Key Information
Staff
N/A
Fees
See website (Primary)
Languages
Croatian & Italian
About our school
Holy Family School was established in 1955. It is one of three parish schools belonging to St Michael’s Parish incorporating the Churches of Holy Family, Bell Park, Saints Peter and Paul’s, Geelong West and Holy Spirit, Manifold Heights. The original parish of Holy Family opened in 1953, and Holy Family School opened in 1955 with 180 P-4 students. The school was the parish centre – a school during the week and a centre for Mass and community events at the weekend. Holy Family School has a long history of association with the Sisters of Mercy. In 2000 the Mercy Order handed over the administration to a lay principal.
Our School Vision:
The Holy Family is our inspiration as we strive to live out Catholic Gospel values and promote a diverse and challenging curriculum which prepares and empowers students for an ever-changing world.
We are an adaptable, hope-filled community accountable for empowering growth and developing the ‘whole person’ in shaping a sustainable future. At Holy Family School we use the model of the ‘Holy Family’ as our foundation and we are committed to the Christian vision of the dignity and potential of each human person. We are fortunate to have a strong history of a large culturally diverse community, where all people are valued.
Holy Family School is situated in Bell Park, one of the northern suburbs of Geelong. Bell Park has traditionally been a settling place for migrant groups moving into Geelong for employment in local industry with a very strong population growth period in the 1950s and 1960s. This area of North Geelong continues to house a large portion of Geelong’s ethnic population. Earlier groups of Croatian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Italian and Polish families have now been joined by groups arriving from Sudan, Liberia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa, India and refugees from the Middle East region of Iraq and Syria.
The 2.18-hectare site offers an environment that caters for creative and explorative play. Children are able to socialise in our garden area, use the sporting field and courts, the adventure playground and a wide variety of areas to play creatively.
The students are grouped across four learning areas including the Prep Learning Area (Foundation), Junior Learning Area (Years 1and 2), Middle Learning Area (Years 3 and 4) and Senior Learning Area (Years 5 and 6). The school provides a comprehensive curriculum with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy and Religious Education. Curriculum initiatives include personalised and differentiated programs to meet the needs of all learners that are in line with contemporary learning and teaching practices. An integrated classroom curriculum addresses the domains of Science, Humanities/History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Design Technology and Health.
Holy Family Primary School seeks to develop motivated, creative and independent learners who demonstrate strong social values and whose leadership, resilience and self-esteem is evident when interacting with the community.
We strive to develop flourishing learners through explicit instruction and learner agency, ensuring that each child is empowered to reach their full potential and is in line with our school vision statement of ‘promoting a diverse and challenging curriculum which prepares and empowers students for an ever-changing world.’
Open Days/ School Tours
Please contact the school office if you would like to arrange a tour (03) 5278 4634
Principal's Message
Welcome to Holy Family Primary School, Bell Park
Our multicultural school recognises, values and welcomes the rich and diverse cultures of the Holy Family community. As students are the heart of Holy Family School we strive to provide a learning environment that is inclusive of all, nurturing a climate of mutual respect where students develop a sense of belonging and attachment to school.
The model of the ‘Holy Family’ is the keystone for our school community. Our Catholic identity seeks to integrate parish, family and school life in faith and Gospel values. Our three school values of ‘respect, compassion and responsibility’ are lived daily by the school community.
Our Learning and Teaching programs are designed to prepare our students to succeed in and contribute to a modern, globalised world. We recognize individual learning styles and acknowledge the different gifts each student brings to the life of the school community.
The curriculum at Holy Family Primary School interweaves the domain of Religious Education and those of the Victorian Curriculum enabling students to direct and take responsibility for their learning. We encourage authentic student voice for students to collaborate and make decisions with the staff on their learning and how their learning is assessed. The core curriculum is supported with curriculum focus programs in Visual/Performing Arts, Physical Education, and languages including Croatian and Italian.
Holy Family Primary School is a community-minded school. We welcome family participation and recognise the importance of working in partnership with the entire school community inclusive of staff, families and parish.
Peter Brunt – Principal
