From the Principal

Dear Families,

Our Commitment to Child Safety

At Williamstown Primary, the safety and wellbeing of every student is at the heart of everything we do. We want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our strong commitment to child safety and outline the steps we take to ensure our school remains a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all children.

Our School Council plays an important role in supporting the school’s governance and in helping to maintain a culture where child safety is a shared responsibility. We’re proud to have clear policies, robust processes, and a proactive approach to keeping our students safe.

We are fully aligned with the 11 Child Safe Standards, and these continue to be embedded in all areas of school life. Some of the ways we do this include:

• Ongoing training for staff on how to recognise and respond to signs of abuse,
• Strong induction processes for all new staff and volunteers,
• A clear and mandatory Child Safety Code of Conduct, and
• Regular review of risk management strategies, especially in higher-risk areas of the school.

Through our Wellbeing Framework and Student Voice initiatives, students are supported to understand their rights and feel confident in speaking up when they need help. We also work closely with parents and carers to promote a shared understanding of safety and have clear, well-communicated pathways for reporting concerns.

We understand that recent events in other sectors have raised community concerns about child safety. In light of this, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards, being transparent in our practices, and continuing to build trust with our school community.

If you ever have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Keeping our children safe is something we all play a part in.

Homework Policy

Homework and Reading at WPS – Parent Feedback Summary

Thank you to the 116 families who responded to our recent homework and reading survey – your insights are invaluable in helping us reflect on and improve our practices.

We received feedback from a broad cross-section of families across all year levels, with most year levels receiving between 16–20% response rates.

Here’s a snapshot of what we learned:

Why Homework Matters 

Many families highlighted that homework helps students build valuable time management and organisational skills. It also supports the revision of concepts already taught in class – reinforcing routine, not extending into new learning.

Challenges Families Face 

We understand that busy family schedules, after-school activities, and student fatigue can make homework time challenging. Some students also find it difficult to stay engaged, and we know that parental availability can impact how homework is completed.

Clarifying the Purpose of Homework and Decodable Readers 

We’d like to take this opportunity to clarify that reading remains the most important aspect of homework. In fact, 77.6% of families agreed with this in the survey. When using decodable readers, it's important to remember that these books are designed to support your child’s decoding skills – that is, their ability to sound out words and read fluently. They are not intended to focus on comprehension at this stage.

What Families Are Saying About Homework Overall 

71% of respondents felt the current amount of homework provided is appropriate. We’ll continue to monitor this and make adjustments where needed to support students’ learning at home.

We appreciate your ongoing support and encourage open communication as we continue to shape meaningful and manageable homework experiences for all WPS students.

Below are several data graphs created from the survey undertaken by families.

NAPLAN Results Reflect Our Strong and Ongoing School Improvement

With the recent release of NAPLAN results featured in the media, we’re pleased to share that our school has achieved strong outcomes once again this year. These results highlight the ongoing growth and positive trajectory we are seeing across our school community.

Our students performed particularly well across key areas of literacy and numeracy, with many results meeting or exceeding state and national averages. While NAPLAN provides just one measure of student achievement, it does offer valuable insight into how our teaching and learning programs are supporting student progress.

Importantly, these results are a reflection of the work that has taken place over the past three years to build a consistent and viable curriculum across the school. This has been a major focus of our school improvement journey. Through a whole-school approach, staff have worked collaboratively to ensure clarity in what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess learning—providing every student with a high-quality and well-sequenced learning experience.

In addition to academic outcomes, we are proud of the continued growth in other key areas of school life, including student wellbeing, engagement, and community connection. These aspects are central to our vision of supporting the whole child and fostering a strong, supportive learning environment.

I look forward to sharing these results in more detail in the coming weeks.

Prep Enrolments Update – 3 Prep Classes in 2026

We are pleased to confirm that Williamstown Primary School will run three Prep classes in 2026, one more than in 2025.

This reflects the ongoing strong interest in our Prep program. It also allows us to maintain smaller class sizes, provide increased individual support, and continue delivering a high-quality, engaging start to each child's primary school journey.

We thank our families and the broader community for their continued support and confidence in our school. We look forward to welcoming our next cohort of young learners in 2026.

More information about our prep transition program will be provided later this term

Sporting Success – Off to the Regional Finals!

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic results from recent divisional finals, with several of our school teams achieving outstanding success!

• Girls Hockey Team – 1st place
• Mixed Hockey Team – 2nd place

Both teams have now earned their place in the Regional Finals, demonstrating exceptional skill, teamwork, and the traditional Willy Kid grit we’re so proud of.

• Girls Tee-Ball Team – 1st place

Another huge congratulations to our tee-ballers who are also heading to the Regional Finals. Their determination and sportsmanship have been second to none.

• Netball Team – 2nd place

While our netball team just missed out on progressing, we want to acknowledge their amazing effort and strong result at the divisional level. A fantastic achievement!

We are so proud of all our Sporty Kids and can’t wait to cheer on those representing WPS at the Regional Finals. Go Willy!

State Cross Country Success – Nationals, Here We Come!

A huge congratulations to our Grade 5 students Banjo, Danica, and Otis, who recently represented Williamstown Primary School at the State Cross Country Championships. Competing at this level is an incredible achievement and a true reflection of their dedication, perseverance, and talent.

A special shout-out to Banjo, who has now qualified for the National Cross Country Championships in Queensland later this year! What an outstanding accomplishment – we are so proud of you.

Well done to all three runners on their amazing efforts, and good luck to Banjo as he prepares to take on the best in the country!

Warm regards,

Mat