St James' is a Catholic parish primary school in Sebastopol, committed to the teachings of Jesus, the values of the gospel and excellence in education. Staffed by dedicated and talented lay professionals, the school was established in 1956 and was originally conducted by the Sisters of Mercy, whose core values of care, compassion and understanding still permeate the school's ethos. A significant focus is for children to be able to discover their true passions and talents by engaging them in meaningful and varied learning experiences. The non-traditional environment is one where children thrive, largely because of greater choice and autonomy in their learning and because their particular strengths are valued. The school has quite extensive grounds which accommodate a large oval, smaller grassed playing areas, pet enclosures, multiple shaded-adventure playgrounds. Our facilities have internal spaces that are attractive, comfortable and functional, which combined with a healthy social and emotional culture, leads to the provision of optimum student learning environments. Parents are welcome to contribute in various ways including working with staff and children during the school day.