How this small school is producing some of Brisbane’s happiest kids

Hidden away off main roads in the inner city is arguably Brisbane’s happiest school.

Buranda State School has just 259 students and is nestled among trees next to Norman Creek, attracting birds and other wildlife, despite being only a few kilometres from the CBD.

There’s something special about the school, with 100 per cent of students who filled out its survey last year saying they liked being at school, they felt safe, and their teachers motivated them to learn. This year’s results were also positive.

Year 6 students Sifti, Nina and Tristan enjoy learning at Buranda State School.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

Buranda’s teachers love it too, with 95 per cent saying this year that they enjoy working there.

Not only are students and teachers glowing about the 106-year-old heritage-listed school, the academic results are also excellent.

Year 3 students performed well above the Australian average in reading, spelling, grammar and numeracy in NAPLAN in 2023.

Principal Simon Vaseo says the school encourages children as young as prep to learn how to think.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

Principal Simon Vaseo, in his 12th year at Buranda, said its teachers cared about how children learnt and built strong relationships.

“We’re really just trying to set them up for the rest of their lives,” he said.

“One of the lovely things about being part of a community like this is we know all of our students, and we know their families.

“This school is almost like a country school hidden in the middle of the city.”

The heritage-listed school features high-set timber buildings and airy verandahs with covered areas underneath, while an old school bell remains.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

From prep, children are taught philosophy and encouraged to learn how to think.

“And we think that helps them with all of their learning, whatever the subject, wherever they are,” Vaseo said.

“And, hopefully, it also helps them to become the best people they can.”

Year 6 student Nina, 11, said she loved Buranda because it was a small school.

Children reading in the Buranda State School library in the 1950s.Credit: Queensland State Archives

“There’s a great sense of community at the school and everyone knows each other, so it creates a really great environment to learn new things,” she said.

“All the teachers are really kind and caring and always motivate the students to learn to their best.”

Fellow student Sifti said the school’s teachers encouraged her to try new things.

“They help me if I feel pressured or nervous about anything,” she said.

Buranda State School’s pool, built in the 1920s.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

Year 6 student Tristan, who enjoyed history, humanities and social sciences, said the teachers had different styles, and he commended the school’s philosophy program.

Annual reports show Buranda has one of Brisbane’s best attendance rates, and almost no suspensions in 2022 and 2023.

Other Brisbane schools to receive 100 per cent from students for those three survey questions last year were Hendra, Murarrie and Runcorn state schools.

Buranda has retained many of its classic features, such as timber classrooms with south-facing windows for natural light, and its swimming pool was opened in the 1920s.

But as inner-city density increases, the school is expanding, with a new resource centre, administration block and five classrooms under construction.

Given its results and ethos, it’s no wonder the school’s motto is “only the best”, a sentiment Vaseo said he encouraged students to live and breathe.

“If you’re giving your best, you can’t be disappointed with the result,” he said.

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