| Lyneham Primary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Brigalow Street, Lyneham Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Co-educational and primary |
| Motto | Learn Progress Serve |
| Established | 1959 |
| Principal | Fran Dawning |
| Enrolment | ~350 |
| Campus | Lyneham |
| Colour(s) | Yellow, Royal Blue and Red |
| Website | http://www.lynehamps.act.edu.au/ |
Lyneham Primary School is a primary school in Canberra founded in 1959. Located in the suburb of Lyneham, it has over three hundred and forty students. The school is known for its performing arts programs, offering two school bands, one audition choir, two non-audition choirs and dance. Lyneham Preschool, nearby, is also run by the primary school.
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The school has an enrolment of some 340 students and takes students from the school priority enrolment area and surrounding areas, particularly New South Wales. It offers classes on two campuses from preschool to year 6.
The School was opened in 1959 and, being a short distance from the historic Yass to Queanbeyan road, took students from both Canberra and nearby New South Wales villages. In 1969 most of the school was destroyed by fire and classes were dispersed to nearby schools.[1] The infants department returned to the school in late 1970 while the primary department returned in 1971. The fire was reviewed by the Australian Auditor-General, which led to criticisms of the standards of fire alarm installation in Commonwealth-controlled schools.[1] By 1973, the Australian Parliament's Public Accounts Committee examined the outcomes of the fire for a second time, and indicated that the blaze had led Australian government departments to reclassify school buildings as special purpose buildings, commence installation of thermal fire protection systems in all schools, and examine suitable burglar alarm systems.[2]
Until 1972 the School was staffed and administered by the NSW Education Department. It then came under the control of the ACT School's Authority and is currently staffed by officers of the ACT Department of Education. In the 1960s, enrolment was over 1000 students. As of 2009, its enrolment is around 350.
The School is governed by a School Board, consisting of three people elected by the community, two people elected by the staff, the school principal and a nominee from the ACT Department of Education. The current School Board is chaired by David Vernon. The Board meets at least twice per term.[3]
The School leadership team is headed by the Principal Fran Dawning and Deputy Principal Catherine Dillon. Its former principal was educator and former member of the Australia national rugby union team Paul Southwell.[4]
The School also has a Parents and Citizens group that manages fund-raising.
Lyneham Primary is one of two ACT schools offering Communication Disorder Classes for students meeting special admission criteria.[5] The school's citizenship education program is used as a case study in UNESCO's teacher education program Teaching and learning for a sustainable future.[6]
The School won the ACT Division of Wakakirri in 2006 [7] and came second in 2008. Its performance choir, the Lyneham Singers, in 2008 won the ACT Estedfodd's Welsh Language Prize, as well as an Encouragement Award in the Open Primary School Choirs category (this latter result having also been achieved in 2006).[8][9] An anonymous Lyneham Primary School student won the National Museum of Australia's 2005 schools political cartooning competition.[10]
Under the Commonwealth Government's Building the Education Revolution program, the School acquired a new $2.5 million multi-purpose building, including graphic arts, dance and music studios, completed in June 2010.[11]
