Purpose

Our purpose is to provide an engaging learning environment that supports customised learning to encourage students to become lifelong learners through a strong focus on positive student engagement. We aim to develop highly aspirant students who will value themselves, their community and who will maximize their learning opportunities to perform to their full potential. They will develop the knowledge and skills to become successful and valued members of their community.

Values

Our school is a NEWBEE School. We teach and practise NEWBEE values of Be A Learner, Be Caring, Be Safe and Be Proud. Through the NEWBEE values we continue to foster the skills of Organisation, Resilience, Persistence, Confidence and Getting Along to develop highly aspirational students who value education as a means of ensuring successful futures.

Environmental Context

Environmental

·         Newborough Primary School was founded in 1949 and located in the Latrobe Valley approximately 130 kilometres east of Melbourne. Our enrolment is currently around 170 after a period of decline but is predicted to increase following the modernisation of our facilities in 2011. In December of 2010 we undertook a Cycle 5, Stage 2 application for Building Futures and hope this will soon result in a full school masterplan. The school has one sports fields, two all weather  basketball/netball courts, three adventure playgrounds on a large terraced and well maintained site with 8 mainstream classrooms, Open Learning Centre classroom complex, multi-purpose room, library , vegetable garden and art room. We are a Sunsmart, National Solar and Water Wise school and recycle paper and compost.

Social

·         The  current staff profile consists of 47% Expert Teachers, 21% Accomplished Teachers and 32% Graduate teachers. There is a declining Student Family Occupation (SFO) index of .590 at the school with 45% of families claiming EMA requiring increasingly targeted support to achieve critical learning outcomes. We have a very low percentage of Non English Speaking Background (NESB) and Koorie families and generally low student and family transience.

Educational

·         Newborough Primary School has a clearly defined behaviour management policy called NEWBEES to which students respond positively and cooperatively. We have  high expectations and pride in our student’s educational, social and sporting achievements and support our students with strong transition programs between our school and the local secondary college and pre-school. Student leadership is promoted with responsibilities such as the School Captains, House Captains and Junior School Councillors who have NEWBEE roles in the areas of care, pride, learning and safety. We provide a range of cultural, academic, special needs and sporting activities, including an instrumental music program, school musical, camping, values program, excursions, community and safety awareness programs. Staff members have a commitment to excellence and to improving their professional knowledge and capacity and have embedded the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in curriculum development, assessment and reporting.

Technological

·         A fibre optic and wireless network supports a computer laboratory and computer facilities in all classrooms which are equipped with electronic whiteboards, notebooks, netbooks, digital still and video cameras and filtered high speed internet. The school is supporting the roll out of the Ultranet out to students and also uses digital media such as Mathletics to support learning. Specialist I&CT teaching is provided for the students and technical support personnel maintain the network.