just over one hundred students to an enrolment of over 620 in 2008. It is anticipated that the school will continue to grow as housing developments continue to expand up around the district. The current school administration considers that there is a limited amount of further growth that the school can comfortably accommodate and that this will be reached in the near future.
Willmott Park Primary School is committed to providing a high quality education for all its students in a safe, caring, stimulating environment. It endeavours to cater for the social, emotional, physical and academic needs of its students. We have embarked on a process of continual improvement, to develop and enhance the quality of all aspects of the school's operations.
Willmott Park Primary School strives to ensure that all students become successful, self motivated, independent life long learners. Willmott Park Primary School has been involved in the Quality in Schools program since 2001 and is strongly committed to its principles. The program has been a catalyst in the introduction of a School Vision statement and a Mission statement, the development of a set of Whole School Values as well as an improvement in school processes and student learning and assessment methods.
The Curriculum programs in the school are monitored by the KLA leaders and the whole process is coordinated by a Curriculum coordinator. The school encourages staff to involve themselves in continual professional development and provides financial backing to allow this to occur. An annual weekend seminar at a non school location has proved very successful in promoting staff morale, goal congruence and an opportunity to further develop skills and understandings.
The school remains strongly committed to the maintenance of the Early Years program with reading, writing, speaking and listening being a focus of the school curriculum. Support and extension programs are offered to students. The Reading Recovery program and an Early Years Coordinator compliment the Literacy program. The Early Years Maths program has also been introduced, with a Numeracy Coordinator offering Maths support and extension programs.
A learning Technology program continues to expand as up to date resources are installed. A Learning Technologies teacher oversees the promotion of programs and assists class teachers and students to develop their skills in this area. A special session each week teaches monitors from each class and these monitors then return to support other students in their class. A computer lab allows for whole class lesons on a regular basis.
Willmott Park Primary School is also proud of its Arts and music programs. Our display boards often feature some of the excellent and varied work done by students during their weekly art lessons. Every second year, the school is involved in a Musical Production. Year prep to four students partake in class based items in the school gym over three nights, while the year five and six students are involved in a full scale musical production at the Plenty Ranges Arts & Convention Centre. Students also perform regularly at school assemblies.
The school prides itself of its Physical Education and Sporting programs, enhanced by the availability of a modern, well equipped gymnasium. Weekly physical education lessons for all students form the skills basis for Inter school sports competitions in the year 5 and 6 classes. Selected students are encouraged to compete in District, Zone and onto State levels in athletics, cross country running and team games. Our Hoop-time basketball teams have been actively involved in the competition for a number of years and participated in many finals.
The school runs a sequential camping program, beginning with a prep breakfast, an evening barbecue at school for year 1 students, an overnight camp at the school in year 2, a two night camp at selected school camps for year 3 and 4 students, extending to a five day program in year 5 and 6. Excursions and incursions also form an important part of our program. Units of work are complimented by excursions to appropriate venues or incursions from relevant people, no more than once per term.
The school places a strong emphasis on Student Welfare. Social skills are actively taught and this is based on the 'You Can Do It' program, with its 5 core foundations. While the school discipline program provides a logical and productive series of consequences, students are supported and encouraged to work through their behaviour difficulties. Student leadership is fostered in areas such as Peer Mediation, Junior School Council and through the year 5-6 Middle Years program. Year five and six students are also responsible for many areas of the school's operation including support in the General Office during lunchtime, whole school announcements, monitoring of the yard duty process, library monitors, securing the bike compound and many others. A buddies program operates in the school allowing older students and younger students to work together. This shows benefits to both age groups.
A facility for the Deaf is established at the school. While the facility runs its own program, it is very much a part of the school, sharing facilities and working in with this school, its Charter, its Mission, its Vision statements and its Values. Deaf Facility Brochure
Students with Disabilities and Impairments are supported by a team of Integration Aides and modified programs. These Integration Aides also support general low achievers in their class. This program is managed by our Integration Coordinator.
The school buildings are surrounded by a spacious playground with attractive gardens. There is a large oval with football and soccer grounds, two full sized basketball courts, a gymnasium and three banks of play equipment. Students are free to borrow sporting equipment at recess and lunch breaks. Another feature of our school is the Lunchtime program of activities for students. These include supervised sport activities, an art program, taekwondo, an open library, computer activities, a dance program and a music program.
Parent Involvement is a big feature of the school. Parents are keenly involved in many aspects of the school program, particularly in the younger classes. A Parents as Tutors program is run on a regular basis and a Classroom Helpers program is scheduled annually. An active Parents and Friends Association supports the school in our fundraising efforts. The School Council takes great pride in the achievement of the school and works hard to lead the school into the challenges of the future.
Willmott Park Primary School looks forward to these challenges and the many innovative and productive developments of the forthcoming strategic planning process.
For more information, click the following link: Information Book
