Applecross Primary School was founded in 1905 and the grounds include heritage listed buildings of cultural and historical significance. The community of Applecross Primary School reflects an increasing cultural diversity. It is not unusual to hear students speaking in Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Indonesian, Malaysian or French in addition to standard Australian English. This cultural diversity is celebrated throughout the school year and influences the programs that the school considers and the expertise of the staff with the inclusion of an ESL teaching staff member. Present within the local area are families whose historical links are generational. Our students enjoy factors of positive influence on their lives that allow them to learn and grow to their potential.
Excellence in the Community is the culture we strive for and measure our effectiveness by. In doing so we set ourselves high standards in all that we do. Our vision is to provide an innovative learning community of excellence where we work together to help each child achieve their full potential. We embrace strategic and visionary thinking, we are innovative in an attempt to provide our students with unique learning experiences, and use research and planning to best support each child’s learning experiences and achievements.
The culture of our school reflects a happy and productive place where students, staff and the community work closely together to maintain a vibrant place of learning. We have a strong tradition of high achievement that is actively pursued by all who are involved in the school.
The indigenous heritage of the area on which the school stands is recognised and honoured. The school community acknowledges the strong ties to the land and the significant contribution Aboriginal people have made to the area.
Together we value Integrity, Diversity, Achievement and Growth.
Integrity: We act with respect, honesty, care and compassion.
Diversity: We welcome and celebrate our variety of backgrounds, abilities, needs and talents.
Achievement: We inspire all children to do their best through discovery, opportunity and challenge.
Growth: We nurture our students to become confident, happy, responsible, active citizens capable of making quality decisions now and in the future.
When you visit our school you will;
SEE our students learning enthusiastically in a broad range of activities. They will be demonstrating a strong work ethic and showing pride in their achievements. This will be happening in different settings across the school.
HEAR children in the playground who are enjoying games. There will be choir, instrumental music, confident and expressive children and encouragement from friends.
HEAR the tones of laughter and celebration and praise from teachers. We welcome and celebrate our variety of backgrounds, abilities, needs and talents.
FEEL valued and welcomed into our school. Our family-friendly culture ensures a safe and secure environment for all where we hope you will become involved in our vibrant Applecross community.
We enjoy outstanding support in the form of our School Board and P&C Association. The School Board plays a significant supporting role for the implementation of the school’s policies and programs. It guides the strategic intent and direction of the school through this avenue. The P&C Association is very active in its support of the school providing financial assistance through the funding of many resources. Traditionally this organisation contributes approximately $50,000 annually to school initiatives. A gradual increase in our school enrolment since 2015 has seen our School Board focus on investigating future scenarios and appropriate classroom design and provision. An example of this is the establishment of a new Science/Technologies centre as a result of the School Board and P&C supporting the need for our students to be equipped with skills for the future.
At Applecross Primary School, education programs are designed and delivered to meet the needs of our students. Whole-school approaches to pedagogy and program delivery are at the forefront of our planning. We are aiming to establish a culture focused on enquiry and cooperative based learning with student interests at the centre of any learning activity. To support this whole of school approach we aim to plan and deliver an integrated curriculum encouraging critical thinking and independent learning. Visitors to our school will see children interacting and supporting each other in an enquiry approach to learning that is reinforced by the teaching of explicit skills and knowledge.