When you walk onto the grounds of Westport Primary the first thing you’re likely to notice – after Buddy, the resident Groodle – is the school’s motto.
Aim high. Work hard. Be kind. No excuses.
It’s a guide for both students and staff at the Semaphore school, but principal Rebecca Huddy says there’s one tenet she values above all the others.
"Be kind," Mrs Huddy says.
"That’s the most important part. Being kind to each other comes before everything else."
Mrs Huddy has watched over a remarkable transformation at Westport, which has seen student numbers rise from 150 in 2011 to just over 500 today.
"This school, in 2011, was not a school of choice," she says.
"Most of the kids were here because they had to be. Many of them were from disadvantaged backgrounds and faced a variety of challenges.
"When I arrived I knew that these students were not born with an inferior brain biology to kids born a few streets over.
"There have definitely been challenges, but I knew that if we lifted expectations for everyone – including staff – then things would start improving."
And indeed they did, but Mrs Huddy is open about the fact that there were plenty of stumbling blocks along the way to success. It got, she says, ugly before it got pretty.
But she knew that nothing good can be built without strong foundations.
"Reading is fundamental to everything in life," Mrs Huddy says.
"So we were relentless in our approach and suddenly the data began to soar. If you focus on the basics and learn them inside out much of the rest will take care of itself.
"If you try to do everything all at once you’ll do nothing well, and that’s the theory we’ve used across other disciplines, including sport.
"It's about strategic use of the approaches and resources."
Mrs Huddy’s work at Westport across 15 years saw her awarded the Public Service Medal in this year’s Australia Day Awards.
And while she says it’s an honour and a privilege to receive the prestigious gong, it could never have happened without the support of the school’s dedicated team.
"Everybody here is an essential piece of the puzzle," Mrs Huddy says.
"I’m just a member of the team. Sometimes I’m actually probably the least effective member of the team!
"My staff know that they are an important part of it all. It takes everybody, no matter what their role is, to be doing their best for this to be a success."
Mrs Huddy says building the right team at Westport was a crucial part of the school's success.
"The criteria for me is not how long you've been teaching for, not what you know, it's about your work ethic, your attitude, your energy and your passion," she says.
"Once you attract that kind of vibe word gets out very quickly and things snowball from there.
"Everybody here is different, but everybody wants the same thing."
Walking around the school’s colourful and welcoming campus it’s clear that there is real rapport between Mrs Huddy, the students and the staff.
They greet their principal with enthusiasm, she greets them back by name, and the overall feeling is one of optimistic energy.
Along with Buddy the groodle there is also a chicken coop adding to the bucolic feel of the schoolyard.
Sport teams are named after Kaurna words for native animals – Nakudla (shark), Wirltu (sea eagle), Kadli (dingo) and Tarnda (red kangaroo) – just one reflection of the fact that around 20 per cent of students are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
And there’s an obvious pride that’s reflected in the students’ uniforms and the tidiness of the grounds.
It puts a smile of the face of the educator who at one stage considered following her father into the world of business – until he told her you don’t get to start out as the boss.
"In Year 12 I was planning to study commerce and accounting," Mrs Huddy says.
"One day I was watching a movie where Melanie Griffith plays the boss (Working Girl) and I said, 'yep, that's what I want to be'.
"Then my dad pointed out that you don't actually become the boss for a long time, and that it's a journey.
"I was coaching sport at the time, and dad pointed out that coaching was connected to teaching and working with kids, so that's where I went."
Studying Japanese alongside her Education degree, Mrs Huddy found herself working as a language teacher after university, a role she loved and has actually started again recently.
Never one to tackle a project halfheartedly, the principal has even introduced a system where students can earn Japanese yen for effort and enthusiasm.
Yen can then be spent at the weekly Japanese pop-up shop, with students buying Japanese stationary.
The yen can even be spent at the canteen.
"There was one young student who had forgotten his lunch, but then he remembered that he had some yen," Mrs Huddy says.
"He was running to the canteen and he stopped, looked me dead in the eye, and said, 'this is the best thing you've ever done at this school Mrs Huddy'.
"That was a very funny moment."
Mrs Huddy says that at the end of the day she is motivated by her belief that every child should be seen, thriving and happy at school.
"I think at the start I was a bit naive and thought that I could rescue every child and fix every problem one by one," she says.
"And then I realised that I should be focusing my energy on making sure this is the best damn school it can be, and that when you come here - no matter what - you're going to be on an even playing field and have a happy time along the way.
"That's the driver. Most parents just want their children to go to school, learn and be happy. It's simple in theory, but it's not always easy to get there.
"But when you do get that balance right the kids thrive and it's just a magical experience."
To learn more about Westport Primary, visit the school's website (external site).
