IT IS the changing face of education and it has arrived at a Tamworth school.
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A multi-million dollar redevelopment has seen St Nicholas’ Primary School transformed into a high-tech and modern learning space, with the big tick of approval from kids, parents and teachers.
The redevelopment encompasses open-plan learning spaces for children, with classrooms now coined ‘flexible learning areas’ and includes a variety of seating choices, colours and textures, along with the latest in teaching and learning technology.
The redevelopment of the school (the former Christian Brother’s College) has been in the pipeline for the last five years.
The gradual process has seen the development of ‘The Hive’, which housed the infant school students and more recently ‘The Hub’, which includes students in years two, three and four.
Students have been working out of The Hub for the last four weeks, with parents able to get their first look at the new facility last week.
Now under construction, according to Principal Stefan van Aanholt and Assistant Principal Lisa McSweeney, is ‘The Zone’, which will house the senior school students in years five and six.
A brand new school library is also underway with hopes the project could be finished mid-year.
Mr van Aanholt said the project, funded by the Commonwealth Government, the Catholic Schools Office and the school itself, had already seen increased levels of engagement among the students.
The planning process included visits to similar schools, consultations with the school community, architects, construction firms and even acousticians from Denmark, who worked to minimise sound noise in the open plan environment.
“It’s been a very in-depth, thorough approach,” he said.
“We have placed a heavy emphasis on professional development, the teachers collaborating with each other and not working in isolation and planning together.
“We use data to inform what we’re doing.
“Where are the students now? Where can we take them? Where are the holes in their learning and what do they need?”
Mrs McSweeney said the new development was in line with the expectations of 21st century learning and to achieve the best outcomes for students in the future and the workforce.
She described the learning environment as a more “directed” approach to teaching.
“We felt we had no choice but to put in for a grant because we could see that if we didn’t, we would get left behind in terms of all the research showing where learning was going.
“And we were really confined with the building we had,” Mrs McSweeney said.
