Gooseberry Hill Primary School (5551)



School Overview


Gooseberry Hill Primary School is located approximately 20 kilometres from the CBD in a unique bush setting with nearby national parks and local reserves and it is often frequented by a range of bird life and native wildlife. The school was established in 1972 and during this time has created an enviable record of being a nurturing school, committed to excellence and supported by a caring community.

The School became an Independent Public School in 2012 and this has given the school community some measure of autonomy to steer its guided path in the government school system. The School caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

The experienced school staff members have developed a real sense of community and commitment to the school and assist in developing and coordinating programs which assist students to learn.

The school operates on whole school literacy and numeracy plans to strengthen the skills of all students in Literacy and Numeracy. The staff strives for excellence in all areas resulting in a number of our students gaining entry to academic excellence programmes and specialist arts programs when they venture to secondary education.

The classrooms are well appointed with interactive whiteboards in each classroom and a shared bank of computers for students to develop their research skills on the internet with teacher direction

As part of the environmental program the school has partnered with Kanyana Native Wildlife and Rehabilitation Centre and senior students visit each week to help care for the animals. Student engagement in environmental programs has had a positive impact on student leadership and involvement in their local and wider communities. The students learn about alternative energy sources and continue to undertake their responsibility to the environment through the school's waste paper and battery recycling programs.

The Languages program provides students with the opportunity to be immersed in another culture with students from all year levels learning Indonesian.

Our Performing Arts Program has been a focus at the School and students have successfully participated in the prestigious Government Schools Music Festivals held at the Crown Theatre and at the Hills' Stirk Festival in singing and dance. The Junior and Senior Choirs have performed at assemblies throughout the year and in the wider community as part of the school's community involvement program. Students in Year 3 have access to violin and viola through the School of Instrumental Music and selected students from Years 4-7 have access to tuition in Brass, Cello, Guitar and Flute and Ensemble through this program.

The Visual Arts Program is an integral part of our whole school program with activities being arranged to support class themes. Students with skill and a passion for Art/Craft continue to have success winning scholarships to the special Arts program at Kalamunda SHS. The classrooms are saturated in the colour of children's work especially during parent displays and parent evenings where the school showcases its talent.

There are numerous opportunities for students to learn and participate in a range of sports including triathlons, basketball, netball, soccer, and football. Students also have the opportunity to participate in annual interschool swimming, cross country and athletic carnivals. As part of their sport and physical education programs students are involved in a range of clinics which include cricket, soccer, football, golf, rugby and basketball. In addition to our school sports program, continued funding has been obtained from the Federal Government to run school sports program with a focus on skill development and fitness in an array of sports such as fencing, tennis, netball, swimming, Aussie Rules football, hurling, goal ball and boomerang throwing.

A feature of this school is the collaborative partnerships developed between the parents and school community which provides a spirit of enterprise when working on school projects. The school community is proactive in providing amenities for the students and there is the expectation from parents that they will contribute to the fabric of the school.