Principal’s Message

Chatham Primary School is nestled in the leafy and inviting eastern suburb of Surrey Hills. Chatham is approximately 12kms from Melbourne’s CBD and is situated away from main roads and busy traffic. The school exudes an enduring sense of community and belonging.

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 the 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 throughout their school journey are supported and championed by a focused, committed and inspired teaching and support staff, along with an enthusiastic and engaged parent community. The school is led by an active and engaged Acting Principal who works in partnership with staff and parents, supported by a School Council that is focused and aspirational in its governance and intent, and a Parents’ Club that is central to the life of the community. Our School Council is further supported by the active leadership and goals of five Committees of School Council. The contributions of our parents and alumni clearly set Chatham apart and are reflected in the magnificent school grounds masterplan, which has now been fully completed. These are unprecedented times of expectation, aspiration, celebration and belonging for our established 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 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 2.0. 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, Visual Arts, Performing Arts 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, Divisional, Regional and State Swimming, Athletics, Cross-Country and Basketball. Through both Summer and Winter Sport, and the work of the Kooyong District Sports Association, students are also immersed in a variety of other major games and it is not uncommon for a number of our students to extend to State level representation. In addition to this, students in the senior school have the opportunity to participate in the Mass Dance Troupe of the Victorian State Schools’ Spectacular and the Aero Schools Aerobics Program, with our teams achieving placings at both the State and National Championship in 2025. 

Progressively, the school has an abiding focus upon sustainability, taking pride and expanding daily actions that support a sustainable future. This includes various levels of awareness regarding recycling and biodiversity, and a strong commitment to a comprehensive Kitchen Garden Program. Often, the connectedness with government and philanthropic grants furthers our objectives in these areas.

Additionally, Chatham has a fabulous library facility that is well utilised by students and staff, and open for students to visit at lunch times. Students also enjoy a very well-resourced STEM room, with all classes timetabled to visit on a weekly basis.

Officially opened in 1927, Chatham now reflects an eclectic mix of buildings, including a recently upgraded heritage Senior School / Main School building, combined with a more recent purpose-built Junior School / Specialist building.

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 in this area. This results in a high level of student participation and leadership modelling for others in areas such as School and Sports House Captains, Environment Captains, Wellbeing Captains, English Captains, Mathematics Captains, Science Captains, ICT Captains, Visual Arts Captains, Performing Arts Captains, Japanese Captains and a very active Junior School Council.

Importantly, we look with enthusiasm and anticipation to the sustainable development and enhancement of our school in 2027 and beyond. We have much to achieve and even more to celebrate.

Georgina Kirwan
Acting Principal