About Us

Principal’s Message

As Principal of Strathmore Primary School, I am proud to say that I work with an incredible staff whose talents provide an outstanding educational and developmental environment for the school’s students. The school is populated by an exceptional community of families and students who are intelligent, caring and inclusive people who value learning and the healthy social-emotional development of all students. As a school, we are an inclusive learning community that inspires its members to inquire and create and to be deeply engaged in and value learning and continual improvement. We continually grow in our learning through a stimulating, innovative and challenging curriculum that enables the development of high-level thinking, independence, resilience, responsibility, interpersonal understanding, trust and respect. Our learning environment enables positive and productive interaction where resources and spaces and utilised effectively. Examples of this include our Learning Community Approach with flexible and fluid learning groups and a progressive culture enacted in our Professional Learning Teams. The school has a commitment to the use of innovative STEM learning technologies, such as robotics, coding and programming and our BYOD iPad program. At Strathmore Primary School, high expectations for student achievement, engagement and wellbeing are underpinned by a differentiated curriculum that provides challenges and supports to ensure learning growth of all students.

As a leader, my actions are driven by the values of Efficacy, Agency, Synergy, Character and Equity.

Peter Olm (B.Ed, M.Ed – University of Melbourne)

Profile

Strathmore Primary School was established in 1944, with an enrolment of 42 students, to serve the educational needs of the urban development to the north of Essendon. Located just eleven kilometres northwest of the city, this a leafy residential area adjacent to the Tullamarine Freeway and is well served by public transport.

The present school population is currently 300 students. The backgrounds of students reflect a cultural and socio-economic diversity including a number of children from non-English speaking backgrounds. Parents generally have very high expectations of their children and of the school. A number of longstanding traditions contribute to a stable yearly routine that serves the community and students by promoting enthusiasm and parental involvement at a variety of levels. Some example events are  …

• House Swimming Carnival
• House Athletics Sports
• House Cross Country
• Specialist Showcase

Strathmore Primary School also provides an excellent camping program that includes a Year 2 overnight sleepover at the school, a Year 3/4 camp and a Year 5/6 camp.

Specialist subjects at Strathmore Primary School include Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Library, PE, Literature and Library, and Italian.

The school community believes that students learn best when they are happy. There is a commitment to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment by developing co-operative behaviours and respect for the rights, feelings and property of others. The School Council and the parent community are dedicated to maintaining and improving the school, its facilities and equipment for the benefit of its students. Many hours of voluntary work are contributed to maintenance tasks and fundraising. The students and staff receive outstanding support from the very hardworking Parents’ Club. There is an influential community spirit within the school and an embedded culture of parent participation in a variety of school activities.

Child Safety

Strathmore Primary School is committed to ensuring the safety of all students in its community. The school achieves this by developing a culture of safety through risk management to identify and remove risks of child abuse, policy development and implementation, code of conduct screening, supervision and training, processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse and strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children. In order to ensure the safety of children, the school has appointed a Child Safety Officer (Assistant Principal) and developed policies and procedures in conjunction with the Child Safe Standards.

The school also implements specific DET strategies to support any students who are deemed as being in out-of-home care and has a Designated Teacher (Assistant Principal) with the responsibility to oversee the safety and wellbeing of these students.

Child Safe Standards

Click on the links for information for both students and parents and carers:

Being Safe at Strathmore Primary School – For Students

Protecting Children – For Parents and Carers

Strathmore Primary School is committed to safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making. The school has zero tolerance for child abuse. Strathmore Primary School is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability. Every person involved at the school has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role he/she plays individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

In its planning, decision-making and operations Strathmore Primary School will:

1. Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety;
2. Value and empower children to participate in decisions which affect their lives;
3. Foster a culture of openness that supports all persons to safely disclose risks of harm to children
4. Respect diversity in cultures and child rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount;
5. Provide written guidance on appropriate conduct and behaviour towards children;
6. Engage only the most suitable people to work with children and have high quality staff and volunteer supervision and professional development;
7. Ensure children know who to talk with if they are worried or are feeling unsafe, and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues;
8. Report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authorities;
9. Share information appropriately and lawfully with other organisations where the safety and wellbeing of children is at risk; and
10. Value the input of and communicate regularly with families and carers.

At Strathmore Primary School there is a school-wide approach towards ensuring the safety of all children. The school follows the Department of Health and Human Service’s seven Child Safe Standards, which are:

1. Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements
2. A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
3. A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
4. Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove the risk of abuse
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children

The school actively implements policies and procedures to cover all areas of the standards, including:

• Positive Behaviour Support Framework
• Values Education program – Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships
• Working With Children Checks for all visitors and workers at the school, including contractors
• Risk assessments for all major activities and events as well as a whole-school risk assessment for
• Regular review of procedures and schedules to ensure best practice in matters relating to supervision and duty of care in all school activities
• VIT Registration for all teaching staff (which includes regular National Criminal Record Checks)
• Up-to-date policies for Child Safe and the school’s Child Safe Code of Conduct, as well as related policies such as First Aid and Medications, Supervision and Duty of Care and Working With Children Checks

Strathmore Primary School is committed to ensuring the safety of all students in its community. The school achieves this by developing a culture of safety through risk management to identify and remove risks of child abuse, policy development and implementation, code of conduct screening, supervision and training, processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse and strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children. In order to ensure the safety of children, the school has appointed a Child Safety Officer (Assistant Principal) and developed policies and procedures in conjunction with the Child Safe Standards. The school’s policies can be viewed on-line by following the link above.

As part of meeting the Child Safe Standards, the school pays special attention to at-risk groups, to promote:

• Cultural safety of Aboriginal children
• Cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Safety of children with a disability

The school also implements specific DET strategies to support any students who are deemed as being in out-of-home care and has a Designated Teacher (Assistant Principal) with the responsibility to oversee the safety and wellbeing of these students.

The school has a strong focus on Cybersafety to ensure that students are aware of potential risks when using digital technologies and how to manage and avoid these risks. Student learn about appropriate, positive behaviours

Further information about Child Safe Standards can be found at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/default.aspx

Virtual Tour and School Map

Staff

Education Support Staff:

Kirsten Way

Kelly Fergie

Margaret Brooks

Zara Strah

John Degabriele (Maintenance)

Reports, Plans & Policies and Procedures