Babakin Primary School (5020)

School Overview


At Babakin Primary School we make a difference in how students feel, learn and develop so that every student can achieve their personal best, feel happy and build confidence for tackling all life's future challenges. Our school is small, but our ambition for our students is not. We prepare students to take their place in the wider world with confidence and success, guiding their learning from Kindergarten to Year 6 through individual education plans. In addition, we run a 0-4 program called KidzKonnecting at which we welcome young children from the surrounding area to develop their early learning and social skills, accompanied by a parent/caregiver.

We provide students with opportunities to access the Western Australian Curriculum in full, as best meets their age and needs. Literacy and Numeracy are key areas and are prioritised in the morning. Educators work in teams to ensure that all students are supported and extended. Students are taught not just the curriculum subjects, but how to learn, how to study cooperatively and how to think about their learning to make it as powerful as possible. Science and Japanese are taught as specialist subjects. Incursions, excursions and links with technology and the wider world are used to enhance learning and the pleasure of learning.

The school is very well equipped, with a flexible learning area to optimise teaching of Literacy and Numeracy in groups designed to optimise support, cooperation and challenge. Our facilities include a heritage building used for visual and musical creativity and a modern, free-standing building which serves as an inquiry hub for Science, creative STEM projects and Japanese, along with a well-stocked lending library. Our students' learning is supported by technology, with ample and varied devices and structured teaching in their use.

Babakin is approximately 250 km east of Perth. We cater for the largely agricultural area between Corrigin, our nearest town, and Bruce Rock, our shire town. There has been a school at Babakin since 1915 and our centenary was celebrated with pride in 2015. The grounds and buildings are cared for by dedicated staff and engaged students who enjoy using the synthetic oval, hard court, undercover area, gardens and playground. The community's outstanding support, focussed through the P&C and Council, facilitates continual improvement in programs and facilities.

Babakin Primary School is at the heart of its community, yet outward-looking. We value our relationships with neighbouring schools in our Lakes Network and from outside the immediate area, through collegial and professional links. Our school has a Scientist-in-Schools partner at the University of Western Australia to enrich science learning and actively engages with Scitech, CSIRO, the Sustainable Schools network and wheat belt organisations that welcome our students and stimulate their curiosity. In 2018 we initiated an artist-in-residence project creating a triptych painting of our local bushland fauna and in 2019 will further celebrate Babakin's place in the world - its 'natural history' - through studies of the local wildflowers.