As a Tribes school, Merrivale aims to engage all staff, students and families in working together as a learning community dedicated to caring and support, active participation and positive expectations for all students. The Tribes process ensures a common vision and has established a more enriching, supporting and motivating environment for our 1.0 Principal class, 12.3 equivalent full-time teachers and 2.4 education support staff. The school, in its journey of excellence, is challenged to continually improve. Our core purpose is teaching and learning and central to our practice is a commitment to improving our own skills and knowledge. We have a strong team of teachers who have positive expectations for all students and the strong culture of teamwork has a direct link to improving classroom practice. Our teachers are skilled in the use of Information and Communication Technologies to deepen student learning and to broaden their horizons locally and globally. We have invested heavily over many years in ICT hardware and all 10 classes have access to a wide range of technology and programs to support student learning. We have introduced individual netbooks for all students in years 5 & 6. We are proud of our focus on the individual student and the opportunities we offer to build self-esteem, confidence and leadership. We aim to guide, motivate and support all of our 230 students.