Castlemaine North Primary School was established in 1878 and is located in a residential area of Castlemaine, drawing students from the town and surrounding district. The nearest major regional centre is Bendigo, which is approximately forty-five kilometers to the north.

The current enrolment is 193. We operate eight classes – one Prep class, one Prep/Year 1 and  two each of Year 1/2, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6.

The buildings are a mix of original 1870s, 1970s and a new Building the Education Revolution facility which includes four senior class-rooms, collaborative learning spaces and a Library. The heritage building and junior school area have been refurbished in recent years. Other facilities include an Art/Craft room, Performing Arts room, LOTE (Indonesian) room/resource centre and gamelan orchestra.  The school has extensive playing facilities with areas set aside for passive and active recreation. Considerable effort is made to ensure that buildings and grounds are attractive learning environments for students.

The school has an experienced, committed and friendly staff. They work cooperatively combining their talents and expertise to ensure positive outcomes for our students. Staff have high expectations of themselves and their students and they are committed to extensive, ongoing Professional Learning.

The School places a strong emphasis on providing a diverse and creative curriculum. An integrated inquiry approach to learning is a feature of the school, with staff having worked with  educational consultant Kath Murdoch, for a number of years. All classes are supported by specialist programs in LOTE (Indonesian), Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Additional programs include the ‘Play is the Way’ pro-social skills program, swimming, instrumental music, choirs, circus skills, Reading Recovery, literacy and numeracy support, camps and excursions and bicycle education.

Parent and community participation complements and extends the quality programs provided by staff, with parent involvement a strong feature of the School. This partnership enables our parents to participate in many aspects of school life and gives rise to a cooperative school culture where a spirit of mutual respect is evident. A strong and positive School Council and an active Parents’ and Carers’ Association guide policy decisions, develop and maintain facilities and raise much needed additional funds for the School.

Student Free Days approved by School Council for 2013 are:
Tuesday, 29th January
Thursday, 7th February
Wednesday, 29th May
Monday, 4th November