Welcome to the Whitfield State School website. My name is Matt Thompson and I am the Principal of Whitfield State School. I joined our fantastic school in 2018 and I proudly encourage you to consider our school. Below are just some of the reasons, our school is the school of choice in this area.
If you wish to learn more about our wonderful school I encourage you to book one of my tours and experience Whitfield for yourself.
Why Families Choose Whitfield
Exceptional Teaching. Extraordinary Opportunities. Endless Possibilities.
At Whitfield State School, we believe every child deserves outstanding teaching, inspiring opportunities and a place where they truly belong.
Our vision is to empower every student to achieve their personal best while developing the confidence, resilience and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Outstanding Teaching
Exceptional teaching is at the heart of everything we do.
Whitfield State School has been recognised as a demonstration school for both the teaching and leadership of reading improvement across Far North Queensland. Our teachers and school leaders have contributed their expertise to regional and state professional learning, with our practices showcased through professional development programs, videos and resources used to support educators across Queensland.
This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to evidence-informed teaching and continuous improvement.
Every teacher at Whitfield is supported to grow through a comprehensive professional learning model that includes instructional coaching, collaborative planning, lesson design, observation and feedback, curriculum moderation, data-informed decision making and targeted professional development. Dedicated leadership teams work alongside teachers to ensure every classroom delivers engaging, high-quality learning experiences that maximise student success.
Our commitment to quality teaching means students benefit from consistent, explicit and responsive instruction every day. Through strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, high expectations and a culture of continual improvement, we ensure every child is known, challenged and supported to achieve their personal best.
A world of Opportunities – Discover Your Passion
Learning extends well beyond the classroom through our school's renowned World of Opportunities. These opportuites include our specialist programs, Peak Clubs and our PEAK Academies, where students discover new interests, develop their talents and build confidence by learning alongside expert teachers and coaches.
Whether performing on stage, competing in sport, designing digital solutions or exploring entrepreneurial action, every specialist teacher, club and academy provides authentic opportunities for students to challenge themselves, work collaboratively and pursue excellence.
On top of the programs delivered by our very own dedicated Sports Coach and Performing Arts coach as well as our instrumental music staff. Each week, all of our students are involved in specialist lessons delivered by qualified specialist teachers, these subjects include: Physical education, music, dance, drama, digital technologies and japanese.
In addition to a broad range of lunch time clubs available to every student, children from years 4-6 can be selected for our PEAK Academies, these programs include: Peak Sport and fitness; Peak Dance; Peak Drama; Peak Music; Peak Digital Technologies; Business People of Whitfield (BPOW); Earth Rangers and Philosophy Café.
Every year many students from these academies compete in a range of local, regional and state competitions and achieve outstanding results.
Adventure Through Play
Children learn best when they are active, curious and engaged. Our expansive playgrounds, award-winning nature play spaces, rainforest learning environments and inclusive outdoor areas encourage creativity, collaboration, imagination and healthy risk-taking.
Through purposeful play, students develop independence, confidence, teamwork and the ability to solve real-world problems; skills that are just as important as academic success.
Our school is a leader in these approaches in the region, with many local and international schools undertaking study tours to understand our approach. Importantly, we see play as an essential element of our school. Developing our children's confidence and resilience are critical components of our approach to opportunities, play and outdoor learning.
Developing Resilient, Skilled Problem Solvers
The world our children will inherit is changing faster than ever before. Many of the jobs they will undertake, the technologies they will use and the challenges they will face are yet to be imagined.
That is why our purpose extends beyond teaching the Australian Curriculum.
At Whitfield, we intentionally work to develop Resilient, Skilled Problem Solvers. These are young people who are curious, adaptable and confident learners. Students at Whitfield are encouraged to think critically, embrace challenge, persevere when learning becomes difficult, work collaboratively, communicate effectively and view mistakes as opportunities for growth. Through our teaching, children are intentionally challenged to develop self-regulated learning habits that set them up for the future
Combined with strong foundations in literacy, numeracy and character, these capabilities prepare our students not just for success at secondary school, but for lifelong learning, meaningful careers and positive contributions to their communities.
A School Families Trust
Recent School Opinion Survey results demonstrate the confidence families have in Whitfield State School:
- 100% of surveyed parents agreed Whitfield is a good school.
- 98.4% of surveyed students enjoy coming to school.
- 94.5% of students reported feeling safe at school.
- 99.2% of parents agreed the school continually looks for ways to improve.
Nationally, over the last 10 years, when it comes to improving in their learning, as measured through national testing, our students consistently outperform the national average for improvement. They also achieve well above like schools. Proving that at our school, not only do our students feel like they belong, have great behaviour, are connected to and growing their talents; they are also achieving great improvements in their learning.
More Than a School
Finally, Whitfield State School is a vibrant learning community where exceptional teaching, extraordinary opportunities and purposeful play come together to help every child flourish.
Here, children build strong academic foundations, discover their passions through our PEAK programs, explore and grow through adventure and play, and develop the resilience, skills and confidence to embrace whatever the future holds.
I look forward to sharing this important journey with you.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Matthew Thompson BEd, MBA
Principal - Whitfield State School
Each Striving for the Peak