WELCOME TO SOUTH MELBOURNE PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gather, the Bunurong people. We pay respect to their elders both past, present and emerging.

 

 

Welcome!

It is an absolute privilege to serve as Principal of South Melbourne Park Primary School.

What sets our school apart is our incredible staff culture. Each staff member has chosen to be here and brings with them an open-to-learning mindset. They are deeply committed to our vision and work with passion, energy, and collaboration. Our programs and practices are progressive and research-informed, ensuring we remain at the forefront of education. Through professional learning communities, our teachers continually refine their knowledge and practice, always keeping children at the heart of every decision.

Our learning philosophy is closely aligned with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 and the work of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Our instructional model centres on Explicit Teaching, with a strong focus on building the foundational skills and big ideas that enable students to thrive. At South Melbourne Park, we aspire to be a place where children truly love to learn and grow. Every Friday, our Passions sessions provide students with opportunities to wonder, create, and innovate by exploring areas of genuine interest, often sparked by their learning across the curriculum.

Families are an integral part of our community. We are proud of our inclusive, culturally diverse school and deeply value the support families provide as partners in their children’s learning. Parents and carers are warmly encouraged to be actively involved, whether through classroom support, community events, School Council, or our Breakfast Club. It is important to us that every family feels valued and experiences a strong sense of belonging within our community.

At the heart of all we do is our most important cultural value: Kids at the Heart. Every decision is guided by what is best for our students. I warmly invite prospective families to learn more by exploring our website and joining us for a school tour. I am confident that, should you choose to walk with us, you will see this value in action every day.

Nicole Arnold

Principal

OUR Mission

Our mission is to foster a community of global citizens, grounded in integrity, empathy and respect for self and others. 

We aim to nurture highly literate, numerate and curious life-long learners, who are equipped to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.

 

LEARNING

LITERACY

Our Literacy program is guided by our instructional model and firmly grounded in the Science of Reading and Writing. In the early years, students focus on the “Big Six” components: Oral Language, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension.

Every day, all students from Prep to Year 6 participate in an explicit, structured phonics and word study program called PhOrMeS. In the junior years, the emphasis is on phonics and word recognition, while in the senior years, students deepen their knowledge of morphology and etymology to expand vocabulary and strengthen spelling skills.

Fluency pairs provide valuable opportunities for students to practice reading with accuracy, appropriate pace, and prosody. Our Reading lessons are shaped by Scarborough’s Reading Rope, while our Writing program draws heavily on the explicit teaching of the mechanics of writing outlined in The Writing Revolution.

Finally, our Curiosity sessions are intentionally interwoven with Reading and Writing, creating a knowledge-rich curriculum that connects skills with deep understanding.

NUMERACY

Our Numeracy program is guided by our instructional model, with an emphasis on reviewing prior learning, explicit teaching, and applying new skills. Di Siemon’s Big Ideas in Number framework underpins our approach, identifying key milestones in number sense that students must master to progress successfully in mathematics. These include trusting the count, place value, multiplicative thinking, partitioning, proportional reasoning, and generalising.

 

 

Principal

CURIOSITY & PASSIONS

Our Curiosity units are aligned with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and draw on domains such as Humanities, Science, and Technologies. Each unit is shaped by enduring understandings and lines of inquiry, with carefully developed throughlines that enable students to build deep knowledge of key concepts throughout their time at South Melbourne Park. To guide and structure this learning, we use the Launch Cycle as a model for facilitating curiosity-driven exploration.

Passion sessions occur on Fridays for 2 sessions. During these sessions, students build on the learning they’ve gained from Curiosity units and demonstrate learner agency by researching and creating prototypes on a branched out area that they are passionate about. Students launch their learning to a adult and peer audiences.

 

SPECIALISTS

We are very proud of our outstanding team of specialist teachers, who deliver the following programs each week:

· STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)

· PE (Physical Education)

· Visual Arts

· Performing Arts (Music, Dance and Drama)

· Spanish

These programs culminate in whole-school, bi-annual events such as the Art Show, Whole School Performance, and Spanish Day. Our students also extend their learning through opportunities like Maths Competitions and the Victorian High Ability Program, and we are proudly represented on the sporting field at District, Division, and Regional levels.

STATE OF THE ART SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS (STEM) PROGRAM

Our school community extends its deepest gratitude to the Tom Ashmor Foundation for the generous $30,000 STEM grant, which has significantly advanced our vision for a truly contemporary and engaging STEM program. This support honours Tom Ashmor’s enduring belief in fairness, opportunity, and the transformative power of technology, enabling us to expand our robotics, engineering, coding, and science resources with the latest state‑of‑the‑art tools so every student can step into secondary school confident, curious, and inspired. We are proud to carry forward Tom’s legacy by fostering equity, inclusion, and a genuine love of discovery, and we thank Kate and the Foundation for believing in our students and their futures. Find out more: https://tomashmorfoundation.org.au/launch

ENROLMENT

School Zone

The Department of Education and Training has developed an enrolment plan and Designated Neighbourhood Boundary for each school. Our School Zone is available on findmyschool.vic.gov.au which hosts the most up-to-date information about Victorian school zones.

Students residing within our school zone are guaranteed a place at our school. Your school zone is determined based on your permanent residential address.

Our school manages enrolments using the Placement Policy  to ensure that students have access to their local school. Students may enrol at another school if there are available places.

You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions on the Department’s website under School zones.

2027 Prep enrolments

We are now open for Prep 2027 enrolment, SMPPS will be using online enrolments.

To access the online Enrolment, please go here.

Victorian School Enrolment Calculator

2027 Enrolments – Years 1-6

If you are within the SMPPS zone, please complete the Enrolment form (Please open with Word Document not Web version or Google sheets for format reasons) Additional documents required to be provided with your enrolment form:

  • Two documents detailing your current home address
  • Child’s birth certificate or passport
  • Immunisation history statement
  • Visa (if applicable)

If you are out of zone, please fill out this OUT OF ZONE Application.

Click Here for upcoming School Tours, enrolment Information and timeline

 

Future Designated Neighbourhood Boundary

Map

Click map to enlarge +

Cultural Value

Kids at the Heart

Student Values

BE Kind

BE Responsible

BE An Active learner

 

Child Safety Commitment

South Melbourne Park Primary School:

  • Ensures that every person 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 is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.
  • Is committed to safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making.
  • Has zero tolerance for child abuse
  • Actively works to listen to and empower children so their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives.
  • Has systems in place to protect children from abuse, and will take all allegations and concerns very seriously and responds to them consistently in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures
  • Is committed to promoting physical, emotional and cultural safety for all children – with particular attention paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, vulnerable children, as well as the safety of children with a disability.
  • Is committed to providing a safe environment for all children
Facilities

FACILITIES

The new South Melbourne Park School incorporates the old Albert Park Signal Depot and Drill Hall heritage buildings, alongside brand-new facilities including a double-storey classroom building and gym. Design and development of the school was overseen by parents, educational experts, project planners and representatives from the community. ​ The architects worked closely with Heritage Victoria and their own advisors to retain and make best use of the existing buildings. Reusing the heritage buildings provides a great design opportunity to showcase the area’s history and offer students a unique learning setting in a beautiful lakeside environment. The repurposed Drill Hall houses our ‘learning communities’, a Learning Resource Centre and a dedicated art/science/technology space, as well as a flexible exhibitions space and a student canteen. ​ The separate Mess Hall contains the reception, leadership and administration areas. The existing West House has been transformed into a specialist Art Studio and the East House into a specialist Music Studio. A new double-storey learning communities building hosts a variety of spaces for learning and collaboration, as well as a large outdoor educational and playground space. There is a new gym with a competition grade netball/basketball court with seating, that accommodates whole-of-school performances. All facilities are designed with an environmentally sustainable approach. New insulation has been installed in the ceilings of the historical buildings whenever possible with 2500 litre rainwater tanks added to both the East and West Houses and the Drill Hall. Our new buildings are all naturally ventilated with openable windows or using outside air fans or mechanical services in areas where natural ventilation is not available.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

School Hours

Learning Time: 9am – 11:30am
Eating Time: 11:30am – 11:40am
Break Time: 11:40am – 12:30pm
Learning Time: 12:30pm – 2:10pm
Break Time : 2:10pm – 2:40pm
Learning Time: 2:40pm – 3:30pm

COMPASS

Compass is our communication platform. To get your Compass login information for South Melbourne Park Primary School, contact the school office south.melbourne.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Lunch Orders

To order lunch for South Melbourne Park Primary School, visit the Renatta School Lunches portal, log in with your account, and navigate to the “Order Lunch” button on the canteen tile to begin.

NEWSLETTERS

Newsletters are shared with our community, fortnightly via compass

ASSEMBLIES

Assemblies are generally held in the gymnasium on Fridays (2.40-3.30pm), fortnightly on the even week.

Extracurricular activities

KIDKO – INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM

BLACK DRAGON TAEKWONDO

LUCY DURACK’S GLEE CLUB

    YOUNG ENGINEERS Thursdays

    KAIXIN CHINESE

    • Tuesdays 3.30-4.45pm in the Visual Arts room

    HOT SHOTS TENNIS COACHING

    IMAGES

    Click images to enlarge

    Video

    Take a tour with Peter: South Melbourne Park Primary School – The historical significance
    South Melbourne Park Primary School - time lapse on building works in early 2018

    CONTACT US

    Address 29A Albert Road Drive South, Albert Park VIC 3206 Phone 03 9498 3396

    View Map Principal If you have any questions, please contact our Principal, Nicole Arnold, for more information.

    south.melbourne.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au – School Email

    School Council Elections We will be holding elections for School Council Soon. Please find further information concerning the elections below:

    School Council Contact Information

    School Council –Katrina Walker (President)
    5562-schoolcouncil@schools.vic.edu.au

    POLICIES

    &  Reports

    Please find our policies listed below. Every policy at South Melbourne Park Primary School is carefully reviewed on a regular cycle by School Council and its subcommittees.

    Policies:

    Parent Payment Arrangements

    Please find the 2026 parent payment documentation below:
    2026 Parent Payment Arrangements You can find more information about the Departments Parent Payment Policies here:
    https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/parent-payment/policy

    Enrolment Policies

    Policies on enrolment, placement, and admission are available on the Department of Education and Training website.

    Annual Report Find our Annual Reports to our school community below:
    – 2025 Annual Report
    – 2024 Annual Report
    – 2023 Annual Report
    – 2022 Annual Report
    – 2021 Annual Report
    – 2020 Annual Report
    – 2019 Annual Report

    School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan:
    – 2025 -2028 School Strategic Plan
    – 2025 Annual Implementation Plan

    PARTNERS

    OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE

    The TheirCare program services children in the school from 7am – 9.00 and 3.30 – 6pm each day.

    TheirCare also offer Pupil Free Day and Holiday Care during the school holidays from 7am – 6pm.

    TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children and an environment where children enjoy their time in their program. During sessions children develop life skills, friendships, confidence and creativity through play. Take a look at the video to find out more about our program.

    Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: https://theircare.com.au/families/.

    Families may also be eligible for a Government rebate which reduces the cost per session.

    Further information can also be obtained by contacting the service directly on 0447 013 242 or ringing TheirCare on: 1300 072 410.