School Profile

Bairnsdale Primary School (known locally as ‘754’ after its school number) is situated on the Princes Highway in Bairnsdale, a rural city with a population of 11 000 in the State of Victoria, AUSTRALIA. It has a fine tradition of scholarship, community involvement and a caring environment that has been built up over the 140 years of the school’s history.

Some of the present students are proud to be direct descendants of children who attended the school during the last century. The school’s motto Vestigia nulla retrorsum (No Backward Steps) and the school emblem symbolise the relationship between the spiritual, academic and physical aspects of life.

The historic school building is classified by the National Trust and is important to the whole community. The grounds reflect the garden nature of the centre of the city and are constantly improved for both aesthetic and practical reasons. During recent years a School Master Plan was developed and is being implemented with stage two just completed. To date this has seen the building of a Multi Purpose Hall, a Music Room, four General Purpose Classrooms, a Library and the major redevelopment of the school playgrounds and gardens.

The school’s enrolment of 270 is drawn from a wide range of localities including the central city, East Bairnsdale and the surrounding rural districts. Many children travel to and from the school in buses or in private cars.

This school community has developed over a large number of years a respect for high achievement in all areas of student learning. Learning programs are provided in the following eight Key Learning Areas:

Mathematics, English, The Arts, Science, Technology, Study of Society and the Environment, Health and Physical Education and a Language Other Than English. The LOTE- Auslan-is taught throughout the school. A Japanese cultural program continues to be part of the S.O.S.E. program supported by the Assistants to Teachers of Japanese program.

Enrichment programs designed to extend children’s capabilities are offered in a range of areas including Instrumental Music, Artists in Residence, Tournament of Minds, RACV Energy Breakthrough, Mathematics Talent Quest, Bairnsdale Junior Community Award, Nestle Writing Competition, “First People’s Project”, University of New South Wales Mathematics Competition and the annual Musical Production. A highly developed program for students with disabilities and impairments owes its success to the emphasis being placed on the abilities of children not the disabilities.

The school is organised and co-ordinated in three levels – Junior, Middle and Senior. The organization of classes across the school includes both composite classes and single year levels, depending on numbers and the educational needs of the students.

The school strives to maintain Department of Education, Employment and Training priorities and initiatives, including Learning Technology, Science, Middle Years and Early Years Literacy and Numeracy.

Because there are many Koorie children in the school special programs are taken to raise the level of understanding of Koorie culture for all children. Close links are maintained with the local Koorie organisations, with Koorie cultural activities being a feature of the school.

A climate of shared responsibility between students, teachers, parents and the wider community is seen as an essential element to continued success by all children.

Parents are encouraged to become involved in program development , resourcing and roles in daily activities. A whole school approach to student behaviour has been conducted in the school for several years. This team approach has resulted in a uniform code of expectations and a very wide range of strategies being used to assist individual children.

The school is enriched by having children from a wide range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. “754” will continue to offer all children equal educational opportunities. During the next three years the school’s priorities will concentrate on Learning Technology and Numeracy.