Principal's report

Welcome back to Term 4! It’s hard to believe we’re already at the final term of the year. Term 4 is always a special time, filled with exciting events, valuable learning opportunities, and important decisions as we prepare to wrap up the school year and look ahead to the next.

Staffing News

The following staff members will be continuing their leave in 2024:

Mary-Grace Belda, Caroline Bewley, Madie Driessen, Sue Goddard, Dyon Hunt & Brittney Peebles.

The following staff members will be leaving next year:

Cheryl Clarke, Aoife Harrington & Gemma Wall

We’re hoping that Aoife will be in and out throughout the year to assist with the tutor program and provide some CRT support as we anticipate Gemma's return in 2026.

The following staff have advised of their resignation from EPS:

Angela Rennie, William Saunders & Grace Smith-Davies

John Whitten will be back as CRT next year.

2025 Timetable Update

Currently, Elsternwick Primary School (EPS) has 453 students enrolled across 20 classes, with an average class size of 22.65 students. Based on current enrolment numbers, we anticipate having 458 students attending EPS in 2024. To accommodate this, we will be introducing an additional class in the Year 3/4 area in 2025, bringing the total number of classes to 21, with an average of 21.8 students per class.

Our existing timetable consists of five, one-hour teaching blocks each day. This structure is particularly conducive to supporting sustained and deeper learning experiences for our students. However, from an operational standpoint, our five specialist teachers (French, Performing Arts, Physical Education, STEAM, and Visual Arts) are unable to teach 21 classes per week, as this exceeds the limits of our Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).

We are currently considering a few options:

• Option 1 (Preferred): Students would receive three terms of our four specialist subjects. This approach has been implemented previously at EPS. We will consider carefully which term each year group might not have a particular specialist subject. For example, Preps might not have French in Term 1, and Year 3/4 students might not have Physical Education during the term when sport events like cross-country, swimming, and athletics are taking place. We will provide further details to families later in the term. 
• Option 2: Revert to 50-minute sessions. However, this is not preferred, as it would reduce the quality of sustained learning without increasing the amount of specialist class time.
• Option 3: Implement a part-time model for specialist teachers, hiring an additional specialist in each area to work one day per week. While this may be a solution, it is neither financially viable nor ideal for maintaining consistency. For example, this could involve having a STEAM teacher come in for half a day each week to teach Year 2 classes for one term.

At EPS, we are proud to offer an exceptional specialist program that is highly regarded and provides enriching learning opportunities for our students. While these changes may take some time to adjust to, we are confident that the quality of our specialist program will not be compromised. We are committed to ensuring that students continue to benefit from a wide range of engaging and valuable learning experiences.

Multi Age Classes (or Composite Classes)

Multi-age or composite classes combine students from different year levels into one class. The most common groupings are Year 5/6 and Year 3/4, and many children experience learning in these types of classes.

Research shows that the key to a successful learning environment is the quality of teaching, not the structure of the class. There is no evidence to suggest that multi-age classes hinder student progress.

In every class—whether it is a single-grade or multi-age class—students have diverse learning needs and abilities. When planning lessons, teachers take into account each student’s strengths, prior knowledge, and individual needs. They use this as a starting point to tailor learning experiences and support each child in their learning journey. Teaching happens in various formats, including whole-class instruction, small groups, and one-to-one support.

In a standard Year 5 class, some students might be working at a Year 7/8 level in certain subjects, while others may be working at a Year 3 level. This range of abilities is similar to what teachers manage in a Year 5/6 composite class, where students are taught according to their learning levels. Our teachers are skilled in differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of all students, with a clear understanding of the expectations for each year level. Regular assessments help us identify students' strengths, needs, and next steps in their learning.

The main reason for implementing multi-age classes is to address uneven enrolment patterns. For example, if a school has 60 students in Year 5 and 60 students in Year 6 (which is similar to our current numbers), this would typically require four classes—two Year 5 classes and two Year 6 classes, with 30 students per class. Alternatively, six smaller classes (three Year 5 and three Year 6) could be created with 20 students in each class, but this would be financially unsustainable. A more cost-effective solution is to form multi-age classes, resulting in five classes of 24 students each. This arrangement allows for better use of teaching resources.

By combining students of different year levels, these classes foster a more flexible and inclusive learning environment where students can engage with peers at varying stages of development, promoting collaboration and peer learning. Teachers in composite classes are skilled at differentiating instruction, ensuring that each student's individual learning needs are met, regardless of age or grade level.

In 2025, the class structure at our school will be as follows:

• Prep: 4 classes
• Year 1: 3 classes
• Year 2: 3 classes
• Year 3: 3 classes
• Year 4: 3 classes
• Year 5: 2 classes
• Year 5/6: 1 class
• Year 6: 2 classes

Intentions to Leave  

Term 4 is always heavily focused on planning for the upcoming year – including grade and staff selection, budgeting, enrolments, and more. We have previously requested this information, and I want to extend my thanks to those families who have been proactive in letting us know about their plans for 2025.

For those who haven’t yet had the chance, I kindly ask that you inform us of your intentions as soon as possible. The current challenges in finding and securing staff are significant, and having this information early helps us greatly in our preparations.

We understand that families face a range of commitments and that decisions about the future may evolve as circumstances change. However, out of common courtesy, we ask that you keep us informed sooner rather than later. Often, your children might share this information with their friends or teachers before we hear it formally.

Have a great weekend,

Michael Portaro

Principal