Welcome to Clarendon Primary School
As a small, local, community school, Clarendon Primary boasts an historic and stunning location which provides a backdrop for quality teaching and learning in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and friendly.
Clarendon Primary is characterised by committed, experienced, dedicated and professional staff, loyal and supportive families and children who are engaged, caring and active learners. We’re a community school that has long valued the roles that environmental education, active, ethical and healthy lifestyles, natural play, engaging curriculum and positive connections play in educating children for the twenty first century.
Our shared vision for the future is one of high quality educational outcomes being achieved in an innovative, connected and compassionate community school. We believe Clarendon is a strong, unique local school that collaborates closely with other sites, community groups and service providers in our region including Clarendon Kindergarten and Kangarilla Primary School.
Clarendon Primary School strives to give every learner a voice and encourages a growth mindset and powerful learning attributes in all our stakeholders: staff, students and families alike. We take a strength-based approach to every aspect of school life and encourage reflection, improvement and progress through a shared accountability model for teaching and learning.
The work of our school aims to build the human faculties in our learners, equipping them with the essential skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving and empathy. This approach is strengthened by a commitment to connected relationships and a rigorous R-6 implementation of best practice in numeracy and literacy pedagogy.
Welcome to our small school and great community.
Acknowledgement of Country
Ngadlu Kaurna miyurna tampinthi. Parna yarta mathanya puki-unangku. Ngadlu tampinthi Kaurna miyurna purru purruna. Pangkarra Wama Kaurna, Kaurnakunti yarta
We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of this land. We acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the life of this region.
Our Vision
Our students are confident learners and caring citizens prepared for their futures.
Our Values
Be kind, work hard.
Our Past...
Education in Clarendon commenced shortly after 1850 and schooling was conducted on a number of sites in and around the town until the erection of the present school building in 1885. In those days transport was by foot or horse and it took 3 days to travel to Adelaide. Some of the main occupations of the town were wood carter, ironmonger, “gentleman”, miner and blacksmith.
While the original stone building and headmaster’s house have stood the test of time very well, their interiors have altered from time to time according to the need. The school has always catered for 50-150 students. Although early records show a roll number of up to 150 students, infectious diseases, severe weather conditions and frequent absences for work or home duties, meant that only up to 100 students at a time were ever present.
Gardening and agriculture in general has been a strong point in teaching since the early days, with the school winning many prizes from apple picking competitions in the 1930s to massive onion crop harvests (up to 982 lbs) in 1957.
Both School Council and Parent Clubs have also been very active in working together for the good of the school and the community at large, often braving the elements at fundraising efforts, including snow in 1951! Some things do change and these committees have been instrumental in introducing fluorescent lighting (1971), TV receiver (1969 in time to see man land on the moon), telephone (1972) and computers (1980s). Some innovations have been around longer than we think: school photos exist from 1900, learn to swim 1950s and annual school concerts and lunch days 1956.
Our Present...
Children at our school have the opportunity to participate and engage in a broad range of subjects and curriculum areas from the Australian Curriculum. Composite classes are a feature of Clarendon and the pedagogy engaged by teachers helps to maximise the impact of positive peer relationships and building strong connections across the school and community. Learners at Clarendon Primary are characterised by their growth mindset, powerful learning skills and capacity for reflection and improvement.
At Clarendon Primary, learners access a broad range of experiences in their daily school life, such as the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program with a STEAM focus, specialist teaching in Indonesian and science, along with engagement in music through choir, ukulele and dance, and in sport through specialist coaching clinics, SASSA carnivals and Sporting Schools initiatives.
Our Future...
