Answers to common questions
Choosing a school raises questions, so we have answered the ones families ask us most, from enrolment to daily routines and our approach to learning. If your question is not here, get in touch and we will talk it through.
Is Moerlina right for us?
Moerlina is a small, independent school for 3 and 4 year old Kindergarten through to Year 6, where nature, creativity and individual attention are core, not extras. We follow the WA Curriculum, but teach it in small, multi-age classes with a strong outdoor program (Bush School, Beach School), specialist arts, Chinese, music and sport, and all-inclusive fees with no uniform.
Yes. We follow the WA Curriculum, and our students sit NAPLAN. Small classes and individualised teaching allow us to challenge each child without sacrificing their wellbeing. Many of our graduates go on to selective and high-performing high schools.
This is exactly the environment Moerlina is built for. Classes are small and multi-age, so your child is known, not managed. There’s no competing for attention in a room of thirty. If your child tends to shrink in large groups or comes home exhausted from masking all day, a smaller, calmer setting often changes that.
Our multi-age classrooms exist for this reason. Children aren’t locked to a single year-level pace. A child ready to work ahead can do so within their own classroom, without a formal grade-skip and without standing out. Original thought and going deeper are part of how we teach, not an extension add-on.
Yes, Moerlina is a mainstream independent primary school following the WA Curriculum, not a special needs school. We welcome children with a range of needs and assess fit case by case. Our small class sizes mean more individual attention than a large school can typically offer, though we don’t have on-site clinical or therapy staff. We’re happy to talk honestly about your child’s specific needs before enrolling.
Yes, and we don’t shy away from that. We’re an alternative to the one-size-fits-all model of primary school, not to the WA Curriculum itself, which we follow closely. What sets us apart is small multi-age classes, deep, project-based learning where children go far beyond the surface of a topic, and a strong outdoor education program built into everyday learning rather than treated as an add-on.
Unlike Montessori or Steiner, we teach the standard WA Curriculum, so a move to another school later is seamless. What we share with those philosophies is small class sizes, respect for the individual child’s pace, and heavy use of outdoor and hands-on learning through our Bush School and Beach School programs.
Families travel from all over Perth, and sometimes internationally, to be part of Moerlina. What draws them is the same thing: a small, high-achieving, childhood friendly primary education that’s genuinely hard to find elsewhere. Parents consistently tell us the extra travel time is outweighed by their child’s love of school, strong relationships with teachers, and the confidence and curiosity they develop here.
Our approach
Moerlina is a mainstream independent school that uses a progressive, child-centred approach. We follow the WA Curriculum but deliver it through play-based and inquiry learning, with a strong emphasis on outdoor education (Bush School, Beach School, Nature Adventurers), the arts, and specialist programs. Multi-age classes are used intentionally to support collaboration, peer learning and social development, while ensuring each child is challenged at their level.
We follow the WA Curriculum, adapted to suit our small cohorts and progressive pedagogy. Alongside literacy, numeracy and inquiry learning, we give real weight to the arts and humanities, specialist-taught Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Drama, and a strong focus on storytelling, reading, writing and media literacy. Time spent on the humanities is equal to, if not greater than, time spent outdoors and on STEAM. We see the arts and humanities as core to how children come to appreciate, understand and engage with the world, not as an extra alongside it.
Children of different year levels learn together in the same classroom. It mirrors how children naturally learn in families and community settings, lets younger children learn by watching older ones, and lets older children consolidate by teaching. It also means a child’s pace isn’t locked to their birth year.
Regular outdoor education built into the curriculum, not an occasional excursion. The natural world is central to how we teach: alongside our own on-site nature space, we travel off-site with regular excursions to bush and coastal settings so the learning continues in-situ, not just back in the classroom. Bush School and Beach School are just two examples of how much learning at Moerlina happens beyond the four walls of a classroom.
Very often, and it’s one of the most distinctive things about a Moerlina education. Beyond Bush School and Beach School, our children are regularly out in the community, at galleries, workshops, local sites connected to what they’re learning, and just as often welcoming visiting specialists, artists and experts into the classroom.
No, we don’t teach to the test. We prepare children for NAPLAN so it’s a calm, familiar experience rather than a source of stress, but it doesn’t shape our year-round teaching. We use the results as one helpful guide to how each child is tracking, and whether any adjustments are needed, not as a measure of success. For us, NAPLAN is a one week focus, not a year-long obsession.
Yes, and it’s intentional. We’re influenced by play-based pedagogies that see supervised risk, climbing, balancing, imaginative play with natural materials, as essential to how children build confidence, judgement and resilience. Our teachers are trained to supervise this kind of play closely, stepping in only when needed, so children learn to genuinely assess risk for themselves rather than being kept from it altogether.
More than 50 years of progressive primary education in Perth’s western suburbs.
Community & safety
At Moerlina, we understand that behaviour is communication. Our educators look beyond the behaviour itself to understand what a child may be communicating or needing, while maintaining clear and consistent expectations. We use prompting, signalling, monitoring and emotion coaching to guide children, support regulation and help them make positive choices. Our approach is calm, relational and respectful, helping children develop the skills they need to manage themselves, navigate challenges and live well with others.
At Moerlina, bullying is not an entrenched problem – and that is no accident. Our experienced educators have strong radars for emerging bullying behaviours and know when and how to act. Clear policies and procedures, a strong focus on social-emotional development, consistent expectations, small class sizes and high educator-to-student ratios mean concerns are noticed early and addressed promptly. We take bullying seriously, respond fairly and consistently, and work hard to ensure every child feels safe, known and supported.
Our approach is about catering for the range of student abilities, not treating any group separately. Teaching is designed to be responsive to the personal, social and cultural needs of all students, and our small class sizes mean this happens through everyday classroom practice rather than a separate program running alongside it. If you have a specific situation you’d like to discuss, we’re always happy to talk it through directly, please get in touch.
As an independent school we don’t have a formal zoned catchment, families are welcome to apply from anywhere. Being a five minute walk from Loch Street station on the Fremantle line also means families from further afield can reach us easily by train, not just by car.
Enrolment & fees
Moerlina operates an all-inclusive fee model. Tuition covers specialist programs (Visual Arts, Chinese, Music, Drama, Dance and Sport), most excursions including Bush School and Beach School, devices, technology, stationery, insurance and NAPLAN. This means fewer hidden levies and far less financial surprise through the year. The only exception is class camps, which may carry an additional cost. Exact fee schedules are available on our Fees page or by contacting the office.
We keep additional costs to a minimum by design. The all-inclusive fee is built to cover the majority of program costs, including specialists and excursions. Any optional extras, such as voluntary activities or specific personal items, will always be communicated clearly in advance.
3 and 4 year old Kindergarten through to Year 6.
Yes! Our beautiful Playgroup meets on Friday mornings in Moerlina’s Early Learning Centre. It’s a warm and welcoming space where parents, carers and young children can gather, play, connect and begin building community together. You don’t need to be enrolled at Moerlina to attend, everyone is welcome. Contact our office for current session times and costs.
No. Neither uniforms nor book lists are required at Moerlina. There’s no back-to-school scramble for supplies either, your child arrives in a classroom that’s ready for them, at no additional cost beyond the fee.
Yes, family discounts apply to the Endowment Fee and tuition fees when more than one child from a family is enrolled full-time.
Non-refundable Application Fee applies at application, and a non-refundable Endowment Fee applies once a place is accepted. Current figures are on our Fees page, You can also contact our office can confirm the latest amounts.
Yes, Open Mornings run through the year and we welcome direct enquiries for a personal tour.
Yes, we accept mid-year enrolments when places are available. If your child is struggling at their current school, we encourage you to reach out as soon as possible so we can talk through timing and fit. Every new enrolment, mid-year or otherwise, begins with our two-week trial period, so you and your child can settle in and be confident it’s the right move before it’s locked in.
Yes. Once your application is accepted, your child begins with a two-week trial period at Moerlina, a chance for your child, our teachers and you to experience the classroom together and see the fit firsthand. At the end of it, we give you a full report on how it went. We’re one of the very few schools that builds this level of mutual assessment into enrolment, because a decision this important shouldn’t be made on day one.
Yes, in two ways. For longer stays, Moerlina is registered through CRICOS to enrol full fee paying international students. For shorter stays, we also welcome children on visitor visas for a minimum of four weeks. Each pathway has its own fee schedule, so it’s best to contact the office directly to find the right fit for your family’s timeframe. Our small, personable community means extra support is on hand for families settling in without their usual network of extended family and friends nearby. Contact our office for more details.
After Moerlina
Our graduates transition to a range of high schools, including selective, independent and Catholic secondary schools. Our strong academic foundation and focus on social-emotional skills mean students are well-prepared for larger school environments. We support families with transition guidance and references as needed.
We seek to maximise the future opportunities for all students, at Moerlina and beyond. Most students transition very well: our focus on independence, self-advocacy and strong learning habits means they’re equipped to handle bigger cohorts and more complex timetables. It also helps that our past students often come back to speak with our upper primary classes about their own experience, offering reassurance and practical tips on what to expect. Many parents tell us their children feel confident and proud of how prepared they were.
Practical
16 Brockway Road, Mt Claremont WA 6010, in Perth’s western suburbs.
Yes, we’re a five minute walk from Loch Street station on the Fremantle line. For families further out, that makes the school genuinely reachable by train, not just by car, a real option worth knowing about when co-ordinating pick-up and drop-off around work. We also have a bus stop located right in front of the school, providing another convenient public transport option for families.
No. Moerlina does not have a uniform. We believe this supports comfort, individuality, and less pressure on families around clothing costs. We do have simple guidelines for practical, safe clothing and footwear, especially for outdoor activities.
“We intentionally create predictable, nurturing spaces where children feel safe to take risks and grow”.
Machteld Irons, ESL Teacher