Westport Primary students are kicking goals, improving on every measure, and its leaders want to nurture kids right through high school

This primary school has students improving on every measure and now its leaders want to keep up the good work – right through high school.

The dynamic duo leading a western suburbs primary school has a dream; to expand as their students age, growing year on year to encompass year 12 by 2028.

They say it breaks their hearts to send students to high school, where they lose their “sense of belonging” as they sink or swim in the deep end with big kids and social media.

Westport Primary School at Semaphore Park is at category 2 on the Index of Educational Disadvantage, which is a function of parental economic resources, parental education and occupation, Aboriginality and student mobility (a measure that reflects the transience of a population, all the “comings and goings” of new students entering and others leaving).

Westport Primary School principal Rebecca Huddy with year 1 students Max and Peggy in Semaphore Park. Picture: Tom Huntley

In a decade Ms Huddy and her deputy Angela Ratcliffe have transformed the school, lifted enrolments from 150 to full capacity at 400, boosted academic performance and nurtured wellbeing.

NAPLAN results have shot up from below average, even for a category 2 school, to above the state average for all schools. Numeracy results for Year 7s met the national mean for Year 9s last year. But this year, there are no Year 7s at Westport, they all moved into high school.

The Westport Primary School leaders know how to have a good time. Principal Rebecca Huddy and her deputy Angela Ratcliffe. Supplied.

But principal Rebecca Huddy revels in that environment, she enjoys the “very diverse mix” of students and the “rich education” that comes from bringing that group together.

Ms Huddy said the expansion plan was a response to demand, from the school community. Parents ask, almost daily, when the school will start taking students all the way through to year 12.

“We’ve proven that we can change lives through education and help the most disadvantaged kids achieve and put them on an even playing field,” Ms Huddy said.

“But then we let them go, when they’re at their most vulnerable and unfortunately, we have seen over the past five to 10 years, many of those kids this disengage with school, and no matter where they go, whether that be local, public, private, they just don’t have the same level of support that they do here.

“And we think that if we set them up and continue what we’re doing into their adolescent years, that they will really be able to change that cycle of disadvantage and have more many more choices in life.”

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and SA Education Minister Blair Boyer take a tour with principal Rebecca Huddy. Picture: Tom Huntley

Education Minister Blair Boyer showed Federal Education Minister Jason Clare around Westport this week to “showcase one of our fantastic schools doing innovative things”.

“The fact that our school leaders are thinking about ways to bring their incredible results to older students, shows wonderful leadership and insight into the needs of the community,” he said.

“I would always be happy to consider proposals that look to support the community more broadly and certainly in the long-term.”