Newlyn, St Brigid's Primary Schools among region's small schools with big prep numbers

At Newlyn Primary School, which had a total of six pupils in 2018, there are nine foundation starters among the school's 28 students. Last year there were no preps.

For the first time in many years, there are now three separate classes at Newlyn and a new full-time teacher has been employed.

And on a larger scale, St Brigid's Catholic Primary School welcomed 26 new prep students this year, after just seven started last year.

Their two prep classes account for more than a quarter of the school's entire population of 97.

Newlyn Primary School principal Samantha Vella said new families who have moved in to the school's large catchment zone, as well as families who had been in the area longer term, were driving the growth.

It also comes on the back of a concerted effort from Ms Vella and fellow teacher Carla Baker, who have been the only two teachers at the school since 2018, to position the school as the centre of the community, and the willingness of parents to volunteer their time.

"Newlyn as a town doesn't have a shop or cafe, it doesn't even have a pub, so when I started at this school (in 2018) Carla and I sat down and talked about what we wanted for the community, and school has become that opportunity for people in the community to come together."

Many local families have had multiple generations of children attend the school, with one current student able to track Newlyn Primary School through six generations of the family.

"Small schools have a unique opportunity to create a community feel that can sometimes be lost in a bigger school," Ms Vella said. "That's not saying bigger schools don't do that well, it's just that in a smaller school everyone knows everyone and the kids, because we attract local families, do sport together and socialise outside school."

Ms Vella said parents were eager to volunteer with various jobs around the school, which was vital in a small school.

"There's a lot of parent involvement and I think that only adds value and benefit to the students. They feel that family are connected to learning and that home-school relationship is one we really encourage."

The school now has 10 children in its junior class (prep/grade one), 10 in the grade two/three class and eight in the senior class who are in grade four and five. There are no grade six students this year.

"That means numbers are stable for next year, and already we have three confirmed preps starting from within existing families," she said.

A weekly playgroup also runs at the school, which attracts many families new to the area who don't have older children at the school.

"That community connection enables people to see what we have to offer and it then means we are the preferred place for their child's primary education and that's where a lot of our future enrolments come."

Other small schools in the region have also recorded big increases in prep numbers this year, including Bungaree Primary School which has seven (none in 2022), Cape Clear's four new preps (one last year), 12 at Napoleons (eight last year), and 15 at Rokewood Primary (nine in 2022).

Among slightly larger schools Daylesford Primary has 36 new foundation students, up from 23 last year, and St Patrick's Primary School Gordon had a prep class of eight last year but now has 25.

At St Brigid's Primary School in Ballan, principal Jayne Bosworth is delighted that so many families are choosing the school for their children, particularly prep students.

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"St Brigid's is a great place to be. For it's the learning environment, it's the sense of community and the fact we live out our vision of inclusivity for all and inspire our children to be life long learners," she said.

With Ballan growing rapidly with new arrivals from Melbourne and other areas, she is proud they have chosen the school for their children.

The 2023 new starters have been split in to two smaller classes, so every class is 20 pupils or below, but Ms Bosworth said there is still plenty of room for growth.

"We have capacity for growth here with our building, we have another classroom that can be used, and we have a great space outside as well.

"The buzz around our place, it's vibrant having new families. The community is big now out here and to see our school, and the schools around us, really succeeding is wonderful."

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