Why choose us?

Community connections

Our dedicated P&C (Parents and Citizens Association) plays a vital role in building and strengthening our school community. By organising events that bring families together, fundraising for school improvements, and contributing to school planning and decision-making, they foster a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports every child’s success.

Caring for our school grounds

Students can learn about environmental stewardship by joining our Gardening Club, which meets regularly to maintain our school gardens and grow a variety of delicious vegetables to share with the school community.

Our students also help care for our resident chickens, Matilda and Sooty—collecting eggs and ensuring their coop stays clean and safe. Families contribute through our P&C-run termly Gardening Bees, which help keep our grounds thriving and beautiful.

Local flora and fauna

Although located in one of Sydney’s oldest inner suburbs, students at Botany Public School are lucky to enjoy our extensive school grounds, which we share with a rich array of local flora and fauna. It’s not unusual for students to spot rainbow lorikeets, swamphens, or bluetongue lizards during their school day.

In spring, we help protect our long-necked turtles as they journey from nearby Mill Pond to lay eggs on school grounds. By late summer, students carefully watch for hatchlings and guide them safely back to the pond. Our 2024 school mural proudly features some of the incredible native animals and plants that call our school home.

Connecting with Country

Botany Public School is built on the lands of the Bidjigal and Gweagal clans of Gamay Bay. While we are proud of our school’s long history, we also acknowledge the enduring and deep cultural connection that Aboriginal peoples have with this land.

We embed Aboriginal perspectives across teaching and learning, and our students regularly connect to Country through our Yarning Circle (Ngurru Ngarra Windjgaal) and our native gardens.

At Botany Public School, we are committed to helping every student thrive by providing access to a broad, creative and engaging curriculum.

Our students benefit from specialist teaching in visual arts, technology, music, dance and gymnastics. Excursions and incursions complement classroom learning and provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

Outside the classroom, students can explore their interests and talents through a wide range of extra-curricular programs. These include sports, chess, drama, dance, Chinese language and school band. Each program offers meaningful opportunities for students to develop new skills and connect with others.

Our Learning Support Team works closely with classroom teachers to identify students with additional needs and provide small-group, targeted instruction in literacy, numeracy and social-emotional learning.

Our on-site school counsellor is also available to support families in accessing further external services where needed. We are proud to work closely with allied health professionals and provide a dedicated space within the school for students to access external health care during the school day, where necessary.

At BPS, we use a variety of tools, including teacher observations, assessment data and work samples, to identify students with high potential or giftedness.

These students are supported through differentiated classroom instruction, enrichment programs, social-emotional learning opportunities and, where appropriate, Personalised Learning and Support Plans (PLSPs).

We are proud to offer tailored opportunities for students to excel across the four domains of high potential:

• intellectual,
• creative,
• social-emotional,
• physical.

At Botany Public School, we are incredibly proud of the diverse range of student leadership opportunities available to our students!

Our Year 6 school leaders play a vital role in guiding their peers, while our sports leaders inspire teamwork and healthy competition at our school carnivals.

The Student Representative Council (SRC), featuring students from K-6, gives everyone a voice in shaping our school community.

Our dedicated environmental leaders work tirelessly to care for our school grounds, fostering a love for nature among their classmates. Additionally, our playground leaders promote safe and positive play during recess, ensuring a fun experience for all.

A highlight of our initiatives is the buddy system, where Year 5 students support Kindergarten buddies during their first two years at school, both in the classroom and on the playground.

Together, these programs create a nurturing and inclusive environment, empowering our students to grow as leaders and friends!

Our small class sizes and focus on strong relationships provide an ideal environment for students to thrive. Over the past three years, our Kindergarten classes have had an average of just 15 students, allowing our teachers to know each child deeply and tailor their learning experiences from day one. This strong start sets the tone for a lifelong love of learning.

Across K–2, our ongoing commitment to small classes (3-year average of 15 in Kindergarten) ensures that students receive the attention and support they need to build solid academic and social foundations. AS they progress through the school, we continue to promote positive peer relationships across age groups, fostering a close-knit, supportive community where every student is known, valued, and cared for.

Through our Buddies Program, every Kindergarten and Year 1 student is paired with a caring and responsible ‘buddy’ from Years 5 or 6. These relationships help younger students settle quickly into school life, develop positive play habits, and feel connected across the school, while also giving our older students the chance to build leadership skills and give back to their school community.

At Botany Public School, student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. Through the explicit teaching of social and emotional learning programs, our students develop essential skills such as empathy, resilience, and emotional regulation. We use restorative practices to guide students in learning from their mistakes, repairing harm, and maintaining positive relationships with their peers and teachers.

These approaches are underpinned by our high expectations and strong school values, which inspire students to see themselves as capable, confident, and active members of the wider community. As a result, our students are highly engaged in their learning and enjoy a strong sense of belonging at BPS.

Restorative practices in the classroom foster a strong emphasis on relationship building and empathy, creating a supportive environment for students. By encouraging open communication and understanding, these practices help students recognise the impact of their actions on others, promoting accountability and connection. Through restorative conversations and collaborative problem-solving, students learn to empathise with their peers, which not only resolves conflicts but also strengthens their relationships. This focus on building trust and community enhances the overall classroom atmosphere, allowing students to feel safe, valued, and engaged in their learning journey.