Our History
Highgate Primary School is one of the oldest schools in the Perth metropolitan area with a rich and vibrant history. Highgate Primary School is less than 2 kilometres north from the centre of Perth city. The school is bounded by Lincoln Street, Bulwer Avenue, Bulwer Street and Grant Street.
Highgate Primary School opened on 1 November 1895 with 80 children. Buildings were then added as the student population grew. By 1897 there were so many children a separate Infants’ School needed to be built. The Infants’ School was eventually built in 1899. In 1975, the Infants’ and Senior schools were amalgamated to form Highgate Primary School.
To accommodate a rapidly growing student population, many additions have been made to the school. In 1999, the Undercover Area was built. In 2008, a new library was opened. In 2011, new additions to the school include a purpose built art room and new classrooms located behind the assembly area.
In 2017, we opened a new, purpose-built 8-classroom Early Childhood Centre, Sandri House. This state of the art building, which has won many awards, currently houses our Pre-Primary and Year 1 classes.
We now have 42 classrooms, with another two located at our offsite kindergarten.
We currently have around 1000 students, with projected growth each year.
Planning works are underway for an innovative $12 million facility that will be constructed in parts offsite, reducing on-site construction time and associated disruption to the school.
The two-storey classroom block will include six general learning classrooms for 160 students, internal activity areas, teacher facilities, and additional toilets for students and staff.
It is anticipated to be ready for students for the start of the 2026 school year.
The school community, though changing, still represents over 60 different nationalities. Our unique cultural diversity provides a very practical understanding of the global community for our students and is one feature of our school that is highly valued.
The Highgate Primary School community is drawn from local suburbs surrounding the school, but also due to the Intensive English Program we offer and its inner-city location, draws students from across the metropolitan area. This makes our community vibrant, rich and culturally diverse.
The different family structures in the school reflect our diversity and encompassing ethos. The curriculum we offer provides many opportunities for the school to include all groups in a meaningful way. We consider ourselves an integral part of the local community.
