​​​St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School was established with the assistance of Fr Keith Turnbull of the Southport Parish, to provide a much needed Catholic school at the northern end of the Gold Coast.

Land was purchased in the new suburb of Runaway Bay with the construction of four classrooms, an administration, a tuckshop, a library and a toilet block. This vision of establishing a Catholic community of faith and learning came to fruition on 28 January 1975 when St Francis Xavier School opened its doors to 69 students.

Led by the then Principal, Mr Terry Ivey, and a foundation staff of three, the school prospered. As part of the Southport Parish, priests would visit the school for masses and liturgies.                                                                                           

In 1978, the second building and a school hall were constructed allowing the school to cater for the growing numbers and develop into a two-stream school. The school hall was used on the weekends as a church, where the first parish priest, Fr Basil Nolan, performed baptisms, marriages, First Communions and Confirmations.

On 2 May 1983, the founding principal Mr Terry Ivey passed away suddenly. This inspirational educator left a legacy which has continued over the years and is carried on today. In June 2009 the Terry Ivey Activity Centre and the Fr Basil Nolan buildings were blessed and opened in honour of our founding Principal and our first Parish Priest.

In 2010, the Xavier Building was constructed and opened to accommodate our Resource Centre, Technology Centre and Year 6 learning areas.                                                                                       

In 2013, an extra Prep class was enrolled to ensure the enrolment numbers in the following years maintained staff and funding levels. The extra class also counteracted the loss of two Year 7 classes to secondary school the following year. 

In 2014, with consultation from school parents, teachers and students a new Prep Playground was established. The final pirate design is another element that fosters gross motor skills and encourages the students to cooperatively play with their peers.

In 2019, funding was secured from the Federal Government to create a new playground for our students in Years 1-6. 

In 2020, our Student Services building was opened.  Named Nyumbalehba (pronounced num/bal/a/ba), it is a place of guiding, teaching and showing.​

 

As a community, we are inspired by our school motto: “Let Your Light Shine"

Logo

Our logo provides a visible articulation of our school, its connection to the community and of our religious identity.  The images below provide a visual history of our logo's evolution through the years.

The elements of the logo include: