Bell Primary School is a government co-ed primary in Preston with a distinctive strength in music and visual arts.
NAPLAN modestly above national year-level averages; the result is a B overall.
Bell Primary School is a government co-ed primary in Preston with a distinctive strength in music and visual arts. The school runs a notable rock band program, making it a good fit for families interested in live music and creative expression. Arts engagement is woven into the school culture.
Bell Primary School is also known as Bell PS and BPS Preston.
Bell Primary School draws students from the Bell Primary School.
Bell Primary School has an overall SchoolRank score of 58.6/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 63/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1165, well above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Bell Primary School, Year 3 students averaged 431 across the tested NAPLAN domains, above the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 507, above the national average of 490 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Reading. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Bell Primary School is a small government primary school with approximately 440 students. It offers education for years Prep-6. As a government school, enrolment is generally available to students living within the school's designated catchment zone. Families outside the zone may apply for out-of-area placement subject to availability.
Bell Primary School is a government school, so there are no tuition fees. Families may be asked to contribute to voluntary school fees covering materials, excursions, and activities. The school has a value score of 66/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Bell Primary School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.4:1. This is around the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 18% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 93%, which is strong.
Bell Primary School is located in Preston, VIC, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1165 (97th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is above average, families tend to have higher education and income levels. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.