AddressMiddle Park Primary School is located in a beach side area of Melbourne within the City of Port Phillip. The original school building was constructed in 1887 and is now classified by the National Trust. A number of significant upgrades to the buildings have been conducted over recent years which have enhanced the education capacity of the facility, whilst maintaining its historical integrity. The school has a small catchment area, but due to its reputation in the local area, the enrolment is currently 450. An enrolment management plan has been established over a number of years to manage increasing enrolments in relation to the limited space provided by the site.
There is a strong sense of community within the area with the compact enrolment zone leading to a village atmosphere which promotes close relationship amongst the children and local families.
The school building is located in a pleasant tree lined setting and comprises the main building with recently added hall/PE complex, the Junior building and a number of relocatable classrooms. The playgrounds, whilst set in pleasant surroundings, are constrained by the site and include two asphalt basketball courts, an artificially turfed oval and soccer area, a dedicated Prep play area and an outdoor classroom. The buildings are well maintained and provide an excellent learning environment for children, with all classrooms serviced with a Smartboard and air conditioning. The school is structured around multi-age classes from Prep to Year 6. In literacy and numeracy the school consistently and significantly outperforms state means. Recent developments in the grounds and playground areas include 2 new sets of playground equipment with further improvements planned as part of the school¿s strategic plan.
Middle Park Primary School, like all schools in Victoria, is committed to child safety. We consider the health, safety and wellbeing of all children and young people to be our highest priority. We strive to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people at our school at all times. We have developed policies and procedures in line with this and a school's child safety code of conduct which all staff must adhere to, these documents can all be found on the schools website.
The school presents with a balanced staffing profile. High quality experienced teachers work alongside less experienced teachers throughout planning and instruction. Opportunities for teachers to assume leadership roles have been provided in the staffing structure. Building leadership capacity is a priority under the current Strategic Plan.
Through our multi-age structure and inquiry-based programs across the school we endeavour to reflect the strength of our community by promoting responsibility and leadership. As a community, we know the importance of coming together to develop a sense of `collective responsibility¿ for each other. This is something that we model at school through our actions and structures. Initiatives such as Peer Mediation, Student Leadership, Inquiry Learning, Junior School Council, Buddies and multi-age learning are examples of approaches that connect directly to our values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. A great deal of our effort is dedicated to building and strengthening these and similar programs. Inquiry learning and our 1:1 device to student ratio approach to the use of ICT as a tool for learning are current major foci. Our success in all areas has come from staff and parents collaborating, sharing and supporting in Professional Learning Teams and Program Teams. Parent involvement in our programming is fundamental to this success.
Middle Park is proud of its specialist programs which have been developed to specifically meet the needs of its community.
The school has developed an exemplary eLearning plan which will help integrate ICT into the curriculum through our 1:1 device use of ICT as a learning tool. Middle Park Primary School provides all students with access to a computer laboratory, as well as networked computers and Smartboards in their classrooms, iPads and laptop computers. The Information Technology curriculum is designed to develop students¿ computer skills and knowledge of computer hardware and software programs as well as how to incorporate this learning into Literacy, Numeracy and Inquiry.
The PE program is taken by a specialist in PE. The program is delivered in one hour sessions with regular Gala Days, opportunities for students to compete in district and zone sports competitions, and a whole school swimming program utilising the facilities at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The Visual Arts program is supported by specially trained teachers and a generous workspace. The school also provides a specialist music program. As part of the Performing Arts program the students have the opportunity to perform in a School Production or concert every year, as well as instrumental music, choirs, concert bands, rock bands and orchestras.
French is the Language Other Than English at MPPS. This is taken by a LOTE Specialist Teacher.
Our School Council is extremely active in our efforts to promote engagement and is able to draw on a wide range of community partnerships and expertise to ensure success. Council¿s roles in areas such as policy development, development of our buildings and grounds, fundraising and overseeing our OOSH program are highly resourced and widely supported. Of significant note is our focus on a review of communications which has led to some important initiatives such as our school app and various other modifications.
As a community we are immensely proud of what we are able to support and enable our children to achieve. We work to give them a positive outlook and equip them with the skills and disposition to persist when challenged, giving them the greatest foundations for future success in whatever pathways and endeavours they choose.
