POWLETT River Primary School (PRPS) has been awarded $298,909 through the Victorian Government's 2024-25 State Budget Capital Works Fund, one of 58 schools selected to receive funding for building projects aimed at enhancing school environments, improving conditions, and promoting inclusion. PRPS will use the grant to create an outdoor inclusive learning area.
Principal Wendy Nicol said this funding will help create an outdoor learning space that features different zones using as many reclaimed materials in construction as possible.
“Students will help in designing the zones, but we expect they would like an imagination station for loose parts construction, an outdoor stage, a sound scape zone, a meeting place and a quiet zone,” said Wendy. “Pathways will lead to the various zones of which students will help name.”
The school had a lot of support in their application from the community, including letters from parents, students, staff and local MP Jordan Crugnale. “Parent Holly Russell helped bring the ideas together in a design for the application,” said Wendy.
“This outdoor learning area will enhance the school’s OUTSIDE program. OUTSIDE (Outdoors, Understanding, Teamwork, Skills, Immersion, Discovery, Exploration) is a program designed by the school’s staff to help students develop resilience, social skills and to learn about themselves, others and the world.”
The idea came from staff learning about the importance of being outside and the importance of play in a child’s development, and this grew from the thinking behind bush kinder programs, secondary outdoor school programs, and other research about wellbeing.
In 2025 OUTSIDE will be twice a term with the aim to have the program one day a week in 2026.
“The planning stage of the project will start soon; the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) has started the tender process for a design consultant.”
