Principal's Message
It has been a busy few weeks with Book Week, new elective activities commencing, Zone athletics, the Evening with ACoS performance, External Validation and the beginning of our 2026 Kinder transition activities.
I want to acknowledge the work of our staff in making these all possible. Special acknowledgement needs to go to Michelle Porter and Lana Howlett for their role in coordinating the Ben Venue ACoS entries and supporting the organisation of the event as a whole.
Things never seem to slow down at Ben Venue and off the back of the Evening with ACoS, we are now preparing for the K-2 cross country and Creative Arts Showcase in Week 10. Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 students have been completing check-in assessments and Year 6 transition to high school activities planned.
External Validation
The School Excellence Framework is a self-assessment and school improvement tool that all NSW public schools use to guide their work. It allows schools to evaluate current practices, processes and achievements against evidence-based statements that describe schools that excel. Schools are assessed on 52 themes, within 14 elements, beneath three overarching domains. These domains are Learning, Teaching and Leading.
Late last month, our school completed external validation. This process occurs in the final year of each school improvement cycle and provides validation of the schools position on the School Excellence Framework. The feedback we received was very positive, confirming school-based assessment of school improvement on 12 of the 14 elements, with the remaining two evaluated at a higher level of accomplishment by the validation panel.
There are four levels of progression on the School Excellence Framework, from Working towards delivering, Delivering, Sustaining and Growing, to Excelling. For the first time, our school was assessed at the Sustaining and Growing level in all elements, with the exception of six elements that were rated as Excelling.
The image below summarises our school improvement journey as measured on the School Excellence Framework over the past 10 years.
BVPS Bike Bus
From the first week of next term, the Ben Venue Bike Bus will welcome students who wish to cycle or scooter to school. The Bike Bus is a joint initiative of Ben Venue and Dr Casey Mainsbridge, Senior Lecturer in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education at the University of New England. The intention of the Bike Bus is to support student health and fitness through active travel to and from school.
Starting in Week 1, Term 4, the Bike Bus will run on Wednesdays and Fridays. We will be utilising cycleways and footpaths, with each route crossing 3-5 roads. Students will be provided with high visibility vests to enhance safety, and will be supervised by two adults. We hope that we will be able to concurrently operate the three routes, from Norris Drive, Curtis Park, and Willow Tree Park.
Further details will be provided in our final newsletter for the term, including route maps, collection times and locations, as well as procedures for cancelation in the event of wet weather or staff illness. Please email the school if you are interested in supporting the Bike Bus as an additional supervising adult.
Debating
Congratulations to both the Ben Venue Blue and Ben Venue Gold debating teams who have been declared joint zone champions in the Premiere's Debating Challenge. They will now face off in the first round of the regional finals.
Young Scientist Competition
Congratulations to Katie Edwards, and to the trio of Bessie Waters, Lucinda Pezzutti and Sophie Fittler who submitted entries to the Young Scientist Awards last week. Katie completed a study into the effect on plants of exposure to short term extremes of temperature, while Bessie, Lucinda and Sophie investigated the prevalence of insects in locations effected by different levels of light pollution.
Creative Arts Showcase
Please save the date of Thursday 25 September, as on this evening, we will hold our Creative Arts Showcase. Further details will be provided closer to the event.
NAPLAN
Earlier this term, I provided information relating to our school's performance on this years NAPLAN assessments. I hoped to share further detail relating to the average growth of our students in comparison to the average of similar schools and the state. Since this time, we have received advice that this information will not be made available to schools this year.
In our next newsletter, I will be able to provide data from this Term's Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 Check-in Assessments.
125 Years Celebration
As previously discussed in the newsletter, this is the 125th year of Ben Venue Public School. As we start planning for the 125 Year Celebrations in Term 4, we thought we would take a look back over the history of Ben Venue Public School.
In 1899, settlers in the north of Armidale petitioned the Department of Public Instruction for the establishment of a school in the area to provide education to its local children as the distance to the public school in town was too great. It was recommended that a school be built at a place called Ben Venue. The site chosen was a 5-acre block of crown land, which today is bordered by Rockvale Road, Gordon St and Arundel Drive.
A single room, weather board building was constructed by Armidale builder J P Kirkwood for 275 pounds. The school opened on the 30th April 1900 and enrolled 49 students. Its first teacher, from Saumarez School, was Mr James Newbury.
Initially families were required to pay 3 pence a week for schooling, which had to be collected by the teacher. School fees were abolished however in 1906. Attendance was compulsory from ages 7 to 14 but not enforced as most students left school before completing Class 5. By 1909, 5th class was discontinued and student wishing to continue had to transfer to the bigger public school in town - now Armidale City Public School.
In 1911, the single room school was considered too small and a second classroom was added. On the 16th April 1924, the Ben Venue Parents and Citizens Association was established. By 1928, with over 100 students, it was decided to move the school to its current location after much debate by the local community.
(Compiled by School Centenary Committee Ben Venue Public School, 2000)
Morning supervision
Families are reminded that supervision of students is provided from 8:40 am. Prior to this time, we cannot guarantee that a staff member will be available to support student in the event of injury or social difficulty.
2026 enrolment
On 16 September, principals of Armidale public primary schools will meet to discuss the enrolment of students for whom non-local enrolment applications have been submitted. Any families seeking non-local enrolment are strongly advised to contact the school as soon as possible in order to be considered in this process.
Local families and families with siblings currently enrolled at Ben Venue are also asked to contact the school as soon as possible if seeking 2026 enrolment, so that accurate decisions can be taken to ensure places are reserved for these students. If unsure whether your current address is zoned for Ben Venue, please access School Finder to conduct a search.
Cam Pryce
Principal