Illawarra Primary School is located 27 kilometres north of Perth in the attractive suburb of Ballajura. It opened in 1981, being the first school in the locality; it has well established grounds with excellent facilities, resources and with spare rooms for teachers to utilise. The school catering for Years K to 6, with an enrolment of less than 350. It attracts 46% of its children from outside its enrolment boundary. The school has twenty nationalities, 14% of the children being of Languages Other Than English backgrounds and with a 6% Aboriginal population. Illawarra has an excellent reputation for academic rigour, caring behaviour and excels in Performing Arts and Sport, both complemented by specialist teachers. The school has its own stage with professional lighting and sound system. Information Technology is a focus with 'interactive white boards' and the internet, networked into all rooms. The school experiences a low turnover of staff and prides itself on its customer focus and friendly supportive ethos. It is acknowledged for the excellent behaviour of its children, enhanced by a Chaplain led 'Rainbows Program' and the 'Six Kinds of Best' Values Program. In 2010 the School won the Swan Education District Award of Excellence in Literacy.