Originally published in Docklands News on 1 July 2020

By Meg Hill

The principal of Docklands Primary School was announced by Minister for Education James Merlino on June 24. Docklands News caught up with Docklands’ foundation principal – 35-year-old Adam Bright – to chat about the road ahead.

“I wanted to take the job for the opportunity to start a new school and to be able to start something from the ground up is a really fantastic opportunity,” Mr Bright said.

“I’m really excited to be able to offer something to the community here and to be able to build the school the community’s been asking for, for some time. To have the opportunity to be the founding principal here is incredible.”

Mr Bright has just finished up his job as acting principal at University Park Primary in St Albans. He lives in the inner west with his four kids and his wife – who is also a teacher – and said he had been teaching for 12 years.

“I’m from country Victoria originally. I didn’t originally go into teaching but started occupational therapy and then deferred because it wasn’t for me,” he said.

“I moved into teaching after working in a local primary school, doing a few days volunteering, and I knew basically from there that that was what I wanted to do.”

He then studied in Melbourne and taught in Caroline Springs, Exford and in London before moving to his job at St Albans.

He said he had been reading reports from the regional advisory group on the need for a school in Docklands for some years.

“I know the people here are very keen for a school because a lot of people love living in Docklands and have found they’ve had to travel out for their kids to get education, so they’ve been hoping to get a school here for some time,” he said.

“I know the community talked about some of its priorities and things it wanted to see in the school and that gained my interest.”

He officially starts the job on July 13.

“I’m excited to be meeting the kids who will be the students at the school,” he said.

“I can’t wait until we open up enrolment soon and I get to meet the kids and the families that will be the first at Docklands Primary, learn about the kid’s hopes and dreams and what they want to do in their futures and what they hope the Docklands school will be like, and then of course working together to create the school.”

Construction at the Docklands school site on Footscray Rd is well underway ahead of its opening next year, with internal works having recently started.

The school will cater for 525 students and include modern classrooms, a library, music and arts rooms, a competition-grade indoor court for basketball and netball and outdoor learning terraces. An on-site early learning centre with two kindergarten rooms and 66 kindergarten places will also be included