Margaret River Primary School (5287)



School Overview


Margaret River Primary School is a level 5 school located in a picturesque setting with established gardens. There is strong community support for the school, where parents and the local community actively assist in school activities. The school motto is Effort, Excellence, Achievement and students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of specialist areas in and out of school to complement the core learning curriculum. The school offers unique programs in Music, Art, Indonesian, Science, Media and the Physical Education program that includes surf lessons.

The teaching staff bring considerable experience and stability to the school and the programs offered. The school actively promotes inclusive pastoral care and fosters the development of social and emotional well being. We take a whole school approach to literacy and numeracy. School wide pedagogy embraces Inquiry Learning and is well supported by ICT.

Approximately half the school's students live within the Margaret River townsite. New town sub-divisions have resulted in increased enrolments during the last few years. Nine school buses transport over half our school's primary and pre-primary students daily, from seven small rural or special rural communities. Thirteen buses transport children to and from the primary and high schools.

PARENT SUPPORT
Parents are generally very supportive of the school.
Parent volunteers are active in the school on a daily basis and assist with in-school and out-of-school activities. Many classes have rostered parent help and parents are responsive in assisting with book-covering, book-binding projects and Book Fairs.
Parents actively support the canteen, with unpaid volunteers assisting in the canteen weekly.
The school community is proud of the school. Large numbers of substantial donations of time, labour, materials and money have been made to assist the school in its progress. Businesses and service organisations continue to contribute generously to school projects and programs.
The Margaret River Community Action Group, the P & C and the school have combined to build a School Community Kitchen Garden. This has become a vital part of the school with children planting and maintaining the garden. The next part of the garden to be built will be the kitchen and shade facility.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS RELATED TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY
Margaret River is a diverse community within which holistic, 'green'and back-to-basics lifestyles are practised.
The surfing culture which exists in Margaret River and its environs needs to be recognised. A significant number of parents and students are involved in this sporting/social activity, which has an influence on lifestyle, leisure activities, dress, language, attitudes and even reading material.
The sporting pursuits of this community cannot be discounted in considering its culture and social life. Most sports are offered to parents and students alike. Fitness, proficiency, teamwork, and the development focus of children's sports are important features of the community.
The overall picture is one of wide diversity within a monoculture, in which lifestyles issues frequently predominate, where surfing and sports are major preoccupations, with high regard to and for participative performing, musical and creative arts.

GROUNDS, BUILDINGS AND RESOURCES
The school covers a relatively large area: 4.69ha. Much of this area comprises a large sports/playing area, with established gardens in two main areas of the school. Gardens in the north west and western parts of the school have been planted with Australian native bushes and shrubs along the southern border.