Cowandilla Primary is a very culturally and socially diverse school benefitting from a wide range of languages spoken, a variety of perspectives on the world, and experiences of families. The children bring enthusiasm, a love of learning and a welcoming attitude to newcomers. The preschool and nurses on site are part of our Children's Centre which offers 'wrap-around' services for families with young children. The school has seven New Arrivals Program (NAP) classes and nine mainstream classes. NAP students are exempt from the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy tests but are included in the data for students who did not meet national minimum benchmarks. The school has a strong focus on literacy teaching using 'Accelerated Literacy' and ESL strategies. Information technologies are used to transform learning and prepare children for an innovative future. With our 'Bright Futures' cluster of schools we offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program to children in Years 6 and 7.