From Mr Ridgway

Thank you

I would like to sincerely thank Mr Chaplin and Mrs Waugh for capably leading the school during the first two weeks of Term 3 while I was on leave. I would also like to acknowledge the support of all staff throughout this time. We are very fortunate at CEPS to have such depth within our school leadership team and exceptional staff who consistently work together in the best interests of our students.

Across the school holidays and the first two weeks of Term 3, my wife, Rosanne, and I were fortunate to travel through parts of Canada and the United States. We hiked throughout Jasper and Banff National Parks before flying to Oregon and Northern California, where we explored Crater Lake National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Redwood National and State Parks. We were also fortunate not to be affected by wildfires that were popping up everywhere we went. In Oregon, we received a phone alert moving us to 'watch and act'. A little scary at the time. One particularly memorable sight at Lassen Volcanic was the migration of literally millions of California tortoiseshell butterflies. Each summer, these butterflies travel from the foothills to higher elevations. In years when their population increases dramatically, they can gather in spectacular clouds throughout the park.

Over the four weeks, we visited two countries and five national parks, completing more than 30 hikes covering approximately 250 kilometres and 11,000 metres of elevation gain. At one point, we were done hiking down the steep ice path, so we slid down (video provided). Along the way, we experienced some truly breathtaking scenery and wildlife. I have included a few photos of our highlights below. In Calgary, our trip was timed well with the 'Calgary Stampede', where we attended our first rodeo. That was definitely a unique experience.

Silent Disco

Our inaugural CEPS Silent Disco was a wonderful success, with outstanding student participation across all year levels. The hall was filled with energy, movement and plenty of smiles as students danced and enjoyed the experience alongside their classmates.

Beyond being a great deal of fun, the Silent Disco demonstrated our school’s commitment to providing inclusive activities. With music delivered through individual headphones rather than loudspeakers, the format reduced background noise and allowed students to participate at a level that felt comfortable for them. This helped create a more accessible environment for students with different sensory needs while ensuring everyone could share in the experience.

Thank you to our staff for enthusiastically supporting the students throughout the day. A special thank you also goes to our amazing Parents Committee for its planning and organisation, particularly the parents and carers who helped set up the fantastic decorations and transform the hall for the event.

NAPLAN 2026

I am pleased to share Cheltenham East Primary School’s 2026 NAPLAN results, which demonstrate strong achievement and excellent student growth across Years 3 and 5. While NAPLAN is one source of evidence, it provides valuable information alongside classroom assessments and teacher judgement.

In Year 3, 92% of students achieved Strong or Exceeding in Reading—11 percentage points above both similar schools and our network. Numeracy was also positive at 83%, above similar schools and the network. In Writing, 85% achieved Strong or Exceeding. While this remains a strong majority, it was below the comparison results, making Year 3 writing an ongoing improvement focus.

Our Year 5 results were exceptional. The percentage of students achieving Strong or Exceeding reached 94% in Reading and 96% in both Numeracy and Writing. All three results were well above similar schools and our network. Overall, CEPS outperformed both comparison groups in five of the six achievement measures reported

Growth from Year 3 to Year 5 was equally encouraging. In both Reading and Numeracy, 88% of students demonstrated high or medium relative growth. This was nine percentage points above similar schools in both areas and also exceeded our network. Relative growth considers the progress students make compared with students who began at a similar achievement level.

Participation was excellent, with 100% participation across the three reported Year 3 assessments. Year 5 participation reached 100% in Numeracy and Writing and 98% in Reading. I congratulate our students on their effort and thank our teachers, support staff and families for their contribution to these outstanding results.

Building and Grounds Update

Capital Works

We have now completed the Asset Management Plan Phase 1 (AMP1). This important stage captured our educational vision, teaching and learning model, future priorities, enrolment and space requirements, and the condition of our existing facilities.

Following review and approval of AMP1 by the Department of Education and the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), an architect will be appointed through a VSBA-managed process. A Project Control Group, including representatives from the VSBA, the school, the Department and the appointed architect, will then be established to guide AMP2.

During AMP2, the architect will undertake detailed site and spatial analysis and develop a master plan for the school. This will consider our AMP1 priorities, the 2026 Rolling Facilities Evaluation, building condition, accessibility, space entitlements, staging requirements and the available $10.6 million budget. AMP2 is a planning and master-planning stage rather than the beginning of construction. We will continue to keep families informed as plans develop and consultation opportunities arise.

Playground Upgrade

Planning for our playground upgrade, funded through our successful Suburban Rail Loop grant, is progressing well. We have now met with three playground providers and are close to selecting our preferred provider.

Our priority is to create an engaging play space that reflects the interests of our students. Their feedback has shown a strong preference for climbing challenges and a variety of monkey-bar-style equipment, which will be central to the final design.

Once the provider and design have been confirmed, we will share further information with families, including the proposed equipment and anticipated installation timeline. At this stage, installation is most likely to occur over the 2026/27 Summer break.

Rolling Facilities Evaluation

I am pleased to advise that Cheltenham East Primary School’s Rolling Facilities Evaluation (RFE) has been brought forward from 2027 to 2026 following our ongoing advocacy regarding the condition of our school buildings.

The RFE is a comprehensive assessment conducted on behalf of the Victorian School Building Authority every five years. Assessors inspect school buildings and other infrastructure, including paths, fencing, car parks and grounds, to identify maintenance issues and determine their priority. The findings are recorded in a detailed Condition Assessment Report and used to inform the school’s five-year maintenance plan and future government investment decisions. Our focus will be on imminent works required on the main school building given that we are still potentially 18 months from the school development. We will also focus attention on buildings that are not within the capital works upgrade.  

While the RFE does not automatically guarantee additional funding, bringing it forward ensures the condition of our facilities is independently assessed and documented sooner. This will provide important, up-to-date evidence as we continue advocating for improvements across the entire school site, alongside the planned redevelopment of our main building. Further information is available through the Department of Education’s RFE policy.

Veggie Garden

A big thank you to Mrs Harper, our wonderful Year 5 students and the Gardening Club for all their hard work in the school garden. Thanks to their dedication and care, our garden is thriving with a wonderful variety of produce, including herbs, leeks, beans, peas, purple kale, broccoli, blueberries, radishes and spinach.

Just a friendly reminder that herbs and vegetables should not be picked from the garden before or after school. Our students work incredibly hard to plant, care for and maintain the garden, and the produce is harvested and sold as part of our school gardening program.

Have a great weekend,

Robert