Clifton Hill Primary School
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| Clifton Hill Primary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 37°47′33″S 144°59′21″E / 37.79237°S 144.98914°E |
| Information | |
| Former name | Gold Street State School |
| School type | Public |
| Motto | Striving for Excellence |
| Established | 1874 |
| Principal | Megan Smith |
| Years offered | Prep – Year 6 |
| Enrollment | 681 (2023) |
| Website | Official site |
Clifton Hill Primary School is a heritage-listed public co-educational primary school located in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia.[1][2][3] It is administered by the Victorian Department of Education, with an enrolment of 681 students and a teaching staff of 56, as of 2023.[2] The school serves students from Prep to Year 6.[2] It was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 20 August 1982 for its historical and architectural significance to the state of Victoria.[3]
At the end of 1873, the minister of education at the time accepted a tender for the erection of a state school on Gold Street.[4] The school was designed by William Henry Ellerker and was originally going to be built with a capacity of 500 students in mind, however, Ellerker's design for a capacity of 1,000 students was used instead.[3]
It opened in 1874 under the name Gold Street State School.[3] By August of the very same year, the school had a student enrolment of 1,289 but only had an average attendance of 660.[5] This low attendance was believed to be due to the school's recent opening and that the school's average attendance would increase over time.[5] In 1876, the school had an enrolment of 1,091 students with an average attendance of 661.[6] One year later, in 1877, the student enrolment was 1,220 with an average attendance of 660 and by 1878 the student enrolment was 1,400 with an average attendance 823.[6] The average attendance exceeded 960 by the end of 1883.[7]
On 26 February 1877, a six-year-old student (James West) was beaten by his classmates just outside the school; he died from his injuries a few weeks later.[8][9] A police investigation ensued, with an autopsy of the body being conducted.[10] The conduct of the headmaster's response surrounding the matter was also examined.[11][12] By June 1877, the perpetrator was not yet identified, despite there being multiple witnesses.[13] The investigation was described as "bungled" with the police taking limited notice of the incident and the school dismissing the matter.[13] It was feared that the case would be forgotten, and it was suggested that it would be a great misfortune if the Education Department did not take further action to identify the culprit.[13]
In 1878, a student climbed the school building and was unable to come down; he was ultimately saved but received the cane for endangering his life.[14]
The opening of a post office in Clifton Hill was celebrated with a ball and supper at the school in 1883.[15]
Demographics
In 2021, the school had a student enrolment of 735 with 63 teachers (50.2 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (7.3 full-time equivalent). Female enrolments consisted of 380 students and Male enrolments consisted of 355 students; Indigenous enrolments accounted for a total of 1% and 26% of students had a language background other than English.[16]
In 2022, the school had a student enrolment of 693 with 59 teachers (47 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (8.4 full-time equivalent). Female enrolments consisted of 362 students and Male enrolments consisted of 331 students; Indigenous enrolments accounted for a total of 1% and 27% of students had a language background other than English.[16]
In 2023, the school had a student enrolment of 681 with 56 teachers (47 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (7.6 full-time equivalent). Female enrolments consisted of 361 students and Male enrolments consisted of 320 students; Indigenous enrolments accounted for a total of 1% and 25% of students had a language background other than English.[2]
