Principals Report
Student-Led Conferences
A huge thank you to all of our families who attended our Student-Led Conferences on Tuesday 28th July. It was wonderful to see so many students proudly sharing their learning, reflecting on their growth and celebrating their achievements from Semester 1 alongside their parents/carers and classroom teachers. Student-Led Conferences are a valuable opportunity for students to showcase their progress, talk about their learning goals and celebrate their successes. It was fantastic to see our classrooms filled with positive conversations and strong partnerships between home and school. Thank you to our students, families and staff for making the day such a success. Working together to celebrate learning is one of the many ways we continue to support every child to achieve their best.
Curriculum Day
Please be reminded of the upcoming curriculum day on Friday, August 14th . Students are not required at school on this day but our OHSC service is available through TheirCare for those who need to access the supervision and program on offer.
Naplan Results
Wales Street Primary School has achieved strong results in NAPLAN 2026, with both our Year 3 and Year 5 cohorts performing above or equal to similar schools and, and above network and state averages in the proportion of students achieving the Strong or Exceeding proficiency levels.
Year 3: READING: 89% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Exceeding
Year 3 NUMERACY: 91% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Exceeding
Year 3 SPELLING: 80% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Exceeding
Year 5: READING: 85% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Exceeding
Year 5 NUMERACY: 84% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Achieving
Year 5 SPELLING: 83% of Wales Street students achieved Strong or Exceeding
At Wales Street, these outcomes are underpinned by a deliberate and evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning across both Literacy and Numeracy. Our teachers provide explicit instruction in the essential knowledge and skills students need to become confident and successful learners.
In Literacy, our approach focuses on building strong foundations in reading and spelling through explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Students develop the skills to accurately decode words, read with increasing fluency and understanding, and apply their knowledge of sounds, spelling patterns and word structures.
In Numeracy, teaching focuses on developing strong mathematical knowledge, fluency and understanding, alongside students’ ability to reason, problem solve and apply their learning in a range of contexts.
Through carefully sequenced lessons, regular review, teacher modelling, worked examples, guided practice, frequent checks for understanding and timely feedback, students build their knowledge, skills and confidence.
These results are a testament to the expertise and dedication of our teaching staff, the consistent implementation of our whole-school approaches to Literacy and Numeracy, and the commitment of our students to continually improving their learning. We will continue to refine our teaching practices and provide rich learning experiences to ensure every student is supported and challenged to achieve their personal best.
Building Updates
It is exciting to see our building project continuing to move forward!
Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of showing a number of architects around Wales Street as part of the next phase of our building project. Four architectural firms have been invited to submit tenders for the design phase. Members of the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) and I are currently reviewing their submissions.
Over the next two weeks, we will shortlist and interview the architectural firms as we work toward appointing the team that will help bring our vision for the school’s new facilities to life.
This is a very exciting stage in our journey, and I look forward to sharing further updates with our school community as the project progresses.
Foundation 2027
We have now sent out first round offers to the families for whom we are the zoned school and the families who already have a child enrolled at Wales Street to confirm that their Prep child will be attending in 2027.
If you have a child who will be starting school in 2027 and you have not enrolled them, please do so as soon as possible.
Helping Keep Our School Healthy
As we continue through the winter months, we ask all families to help us keep our school community healthy. Please encourage your child to wash their hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home if they are feeling unwell. While the pandemic may be behind us, wearing a mask when experiencing cold or flu symptoms remains a simple and considerate way to reduce the spread of illness and protect others. By working together and reinforcing these healthy habits at home and at school, we can help keep our students and staff well throughout the season.