Our School

Since its beginning in 1854, St Joseph’s has had a proud history of providing quality education to the community of Hawthorn, in Melbourne’s inner East. The school is characterised by a strong sense of community and commits to a personalised approach to learning and teaching, aimed at students reaching their full potential.

St Joseph’s is the primary school of the Hawthorn Parish.  As a community we gather, worship and celebrate regularly at the Immaculate Conception Church with Fr. Des Dwyer, our Parish Priest. At St Joseph’s we embrace our mission to proclaim Jesus’ message of God’s love for all, to see the contemporary world with imagination and a particular hope-filled view of the human person and all of creation. We invite our students to make sense of their world and their lives within a faith community that is faithful to the mission of Jesus.

St Joseph’s School provides a safe, well organised, positive and stimulating learning environment designed to engage and inspire our students in classes from Foundation to Year 6. Our learning spaces reflect the needs of students in the 21st century, developing learners who can transfer and apply their knowledge and skills within and beyond the school.

St Joseph’s is situated on a large secure site and features our:

  • STEM Centre
  • Learning Enhancement Centre
  • Reading Room
  • Performing Arts and Music Learning Spaces
  • Visual Arts Learning Space
  • Full size sports oval and a basketball court
  • Junior and Senior adventure playgrounds
  • Multi Purpose Area
  • Learning Garden

All learning spaces were renovated in 2010 with further additions to the school completed in 2016. The new Multi Purpose Room was completed in 2016. The school has an enrolment of 420 students.