Principal’s Message

Chatham Primary School is nestled in the leafy and inviting eastern suburb of Surrey Hills. Chatham is approximately twelve kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD. It is situated predominantly at the northern end of Benson Street surrounded by and complemented by well cared for and established homes, parks and recreational facilities. The school exudes an enduring sense of community and belonging.

The school is situated away from main roads and busy traffic.

It is a school with significant traditions of respect and regard for past endeavours, contributions and achievements together with a highly engaged, expectant and aspirational culture seeking development and improvement for the wonderful times ahead. In essence, it is an engaging and exciting place for children, their parents and staff to be. It is also a place with connections to immediate community, past parents and grandparents and others immersed in the diversity and opportunity afforded by community life.

The life of community is central to our sense of selves and belonging. The achievements and celebrations of our students on their journey through school life are supported and cheer led by a focussed, committed and inspired teaching and support staff, and an ever enthused and engaged parent community. The school is led by an active and engaged Principal who works together with staff and parents; a School Council that is focussed and aspirational in its governance and intent, and a Parents’ Club that is a centrality in the metaphor of community. Our School Council is further supported by the active leadership and goals of six Committees of School Council. The contributions of our parents and alumni clearly set Chatham apart and have been most recently reflected in the magnificent school grounds masterplan currently underway and being progressively realised.

These are unprecedented times of expectations, aspiration, celebration and belonging for our established but burgeoning community.

Our students learn and grow in an environment of support, belief, high expectations and opportunity commensurate with their changing development, needs and experience. Our students work both independently and collaboratively and experience a wealth of teacher orientations, skills and aptitudes, together with an expansive curriculum and extra curricula program. Chatham is a school reflecting significant academic and cultural achievements over an extended period of time. This continues consistent with high expectations and a belief that all students can and will achieve across a myriad of pursuits and focuses. Importantly, there is a focus upon each of our 360 students and the diversity of opportunities, established, present and developing that will widen their horizons and potential.

Literacy and Numeracy skills and understandings are of prime importance in ensuring access and capacity building in other areas of the Victorian Curriculum. Throughout the process of educational and social immersion, the development of the entire child is the subject of continuing thinking and review.

Specialist programs currently provided include Physical Education and Sport, Visual Arts, Music and Japanese. These areas form the core of specialist programs and are of continuing interest for enhancement and development at each step of school improvement. Typically these programs create a plethora of related extracurricular experience for our students.  Students actively participate in a Physical Education program across all levels and take part in a wide range of interschool sporting competitions in years 5 and 6, alongside District and Divisional Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country and Basketball.

Additionally, Chatham has a fabulous library facility that is well utilised by students and staff supported by positive and thoughtful stewardship of current and past parents.

Officially opened in 1927, Chatham now reflects an eclectic mix of buildings, including heritage school buildings combined with a more recent two storey Junior School building. In early 2018, the school received a Building Maintenance Grant and in conjunction with the Victorian School Building Authority, is progressively undertaking the maintenance of the facilities. It is expected that this will continue in the coming period, together with a focussed and ambitious plan to enhance and develop the entire school grounds.

The school has expressed values of respect, responsibility, resilience, learning, honesty and partnership. These values and their associated behaviours are inculcated across the school in a manner commensurate with the development of students and their intellectual, social and emotional growth. Additionally, the motto, Be Safe, Be Fair and Be Kind is extolled through the interactions that occur on a continual basis at all levels of school community life. These expectations and behaviours are further developed through the Leadership experience provided to all Year 6 students and by the individual teachers who are assigned to a group of students to further support their work and involvement. This results in a high level of student participation and leadership modelling for others in areas such as School and Sports House Captains, English Captains, Mathematics Captains, Environmental Captains, Visual Arts Captains, Music Captains, Japanese Captains, ICT Captains, Wellbeing Captains and Junior School Council.

Importantly, we look with enthusiasm and anticipation to the sustainable development and enhancement of our school in 2024 and beyond. We have much to achieve and even more to celebrate.

Welcome to our school!

Christopher Cotching
Principal