Welcome to Wembley Primary School. We are immensely proud of our school, its culture, reputation and strategic direction.
I have had the privilege of serving the Wembley Primary School community as Principal since 2020, and as Assistant Principal for 7 years prior. It is an honour to give back to a school that was a great launching pad for me, and has provided great opportunities for my family.
My family grew up in Finlay Street, Yarraville, and I attended Wembley PS as a student in the 90’s. My family has always been passionate about education. I have always believed that education is power, as it gives people opportunities and choices in life.
I am also a proud parent, together with my husband Paul, to our daughters, Elle and Rose, who are in years three and one this year. The vantage point of being a parent inspires me in leading our Wembley PS community every day, as I see every child as one of my own, and decisions are made with the students best interests at heart.
Wembley Primary School was established in 1958 and has served the local community as a centre of educational excellence to the present day.
Our mission is to empower all students to become successful, independent, lifelong learners, and our school motto is, ‘Know Thy Impact’.
Our school values are Respect, Inclusion, Empathy and Resilience, and our values underpin how our students learn, grow and play every day.
Our wonderful school is in the City of Maribyrnong on the border of the City of Hobson’s Bay. We have an enrolment of 668 students, and we are privileged to work in partnership with over 60 staff members, including two wellbeing dogs, Ginny and River.
All school staff are highly trained educators, well-equipped to provide high-level instruction, with high academic, physical, social, and emotional achievement expectations. Wembley Primary School is committed to providing a safe, caring and harmonious environment where students learn the knowledge, skills and values they need to contribute to, and live happily in society.
We maximise each student's potential to achieve academic and social success, and we celebrate and embrace diversity.
To achieve these objectives, we operate as a Professional Learning Community (PLC) with a focus on the following three big ideas:
Wembley Primary School has a whole-school pedagogical model, agreed upon essential learnings that are based on the Victorian curriculum, and a learning cycle that guides all collaborative teaching teams in the planning for and implementation of the essential learnings. In collaborative teaching teams, the teachers engage in collective inquiry to ensure that the best learning and teaching practices are implemented in all classrooms to ensure that all students grow and thrive in an ever changing global world.
We offer instruction in the following specialist areas: French Language, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Physical Education. On a biennial basis student learning is showcased in the Arts with a Musical or an Art show. Students have the opportunity to participate in athletics, interschool sports, swimming, cross country and many district and regional events. We celebrate French culture and language with a French Day each year.
Student voice, agency and leadership is harnessed through learning and teaching programs. In 2023, we have student leadership roles in the following areas: wellbeing, sustainability and environment, house captains (Kulin House, McIvor House, Cruickshank House and Westgate House), Peer Mediator, Sports, French, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Music, and school and vice captains, who will work with staff and students appointed as Junior School Councillors, to act on behalf of the student body. Year 6 students are also trained as peer mediators to assist students in building friendships in the yard.
Student wellbeing is prioritised through a focus on School Wide Positive Behaviour Support, Individual Education Plans for students with disabilities, regular student support group meetings with parents and school staff, zones of regulation, student buddy program, DET Resilience, Rights, Respectful Relationships program, a partnership with Foodbank providing Breakfast Club, and two wellbeing dogs, named Ginny and River.
We were chosen by the Department of Education and Training to participate in a Mental Health in Primary Schools pilot, working in partnership with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. As a result we received funding for a Mental Health and Wellbeing coordinator who works with our students and staff members to embed proactive, preventative mental health processes within the school.
A number of parents volunteer at Wembley PS, as school councillors, and across the school in supporting student learning, fundraising, school events, sustainability initiatives, breakfast club, and publishing books containing student writing.
The school has well-maintained grounds and buildings thanks to the ongoing work of the Building and Grounds Subcommittee and the committed effort of our maintenance personnel. We have 4 playgrounds, a nature play area, an adventure play area, an envirodeck, a soccer pitch, an oval, basketball/netball courts, down ball courts, two gaga pits for dodgeball, and a gym which is shared with local community groups.
We were fortunate to have received government funding for a major capital works project to replace the administrative building with a new state of the art two-storey building incorporating an administration area, five classrooms, an art room, a science room, food preparation area and staff amenities. Planning commenced in 2021, the planning, and design development process ensued in 2022, and construction has commenced in 2023. The capital works project is due to be completed in quarter one of 2024.
I believe that every child has a right to learn, grow, play and feel safe, and I am incredibly proud of the strong culture of learning, health and wellbeing that exists at Wembley PS, which visitors to the school frequently comment on.
If you are considering enrolling your child at Wembley Primary School, please contact us on 9314 7054 or Wembley.ps@education.vic.gov.au for a personal school tour so that you can experience the unique educational setting that we have to offer.
Vassie Vatsilas-D’Arcangelo
Principal
