Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a parent. The guiding influence of your child's school during their formative years is integral to their wellbeing and success now and into the future. It nurtures their self-esteem, determines their academic trajectory and plays an important role in cultivating their faith. We don't take this responsibility lightly. In fact, we consider it our privilege.
7 reasons to choose St Columba's
Global educational framework - IB PYP
We are an IB World School. We offer the globally-recognised International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). This makes us the only non-private, Catholic primary school in South Eastern Melbourne to offer the IB PYP.
The IB PYP aims 'to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.' Through the program, we will have access to a much broader network of people, resources and high-quality professional development. An IB education equips your child with a shared language, enabling them to move seamlessly into other IB schools here and around the globe. It also prepares your child to transition to secondary school IB or otherwise. Discover more about the benefits of the IB PYP here.
Great educator/learner ratio
We understand that school does not exist in isolation; it also encompasses your child's life at home. Our staff recognise you as partners in the education process and work in collaboration with you, other teachers, supporting staff and our school community for the holistic development of your child emotionally, spiritually and academically. Our classes are small and on average our educator/learner ratio is 1:15.
Specialist programs
For a little school, we pack a punch offering a diverse range of specialist programs including Mandarin, Physical Education, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Every second year, we hold a spectacular school musical with every single child enjoying the opportunity to shine on stage. This acts as a huge celebration of our diverse and vibrant school community.
Quality of care
We are a small school, with a capacity for 180 students, enabling us to provide a level of care and personalised touch rarely seen elsewhere. Our motto 'The little school with a big heart' represents our unique culture of care, empathy and respect for diversity. At our school, your child is never just a number. Our staff (including our principal) know all the children by name and pride themselves on creating a real sense of inclusiveness. We offer small class sizes and a safe, happy environment that sees and supports your child as a whole person. Not only does this make school a nice place to be, it makes for the best and richest learning experience.
A thriving environment
Our beautiful school opened its doors to students in 1918 and combines modern facilities with irreplaceable history and charm. We act as a vibrant community hub for the neighbourhoods of Elwood and St Kilda and embrace feedback from our wider community.
We're proud to be a 5-Star Resource Smart School; a huge achievement for a small school and evidence of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. We're also closely affiliated with the Port Phillip Eco Centre and have won a number of sustainability awards and grants. Our students play an important role in these initiatives working together to lower rubbish consumption, reduce our energy usage and compost waste. We make good use of the compost in our thriving kitchen garden, which is part of Stephanie Alexander's renowned Kitchen Garden Program.
Taking Action
Led by our Catholic faith, we look beyond our own needs and live guided by God's love. As a Catholic school, we are called to act with compassion and empathy, to respect and care for our world and its most vulnerable, and to promote inclusion and provide community. We put this into practice via our unique association with Sacred Heart Mission, which is part of our parish. Working with our students to instill the importance of supporting the vulnerable, we lead fundraising efforts, visit the elderly in aged care and collect staples for the dining hall.
Before & after care on site
Andy's exceptional Before and After School Care program is run privately by Andy and her wonderful staff some who work within the school, making the transition between school and after care seamless. It operates under the same nurturing values with the same dedication to quality of care.
We’d love to welcome you and your child
Please book a chat with our Principal Daniella or attend an open day.
Or, if you're ready to jump on in, you can download our Enrolment Form here.
Or, if you're ready to jump on in, you can download our Enrolment Form here.
