Welcome to Magpie Primary School and thank you for taking the time to visit our website.

I would like to acknowledge the Wathaurong People of the Kulin Nation who are the traditional custodians of this land upon which we work, live and play, and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

Currently, Magpie PS is a small school with approximately 90 students. The school is located approximately 5 kilometres south of Ballarat on beautiful, large open grounds.

Magpie Primary School aims to provide a nurturing and challenging environment that promotes an enthusiasm for learning and prepares individuals to become reflective and valued members of society. Our school values are Respectful, Responsible and Empathetic.

Our school has a long, proud history. Magpie Gully PS No. 415 was established in 1857 and was re-named as Magpie PS No. 2271 in 1892. The historic red brick building was completed in May 1880 and from 1986 classrooms were entirely comprised of relocatable buildings. In May 2011, the school was almost completely refurbished with new classrooms, new toilets and completion of the upgrade to the 131 year old administration building. This time marked a renewal of the school and a significant opportunity for the broader Magpie community to be served by a modern school that caters for the latest innovations in pedagogical approaches that foster independent student learning. The carefully planned, open design allows all children to be intrinsically aware of how they will become lifelong learners in the Twenty-first Century. The structure and design of the expansive grounds is enhanced by the outdoor learning options using a variety of courtyards and specialised environments. During 2015, an art / community shed was added and is now used for a number of student and community purposes. 

The school has established a strong staff team that has developed a reputation for having a positive and passionate approach to working with students. Our staff are focused on empowering students, providing opportunities to connect and engage in all learning activities, and assisting students to strive to achieve their best, while fostering every students’ emotional, social and physical wellbeing.

At Magpie Primary School, we pride ourselves on the relationships and strong connections between families, students, the school and the wider community. We aim to create a strong team around each learner to maximise their school experience. Our School Council is dedicated to our vision for the students and the community, and they work well in partnership with our staff to ensure we provide the best opportunities for our students.

The emphasis of Magpie Primary School is always focused on strengthening student learning outcomes and developing and improving the wellbeing for all. We achieve this by providing strong teaching and learning programs, where Literacy and Numeracy are the key focus, and by incorporating a broad range of extra-curricular and specialist programs to our students. Currently, Magpie Primary School offers weekly sessions for PE / Health, Arts (visual, performing, music, dance), LOTE (Auslan), STEM, Respectful Relationships, and integrated studies. Students also have the opportunity to participate in fortnightly Clubs, which involve further interests chosen by the students including Coding, Drama, Singing, Design and Build, Sport and more! We also ensure there are a range of social and emotional wellbeing programs offered throughout the year, including CAST and Drumbeat. The use of technology in our classrooms is used to enhance students learning. All classrooms have Apple TV’s, computers and iPads.

The school continues to be involved at a sporting level within the Wathaurong sports group, providing opportunities for our students to gather with other local schools and experience the sportsmanship and competition in various sports throughout the year. Our sports program is very comprehensive, and in addition to weekly lessons, it also includes yearly Cross Country, Athletics, Winter Sports, Swimming, SSV participation, and Bike Ed.

We have an enormous focus on inclusion at Magpie Primary School, and our environment shows how we are committed to this. When you enter our school, you will feel a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Our students play together, mixing all ages and interests. Our classroom resources provide access to success for all learners, and our outside play spaces encourage many forms of play and interactions.

On behalf of our Magpie PS team, I trust that you find our website useful, and we look forward to sharing the educational journey with our families. If you have any questions or would like to come for a tour, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist you.

Brad Whittaker
Acting Principal