Welcome to Epping Primary School! I am extremely honoured to be the Principal of this wonderful school, and I am committed to the development of our most precious resource – our children.

As I walk around both campuses of Epping Primary School, I am so very proud of what I see. Students are excited about their learning and are engaged and motivated to do their best. The students are confident, competent and thoughtful, and enjoy a challenge.

Our school is forward-thinking, and my vision is for each student to develop into a successful and confident person with a passion for life-long learning. All learning at Epping Primary School is student-centred and developmentally appropriate.

We have a supportive and positive community and strive to build strong relationships and partnerships. Our staff are open, highly committed and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that every learner is both challenged and fulfilled in their learning. We value our connections with families and the wider community and encourage all our community to be involved in the school.

School Profile

Our community has a multi-cultural profile which is valued and celebrated. The school was created from the merger between Epping Primary School and Greenbrook Primary School on January 1st, 2012. The school Vision is "Making a Difference Together" and the school values are Respect, Honesty, Persistence, Resilience and Responsibility. Our purpose is to provide a learning environment that is both caring and challenging. We equip all students with the necessary skills, knowledge and dispositions to become valued and productive members of the community. Our mission is “To inspire and empower our students to thrive as lifelong learners.”

We are a vibrant primary school with a proud history, offering a comprehensive education to over 300 students. The school ensures best practice and programs operate at each campus to create an exciting and broad curriculum, and we are committed to continuous improvement. We believe in developing the ‘whole child’ and have a strong focus on social and emotional wellbeing.

Each campus has grades from Years Prep to Six, with approximately 250 students at the High Street (HS) Campus and 80 at the Greenbrook (GB) Campus. The school structure consists of multi-aged classes of two-year levels except for one straight Prep class at the High Street campus.

Specialist programs include Physical Education, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), Visual Arts and Italian, with our Social-Emotional Learning Program being incorporated into classroom activities. The Social and Emotional Learning Program incorporates Berry St Education Model lessons as well as the Zones of Regulation and Respectful Relationships lessons.

Students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities such as Interschool Sports, Choir, Hoop Time, Futsal, lunchtime Reading Club and Lunchtime Jewellery Club. An indoor structured playroom (Rainbow Room) is provided for students to use during first break to support social skills and student wellbeing, and a sensory room is available to support students requiring a calming breakout space.

What Makes Our School Different?

Our school is comprised of two campuses which boast large, inviting school grounds. We believe in developing the ‘whole child’ and have a strong focus on social and emotional wellbeing. The school is trained in the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) which is an educator-designed, evidence-informed framework that equips teachers with practical tools to create classrooms where every student feels safe, engaged, and ready to learn.

The school has a school counsellor who works across both campuses, has a strong Social and Emotional Learning Program, and works with several external agencies to support students and families. Since 2023, the school has provided an onsite Psychologist and a Speech Therapist one day a week.

The school also has a range of intervention programs which includes an English as an Additional Language (EAL) program, the Speech Therapy Assistance (STA) Program, a Reading Intervention program for Year One students based on the science of reading and Tutoring in Literacy and Numeracy for Years Two – Six students.

Our school has used the latest research regarding the science of reading since 2021 to support explicit and systematic teaching of reading and spelling through the Little Learners Love Literacy Program from Prep to Year 2. Children learn at a quicker rate if they are taught systematically and explicitly using a synthetic phonics and a structured literacy approach. Epping Primary School supports and teaches the crucial areas for reading instruction which are phonemic instruction, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This systematic and explicit reading instruction has been extended to the Year Three-Six Year Levels.

The school developed and implemented a common instructional model in 2021 based on the neuroscience of the brain. The staff work and build capacity through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) which ensures collaboration and collective responsibility for all students. PLCs also ensure that teachers know their students’ learning needs and use the most effective strategies and tools to guide each learner to the next level of understanding or skill. We are fortunate to have an extremely talented and enthusiastic staff who always strive to improve their teaching practice through professional learning, cooperation and collaboration.

Epping Primary School has a strong focus on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) where iPads and Chromebooks are used as effective tools in our students’ learning at all year levels. We have highly skilled staff who have built their capacity in relation to ICT and use this to engage, motivate and extend student learning beyond the classroom. We are providing 21st Century Learning where our students are critical and creative thinkers, collaborative and problem solvers.

On behalf of our students and staff, I extend an invitation to you to visit our school and learn more about what makes Epping Primary School a special place for learning.

Enrolment enquiries about High Street can be made through phoning (03) 9401-1389 or for any enquiries about our Greenbrook Campus please call (03)9401-3256.

I look forward to welcoming you to our school.

Barbara McKenzie

Principal