Upwey South Primary School opened the doors to its first cohort of students in 1964, working out of a small demountable building set amongst the hills of Upwey.

Since 1964, both the facilities and the curriculum have evolved to become a highly desired school of choice for families from surrounding areas. Over recent years, the school has become a leading mentor school in both curriculum and wellbeing, providing guidance to schools within and beyond our region. 

Today, Upwey South Primary School services ~330 students, with many second and third generation students.

Whilst the school has naturally evolved over the decades, through deliberate strategic planning the school has continually focussed upon community involvement and a 'sense of belonging' throughout the years. 

At Upwey South Primary School, we aim for our school to be a place where 'everyone belongs'. We want our students to wake up each day feeling excited that it is a school day, and to be looking forward to engaging with their learning. 

Our Guiding Principles- the underpinning of our school philosophy

• Evidence-based learning: We deliver evidence-based learning for our students by actively engaging in professional learning, maintaining up-to-date assessment data, accessing reliable sources of professional information, utilising the School’s Data Centre to document achievements, actions, and evidence through school-wide data tools.

• Responsiveness: We act promptly to support all students, staff, and community members, through providing timely information. We take action with a positive mindset, informing relevant others of our actions, and promoting a collective responsibility for student learning. 

• Consistency: We work as a school-wide team of professionals to provide consistency in daily routines and structures for our students.

• Predictability: The actions of the adults in our school are predictable, compassionate, calming, and supportive at all times.

• Orderliness: We provide our students with an orderly learning environment, which is free of clutter, reflects current student achievements, and promotes a collective responsibility for shared learning spaces.

• Reinforcement of desirable learning behaviours: We work hard to acknowledge on-task learning behaviours, and encourage students to regulate their learning through the Berry Street Educational Model.

Our Values- the underpinning of our strategic direction and actions

At Upwey South Primary School, we conduct our learning and actions based upon our three school values of Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.

• Respect: As a USPS Learner, I always value Respect for oneself, the environment, and the rights of others.

• Responsibility: As a USPS Learner, I always value Responsibility to take action and do what is right, to be kind, and to be courageous.

• Resilience: As a USPS Learner, I always value Resilience to approach learning challenges with insight and enthusiasm.

The Three Pillars of our Learning Community- the underpinning of what we strive to achieve

• Students: our students are at the centre of everything we do

• Staff: building staff capacity to achieve our guiding principles is paramount

• Community Partnerships: our positive school-wide culture for learning is supported through effective partnerships with our families, allied health professionals, world leading tertiary institutions, and reputable community organisations.