Kennington Primary School
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Kennington Primary School | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Location | |
 | |
60 Crook Street Kennington, Victoria Australia 36°46′06″S 144°18′30″E / 36.7683°S 144.3082°E | |
| Information | |
| Type | Government primary school |
| Established | c. 1901 |
Principal | Travis Eddy |
| Grades | Prep–Year 6 |
| Enrolment | 600–660 (2020s) |
Campus type | Suburban |
| Website | kenningtonps |
Kennington Primary School is a government primary school located in the suburb of Kennington in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The school provides education from Prep to Year 6 and is the host campus of the Bendigo Deaf Facility, a regional specialist education program for deaf and hard of hearing students across central Victoria.[1][2]
The school has received regional media coverage relating to enrolment growth, specialist disability education, student wellbeing initiatives, and funding pressures affecting Victorian public schools.[3][4]
History
[edit]Kennington Primary School traces its origins to the early 20th century. The school later relocated to its present Strathdale-area campus in 1995 following redevelopment works supported by the Victorian Government.[5]
The modern campus was developed to accommodate growing enrolments and expanded specialist programs in Bendigo's south-eastern suburbs. By the late 2010s, enrolments had exceeded 600 students amid broader population growth in the Bendigo region.[3]
In 2020, the school was included in Victorian Government maintenance and upgrade programs aimed at improving regional public school infrastructure.[6]
Bendigo Deaf Facility
[edit]Kennington Primary School hosts the Bendigo Deaf Facility, which provides specialist support for deaf and hard of hearing students in regional Victoria.[2]
Formal deaf education in Bendigo began in 1951 at the McDonald House School for Deaf Children.[7] Following the closure of McDonald House in 1989, deaf education services transitioned into integrated programs hosted within mainstream government schools, including Kennington Primary School.[7] The facility forms part of a broader network involving Bendigo South East College and Bendigo Senior Secondary College, supporting students from Foundation through to Year 12.[2]
Programs include Auslan support, hearing technology assistance, specialist teaching services, and inclusive education programs.[8]
Campus and facilities
[edit]The school's campus occupies approximately 12 hectares near bushland reserves in Bendigo's south-east.[1]
Facilities include performing arts spaces, visual arts classrooms, sporting grounds, outdoor recreation areas, and specialist deaf education support facilities.[5]
The school has undergone multiple refurbishments and maintenance projects since relocating to the present campus.[6]
Curriculum and programs
[edit]Kennington Primary School provides instruction based on the Victorian Curriculum and offers specialist programs in visual arts, performing arts, physical education, and Auslan.[9]
Students participate in school camps, choirs, sport competitions, musical productions, and wellbeing initiatives.[10]
The school has participated in regional health and wellbeing programs, including the Healthy Schools Award initiative.[11]
St Aidans Road Kindergarten
[edit]In the mid-2020s, a new kindergarten known as St Aidans Road Kindergarten was developed adjacent to Kennington Primary School as part of Victoria's Kindergarten on School Sites initiative.[12]
The kindergarten was initially referred to as the Kennington Primary School Kindergarten during planning and development stages.[12] The facility opened in 2026 with three kindergarten rooms capable of supporting up to 99 children.[12]
The project was developed to support smoother transition pathways between kindergarten and primary school education in the Bendigo area.[12]
Operations and enrolments for the kindergarten are managed by Shine Bright Early Years Management.[13]
Community involvement
[edit]Kennington Primary School has participated in a variety of regional community and charity initiatives.[14]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the school grounds were temporarily used as part of Bendigo vaccination initiatives organised by regional health authorities.[15]
The school has also received regional media coverage for Harmony Day celebrations, performing arts productions, and student-led community activities.[16]
Funding and public attention
[edit]Kennington Primary School has been referenced in broader discussions concerning infrastructure pressures and public school funding in regional Victoria.[4]
In 2025, media outlets reported allegations made by several parents concerning the treatment of disabled students at the school.[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Find my School – Kennington Primary School". Victorian Government. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Bendigo South East Secondary College & Bendigo Senior Secondary College Deaf Facility". Victorian Deaf Education Institute. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "'Bursting at the seams': Student numbers growing steadily". Bendigo Advertiser. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Federal funding plan to pain region schools". Bendigo Advertiser. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "School Profile: Kennington Primary School". Victorian School Building Authority. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Maintenance Blitz Program". Victorian School Building Authority. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "History of Deaf Education in Bendigo". Victorian Deaf Education Institute. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education". Department of Education Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Victorian Curriculum F–10". Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kennington Primary School students take to the stage". Bendigo Advertiser. 21 September 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Healthy Schools Award Winner". FGM Community. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "St Aidan's Road Kindergarten". Victorian School Building Authority. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Centralised Kindergarten Registration". City of Greater Bendigo. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kennington Primary School staff and students share a mo-ment for Movember". Bendigo Advertiser. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Heat moves Kennington Primary School pop-up vaccine hub to Bendigo CBD". Bendigo Advertiser. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Harmony Day at Kennington Primary School". Bendigo Advertiser. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Parents of disabled children allege students abused at Kennington Primary School". Herald Sun. 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
External links
[edit]