'We finished the school year with 89 students and are expecting to start this year with 140,' said Mrs Chris Neilsen, principal of the primary school.

The January to December school year system is proving particularly popular with parents from southern hemisphere countries.

'It is so different to the English Schools Foundation and other international schools. It means that school holidays here coincide with holidays in their home countries,' she said.

The system has proved popular with Hong Kong parents who have secured passports in Australia and returned to the territory, as well as with expatriates.

'We are getting quite a lot of those,' said Mrs Neilsen. About 70 per cent of the pupils are Australian citizens (including those who have emigrated from Hong Kong), but the school roll also includes children from Japan, South Korea, the United States, Canada and Burma.

Another unique aspect is that all children at the school are tutored daily in Mandarin and in Chinese culture.

'The children are progressing at quite an outstanding pace,' said Mrs Neilsen.

If they keep up with their Mandarin studies, she said, they should be able to sit their School Certificate exams in Mandarin by the time they are in Year 6 - four years before their counterparts in Australia.

'If they learn Mandarin in Australia it is usually only one lesson a week, but here they receive tuition for 40 minutes every day,' she said.

Another unusual aspect of the school is its Special Needs programme.

'It's for children who need extra help and we have a very highly qualified teacher in charge of the programme.'