About Us

Welcome to Vasse Primary School — a place where
learning feels like belonging.

Welcome

Welcome to Vasse Primary School, a school with a long and proud history.

Established in 1869 as a small rural school, Vasse Primary School now accommodates approximately 800 students. The school enjoys a strong family-focussed, warm, and welcoming culture that aims to create curious and creative learners. This culture is built around our three priorities of Relationships (people), Belonging (place), and Learning (pedagogy).

Our school has been in its current location for 155 years. It has gone from a solitary building surrounded by farmland and bush to an ever-growing and evolving community. The school provides learners with intellectual, creative, and innovative learning opportunities.

The school is a leader in Early Childhood Education play-based learning. This platform positions students strongly to respond to the school’s highly acclaimed Inquiry Learning process. Supporting the students’ development in Inquiry Learning, the school has a focus on the explicit teaching of Literacy and Numeracy.

Vasse Primary School’s Pastoral Care programs and practices are a significant feature of the school. The school teaches emotional intelligence using the RULER program. URStrong Friendology develops students’ skills and capacity to establish and maintain quality relationships. Other initiatives such as the Kitchen Garden, Tuesday Breakfast Club, Ed Connect Mentors (volunteers), and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) further enhance and support the development of our students.

Over many years the school has been a treasured part of the Vasse Community, and this deep connection continues to this day.

I welcome you to the Vasse Primary School community.

Alex Cameron
Principal

Our History

Vasse Primary School began in 1884 when a stone building was erected as a classroom. However, ‘Commonwealth based’ schooling began in the area in 1845, at Elijah Dawson’s Westbrook property.

In the 1850’s and 60’s, Elijah was aided in this task by American sailors’ wives who were based on shore, as he was often called away to his duties as a police constable. Research shows our school became a public school in 1869. The federation red weatherboard room (Heritage Room) was built in 1895, and a stone building (since demolished) became the teacher’s quarters.

Renamed Newtown and in 1904, and with numbers in decline, the school closed from August 1930 until June 1932. It was re-named Vasse in 1938. The cream weatherboard building adjacent to the Heritage Room was transported from Treeton in 1961. Following completion of the Junior block in 1981, an Education Department plan to demolish the 1895 Heritage Room was thwarted by the community and the building saved and renovated, preserving a unique piece of southwest history.

The traditional rural setting and modern facilities of this progressive campus promote education in a collaborative community environment, providing learning programs that meet the needs of our future students. Vasse Primary School became an Independent Public School (IPS) in 2013.

In November 2019, Vasse Primary School celebrated ‘150 years of Excellence in Education’.

Our Vision

At Vasse Primary School we aim to provide a safe, professional, creative and highly engaging environment so all students are provided with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to be resilient, well-balanced individuals who are supportive of each other and work towards becoming successful life-long learners.

Our Motto ‘Preparing for the future’

As a staff we are a team, constantly working together to prepare common goals for individuals and for the whole school.

As a team we each play a vital role in the academic and non-academic education of our students, equipping them with the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for the future.

As a whole-school community we make decisions in a shared environment with the students’ best interests in mind, now and for the future.

Our Expectations

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence research-based approach that places a major focus on prevention of negative behaviours.

PBS applies evidence-based approaches, practices and strategies for all students to increase academic performance, improve safety, decrease problem behaviour, and establish a positive school culture.

PBS places a major focus on prevention and the following key elements help to create a safe, positive and productive learning environment:

Clearly defined (behaviour matrix) and taught behaviour expectations (weekly).
Consistent and frequent acknowledgement of appropriate behaviour (Superslips in the playground, Dojo points in the classroom).
Constructively and specifically addressing problem behaviour.
Effective use of behaviour data to assess and inform decision making.

PBS Poster

School Board

Our School Board plays a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of Vasse Primary.

Made up of staff, parents and community representatives, the Board works in partnership with the Principal to support school planning, monitor performance, and ensure our values and goals reflect the needs of the Vasse community.

Hi, I’m Katie. My 2 daughters currently attend Vasse Primary. We have a long family history at Vasse Primary School, with Frankie and Juni being 5th generation on their Dad’s side to attend the school. Vasse is a lovely school and I enjoy being involved in its strategic direction, ensuring it continues to be a great school for generations to come.

Professionally, I have worked in State and Local Government for the past 15 years mainly in Community Development. I have experience in community engagement, strategic planning, governance, advocacy and have chaired a number of community committees. I am passionate about youth mental health and ensuring that our community is accessible and inclusive for all. I am a pragmatic decision maker, friendly and approachable and love to have a laugh.

I am really excited to have joined the Vasse Primary School Board this year. My family and I recently moved to the Busselton area after spending the past 10 years in Karratha. I currently have two children attending Vasse Primary, with another starting next year.

I enjoy getting involved in my children’s interests and being part of their learning journey. With 15 years of experience in education, I am currently one of the Associate Principals at Busselton Senior High School. I am passionate about the value of public education and the positive impact it has on our wider community, and I look forward to bringing both my professional knowledge and personal experiences as a parent to support the school and its community.

Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, camping, cooking, and discovering new coffee shops. I especially value spending time in nature with activities like hiking and mountain biking, and making the most of the beautiful natural settings our region has to offer.

I have lived in Busselton for the past 10 years, and holidayed here a lot throughout my childhood. I have two children at Vasse Primary. Our connection to the school began with Vasse Playgroup of which I was President for 2 years before my daughter started school. I am a Marine Scientist, and the Operations Manager at Busselton Jetty. My work with Busselton Jetty Inc. allows me the ability to connect with many different facets of and people within our local community.

Between my current role, as well as 7 years working in Science Communication at Scitech prior to having my children, I have experience in development and presentation of education programs, in particular in the areas of science and conservation.

I was born in Sweden but have lived in Busselton for the last 16 years, 10 of those in beautiful Vasse. Me and my husband Luke have 2 fun and cheeky boys, one currently at VPS and one little one who will start in a few years.

Wine is not only a passion of mine, but I have also made my career in the wine industry and have been working in this field for most of my time here in the region – the last 10 years at Clairault Streicker where I currently hold the position of Brand and Venue Manager.

Outside of work I live an active and very social life full of camping, motorbikes, exercise and dinner parties among lots of other hobbies. I am very passionate about education and hope to bring some contemporary and inventive ideas and strategies to the board.

Hello, my name is Alana Stannard. I have been part of the Vasse Primary school community since 2019 when my husband and I chose this beautiful part of the South- West to raise our family. We were drawn to the welcoming, country feel of the school, its rich learning environments and the strong sense of community.

Not long after enrolling our children at Vasse, I decided to join the P&C to learn more about the school, make new connections and to volunteer at events. My role as P&C Secretary over the last few years has led me to joining the school board to further support the school and to be involved in its strategic direction. I believe it’s important for parent representatives to be part of the school board to make sure the long-term vision of the school continues to reflect the values and priorities of families as it grows.

Professionally, I work as an Education Assistant whilst studying part time at university towards a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). I hope to bring this passion for Education and a parent’s perspective to the board and look forward to supporting the school to achieve its goals for the future.

My wife Carly and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Vasse Primary School community. Our two boys, Paddy and Tommy, have been at Vasse since Kindy, and to say we’re impressed is an understatement. The care, energy, and inclusiveness of this school make it a truly special place to grow up.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the P&C, and it’s been inspiring to see first hand how committed everyone is, from staff to families, to creating a safe and supportive environment for our kids.

Professionally, I come from a background in engineering and design, but what really drives me is collaboration, finding practical ways to support growth, communication, and community wellbeing.
I believe in the culture Vasse promotes and want to help strengthen it as we continue to evolve.

Alex Cameron

Angelene McKendry

Janine Shaw

Katie Taylor, Board Chair

Leadership Team

Our dedicated leadership team brings experience, vision and heart to every aspect of school life. They are committed to creating a culture of excellence, inclusion and continuous improvement — supporting both staff and students to reach their full potential.

Alex Cameron
Principal

Tracey Bruse
Deputy Principal

Tom Light
Deputy Principal

Simon Mansfield
Deputy Principal

Stephanie Millen
Deputy Principal

Key Documents

For more information about how our school operates, you can access key policies and planning documents below.

Business Plan

Annual Report

Policies

Public School Review (2025)