Over the years we have put a great deal of effort into choosing the right people to join our team. We have purposely sought out people who have strong interpersonal skills and relate easily to the children, parents and their colleagues….people who want to be part of a team and enjoy team successes….people who like to share and support those around them. As a result, we have a fantastic staff team who work extremely well together and are committed to the direction our school is heading in.
Teaching and learning programs at our school are strong, supported and led by an Assistant Principal with teaching and learning as their core responsibility. Teachers within year levels work closely as teams and spend time with each other every week to plan and share ideas. Our teachers go to great lengths to cater for individual student needs, which is what every parent wants for their child. With a specialist program and range of extra-curricula activities, students at our school certainly receive a broad education and have the opportunity to pursue their interests.
Our school has a reputation for leading the way with respect to the use of Learning Technologies to promote learning. Our P-2 classrooms have banks of iPads for students to share, whilst student in grades 4-6 are invited to bring their own iPad to school. All classes have access to a mobile lab of laptops. Our students are very confident in using Learning Technologies, which is so important today.
I’m very proud of what we have created at Buninyong Primary School. What we have achieved is a product of an unwavering focus on doing our best for the students. When schools do this, everything else falls into place.
The overall school environment is second to none. If you come for a visit, you will see settled classrooms with engaged students. You will encounter friendly students and staff who look to engage with anyone who comes by. You will sense a welcoming and friendly environment where everyone mixes in and gets along beautifully. You will see an school playground where students are very active and are comfortable sharing the play space with whoever is around. Our students love welcoming new students and clamber over each other to be the one to show them around and look after them. A second Assistant Principal has Student Wellbeing as their core responsibility who works with students, staff and parents to maintain and improve the school environment.
Another feature of our school is a strong home-school relationship. We go to a great deal of effort to keep parents informed and on board, as we know that the potential for improved learning and behaviour is greatly increased when the school and parents work together. We understand that the capacity of parents to get involved with school varies from family to family and keep the door open for parents to get involved in a variety of ways.
We are lucky to have 2 very different campus options. Our Buninyong Campus is a large school environment with all of the action and opportunities you’d expect. Our Scotsburn Campus offers a small school environment with the strong connections between students, parents and staff that you would expect. Both are terrific options and meet the needs of different students and families.
Anyone who pays a visit to our school can’t help but be impressed with the friendly atmosphere and the learning environment. If you are weighing up primary school options in Ballarat, please give us a call and make a time to pop in and take a look for yourself.
Bernie Conlan
Principal