St Joseph's School is a Catholic primary school situated in the Hawthorn Catholic Parish. It has two churches, The Immaculate Conception and St Joseph's. Since its beginning in 1854, St Joseph's has had a proud history of providing quality education to the Community of Hawthorn. The foundation upon which St Joseph's was built is a strong sense of community, characterised by supportive and positive relationships and partnerships, which continue until this day. Student enrolments are predominantly drawn from families residing in Hawthorn and neighbouring suburbs. The school has a student population of around 240 in 10 classes from Prep to Year 6. We are well placed to meet the enormous shifts in educational perspectives and practices over recent years through well-researched, comprehensive learning programs. Teachers continue to use the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) as a basis for all curriculum planning. A major emphasis on Inquiry Learning was developed through whole-staff professional development and ongoing planning support. At the end of 2008, a new administration and staff amenities building, including the library/information technology centre was completed.