Learning Environments

Our library is a vibrant, flexible space that acts as the heart of our school community. It features breakout areas for collaboration and quiet reading corners for reflection, alongside a wide range of texts across all genres. A highlight is our extensive language section, which reflects the multicultural backgrounds of our families and celebrates the many voices within our community.

Each class participates in weekly library sessions, where students can browse books, listen to special storytimes often delivered by “mystery readers,” and develop their knowledge of how books are organised through the classification system. The space is also a hub for targeted learning: in the younger years, it is used daily for phonics groups to ensure small-group, focused instruction. In the older years, students use the library throughout the day as they gain independence in their learning, researching, reading, and working in self-directed ways.

The library also runs a lunchtime Library Club, providing a welcoming environment for students to connect through their shared love of books.

This dynamic space is home to our robotics and coding equipment, alongside hands-on materials such as Makedo, Strawbees, LEGO WeDo, BeeBots, magnetic tiles, and a 3D printer. It is a place where imagination and innovation come alive, encouraging students to experiment, create, and problem-solve in fun and meaningful ways. Whether they are building, programming, or designing, students are inspired to explore new ideas and see themselves as inventors, engineers, and creators.

The lab also hosts a mindful drawing club and a STEAM lunchtime club, offering opportunities for students to connect with their creativity in different forms. Leading directly from the lab is a spacious decked area, often used for environmental science projects, where students grow plants from seed, monitor conditions, and track growth over time. This seamless blend of indoor and outdoor learning helps foster curiosity, collaboration, and a joy for discovery.

Students work together as Eco Warriors to care for our thriving kitchen garden, developing a strong sense of responsibility, sustainability, and healthy living. They grow and harvest fresh produce, explore what it means to be self-sufficient, and even sell what they grow, building enterprise skills, confidence, and pride in their contributions to the school community.

The program provides authentic, hands-on learning where students see the full cycle of planting, nurturing, harvesting, and sharing food. It encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and reflection on how our choices impact the environment. Through this work, students not only deepen their understanding of science and sustainability but also learn valuable life skills such as resilience, patience, and care for living things.

Our Eco Warriors are also closely connected with the St Kilda Eco Centre, engaging with experts and broader community initiatives that extend their learning beyond the school grounds. Each year, they present their projects and achievements at the Port Phillip School Sustainability Festival, showcasing their leadership in sustainable practices and inspiring others to take action for the planet.

Our recently renovated basketball courts now feature a multi-sport surface designed for basketball, netball, soccer, AFL, futsal, and handball. Retractable fencing allows for continuous games without interference between courts, ensuring that multiple activities can happen side by side. These courts are a hub of energy during recess, lunch, and PE lessons, giving students a safe and modern space to develop their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

At the heart of our outdoor space is an astro-turf athletics track, where students can enjoy sprinting, fitness activities, or simply running for fun. The track also becomes a gathering point for impromptu games of football and is just as often a place for friends to sit, chat, and connect during break times.

For our younger learners, a generously sized cubby house and sandpit provide endless opportunities for imaginative play, exploration, and social interaction. These areas encourage creativity, cooperation, and problem-solving through play, helping children develop the foundational skills that carry into all areas of their learning.

Our location provides wonderful opportunities for real-world learning that extend far beyond the classroom walls. Students regularly visit Elwood Beach and foreshore, Elwood Canal, and Elsternwick Park, immersing themselves in experiences that link directly to inquiry units, wellbeing practices, and creative writing. These natural and community spaces allow children to observe, explore, and make authentic connections between what they are learning and the world around them.

Each week, students take part in local walks that often tie into current units of inquiry—for example, studying sustainability through the canal ecosystem or using the natural environment as inspiration for descriptive writing. These walks also provide time to connect socially, build observation skills, and appreciate the beauty of the local area. At the beginning of every term, during Wellbeing Week, our local environment plays an important role in helping students reset, recharge, and build positive routines for the term ahead.

We also enjoy a strong relationship with the Elwood Cricket Club, making use of their facilities at Wattie Watson Oval during cricket season. This partnership broadens our students’ sporting experiences, encourages teamwork, and fosters strong links between the school and local community.