Our FAQs

Established on the current site close to station pier on Port Phillip in 1889, it continues its long and proud practice of providing a broad quality education to meet the needs of our culturally diverse mix of students. Its historical aspect has resulted in very strong community links spanning generations.

Port Melbourne Primary School has a current enrolment of approximately 700 students from grades Prep to Year 6.

Curiosity – We want to learn, be creative and find out more about the world around us. We take chances and are open to new learning.

Kindness – We look after ourselves, others, and the environment. We demonstrate kindness by showing compassion, consideration, understanding and patience.

Courage – We strive to be courageous by taking risks, trying new things and being responsible for our actions. We stand up for ourselves and others.

Resilience – We are able to respond to challenging situations through reflection, engagement and perseverance using a growth mindset.

School council meetings would normally be open to the school community. Visitors or observers can be present at a council meeting with the agreement of the principal and a decision of council. There may be times when, for the purpose of confidentiality or other reasons, a council meeting needs to be closed. The school council determines the need for a closed meeting. Please contact the school before attending a school council meeting. You can view the Victorian Education and Training website for further information on School Council Meetings.

Yes, absolutely! Any contribution from the community is greatly appreciated and goes towards our ability to continue to provide the best facilities and programs to all our students. Please follow this link to donate today.

Yes. You can find all the school’s annual reports here.

As a community member you can support the school in many ways. You can attend one of our community events, make a donation, become a member of the school council or become a community partner supporting activities and initiatives. Talk to us today for more information and opportunities.

To be a part of our council, you don’t need any particular qualifications or experience – we look for enthusiastic parents who want to help improve the learning outcomes and school environment for all students. Learn more about our school council and visit the Victorian Education and Training website for full coverage of the School Council Election process.

Port Melbourne Primary School conforms all our school policies from the Victorian Government Schools governance and operational policies. You can read all our school policies here.

2025 Prep Enrolments

The Department of Education has released an updated statewide Foundation (Prep) enrolment timeline for the 2025 school year.

The timeline advises families when and how to enrol their child into Foundation (Prep) at a Victorian government primary school, including Port Melbourne Primary School.

All government primary schools will follow the timeline in 2024 to support Foundation (Prep) enrolments for the 2025 school year.

You can find information and resources about the timeline, including factsheets and a poster at: Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).

You will be able to apply to enrol your child in Foundation (Prep) 2025 at Port Melbourne Primary School from 15 April 2024.

What you need to do:

1. Book a school tour to learn more about our school and the enrolment application process.
2. Download and complete the PMPS enrolment form.
3. Please see the Enrolment Checklist below for further requirements.
4. Submit your enrolment form for Foundation (Prep) by Friday 26 July 2024.
5. You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 29 July and Friday 9 August 2024. If you receive an enrolment offer, you should contact our school to accept the offer by Friday 23 August 2024.
6. Take part in enrolment information and transition sessions during Term 4, 2024.
7. Prepare your child to start Foundation (Prep) from Wednesday 29 January 2025.

Enrolment forms submitted after 26 July 2024 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

For 2026 Foundation (Prep) Enrolments, specific timeline information will be provided shortly. Interested families are encouraged to book a tour and register for our open morning to learn more.

Our school zone is available on findmyschool.vic.gov.au which hosts the most up-to-date information on school zones in Victoria.

Students residing within our school zone are guaranteed a place at our school, which is determined based on your permanent residential address.

Our school manages enrolments using the Placement Policy to ensure that students have access to their designated neighbourhood school and may enrol at another school, if there are available places.

For more information, you can:

• visit School zones for answers to frequently asked questions
• call the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) on 1800 896 950
• email the VSBA at vsba@education.vic.gov.au

Families residing in our zone, wishing to enrol their children should follow the steps outlined below.

All International Student classification enrolments should be completed through the Department of Education International Student Division. Contact can be made through +61 3 9637 2990 or international@education.vic.gov.au

Enrolments for families not residing in our school zone are considered and determined in line with school capacity. To learn more about out-of-zone enrolments please call our office, or book a tour.

If you wish to enrol your child at PMPS, please fill in our Enrolment Form.

To enrol your child please ensure that:

• Your child is 5 years old by 30 April in the year that they start school (for Foundation).
• You complete an enrolment form and submit it and the following documents:

  • Evidence of Date of Birth – a copy of your child’s Birth Certificate

  • Immunisation History Statement – available via MyGov portal, or the Australian Childhood Immunisation register (T: 1800 653 809, E: acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au).

  • Proof of address – E.g. current lease or contract of sale and two utility bills

  • And the following if applicable

    • Any parenting orders or legal matters to do with the care or safety of your child

    • Medical Management Plan

• • • Health Care Card (to be eligible for CSEF)
    • Passport/Visa documentation – for students who are non-residents

Our admissions team will then reach out via phone or email with next steps.

To start primary school your child will need to turn five years old by 30 April in the year that they start school. Your child must be at school in the year that they turn six years of age. This is the compulsory school starting age. We suggest that you start the enrolment process as early as May the year before your child is due to start school.

If you are unsure of your child’s readiness to start school, please contact the office, or book a tour to learn more about our Prep transition process and discuss the individual needs of your child further.

Students in Year 5 have an opportunity to nominate themselves for School Captain and Vice-Captain, House Captain and other Leadership roles that they then take on in Year 6. Students across the school can nominate themselves to be elected as SRC representative for their class each year.

In addition, students across P-6 have many informal opportunities to lead, including class roles (lunch monitor, line leader), group tasks (with defined roles) and whole class circle time and meetings.

Yes, learning at Port Melbourne Primary School is based on the Victorian Curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum covers Foundation (Prep) – Year 10, and incorporates the Australian Curriculum whilst reflecting Victorian priorities and standards.

If you have any questions The Parent and Carers Query Pathway will help resolve different queries.

At Port Melbourne Primary School, collaborative teaching (otherwise known as co-teaching) is utilised across teaching pairs/teams to meet the diverse needs of our students and provide quality teaching and enriched learning opportunities. This approach to teaching complements the school’s commitment to collaboration and shared ownership via the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model and our flexible, open-planned learning spaces. It is imperative that every student succeeds at our school regardless of their academic ability, learning style, social competence or level of emotional intelligence. Working together assists our teachers to best facilitate this as opposed to working in isolation.

Learning at Port Melbourne Primary School is based on the Victorian Curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum covers Foundation (Prep) – Year 10, and incorporates the Australian Curriculum whilst reflecting Victorian priorities and standards. The Curriculum is broken into eight Learning Areas; visit the Victorian Curriculum website for further details on the structure and content. We also offer Sport, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and French.

We offer Sport, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and French.

Port Melbourne Primary School has a team of dedicated staff who are responsible for different aspects of our Wellbeing Program. The program consists of the following: (1) Program for Students with Disabilities, (2) Social Worker, (3) Psychologist, (4) Speech Pathologist and (5) Learning Specialists.

There are two break times in the school day: recess (10.50am – 11.15am) and lunch (1.05pm to 1.50pm).