If you’ve driven along Namarada Drive on your way into Dundee, you’ve passed it. You’ll see Dundee Beach School from the road. A school sign, and a cluster of buildings tucked back off it. It’s one of those familiar parts of the community that every local knows is there.
Park out the front and walk through the gates, though, and the place opens up. There are gardens running through the middle of it. A big playground, and an oval out the back. It’s a beautiful school, and the layout feels right.
It’s a friendly one, too. The kids say hello. So do the teachers. Zannie Hansen is the principal, and for a school this size the number of support staff behind the students is more than you’d expect.
For anyone moving out here, the school is usually one of the first questions they ask if they’ve got kids. What’s it actually like, and who does it cater for?
Instead of answering that ourselves, we went direct to the source. The students, and the teachers and support staff who work there.
As it turned out, the middle years (7 to 9) class has been studying the Liveability unit in Humanities, looking at what makes a place a good place to live. Education is one of the criteria. Zannie handed our questions straight to her students, and we spent a morning with the class talking about Dundee Beach, life out here and how the website directory works.
The answers below came from Amber, one of the students in that class. It’s great to have her answer in her own words.
Preschool through to Year 12
The big news, and plenty of local families still don’t know it, is that the school has grown. It now covers every year level.
“At Dundee Beach School, we teach every grade, from Preschool all the way to Grade 12.”
That means a child can start at playgroup at four and finish Year 12 on the same grounds. No bus run into Darwin, and no shifting schools when primary finishes.
The school teaches the Australian Curriculum, the same one used in schools across Australia.
“Dundee Beach School follows the Australian learning curriculum. It’s a small school. We have a playground and a basketball court.”
Classes are small enough that the staff and students know each other by name across year levels.
Playgroup, preschool and transition
There are a few ways in for families with little ones, and you don’t have to wait for a term to start.
“Yes, there is preschool, transition, and a playgroup on Friday.”
Playgroup runs on Friday mornings. It’s an easy way for children to get used to the grounds and the faces before they start, and it gets parents talking to other local families, which counts for a lot when you’ve just moved out here.
We asked how young children begin at the school. The answer was short:
“Enrol in preschool, join playgroup, or enrol at any point you feel.”
Primary years
Primary looks the way primary looks anywhere, with the difference that the older students know the younger ones.
“Everyone is nice and friendly.”
There’s a specialist sport teacher as well.
“We have a sports teacher, Mr. Scott, who teaches each class once or twice a week, and does a range of things.”
Middle and senior school
“Middle school is delivered the same way as primary is, in a classroom with a teacher. The seniors are in one space, but do online lessons.”
Middle years students are in a classroom with their teacher. Senior students have their own space on campus and take their subjects online through the NT School of Distance Education, so they can finish Years 10 to 12 here rather than moving into Darwin.
Older students can also take VET courses, or Vocational Education and Training, alongside their schooling. That’s the hands-on route, and it means a student can come out of Year 12 with a qualification and workplace experience behind them.
The school and the community
“People from outside the school help with things, such as supplies, prizes, or even coming into the school to talk about things related to what they do.”
Local businesses and residents donate supplies and prizes, and come in to talk to the students about their work.
It goes the other way as well. You’ll often see the middle school students out and about in the area, working alongside professionals and seeing how the job gets done on the ground.
There are two dates the whole community turns out for.
“We have a Sports Day and a colour fun run at our school.”
What’s on offer, at a glance
| Playgroup | Friday mornings, no enrolment needed |
| Early years | Preschool and Transition |
| Primary | Transition to Year 6, in the classroom |
| Middle years | Years 7 to 9, in the classroom |
| Senior years | Years 10 to 12, on campus through NT School of Distance Education |
| VET | Vocational Education and Training courses for older students |
| Sport | Specialist sport teacher across all classes |
| Curriculum | Australian Curriculum |
Thinking about enrolling?
Call the school and arrange a visit. It’s worth walking around. The school also has a listing in the Dundee Beach Life directory. If you are new to the area, our guide to emergency care and medical services in the Dundee Beach region covers the other practical basics.
Dundee Beach School
Namarada Drive, Dundee Beach NT
Phone: (08) 8978 2212
Email: [email protected]
Thank you
Thanks to Amber and the middle years Humanities class at Dundee Beach School for answering our questions as part of their Liveability unit, and to principal Zannie Hansen and her amazing team for having us in.
