New Preparatory School,
Clark Wight, Guildford Grammar Preparatory School

The transformations that have been achieved across all areas of Guildford Grammar are exceptional. They have been brought about through an extensive and inclusive consultation process involving students, parents and teachers as well as intensive research into learners and learning. The decisions which led to the creation of the outstanding learning environments came as a result of the school’s desire to provide places where students feel valued and learning flourishes. The buildings, their interiors and landscape elements complement each other by providing a welcoming and new energising spirit to which students and teachers have responded positively. A school that was once tired and unloved has been transformed from being a dysfunctional learning environment to one where learning is now a joyous activity for all in spaces that add value to all learning experiences. In this presentation, Clark, will provide an illustrated account of how learning can flourish when, pedagogy, space and passion come together.

Better than Postcode results...the Challis Way
Melinda Ballantyne and Julie Tan, Challis Preparatory School

In recognition of the importance of early intervention and the pivotal role parents play in child development, Challis Community Primary School launched the Challis Parenting and Early Learning Centre in 2009, connecting a range of early childhood health, education, and social services to create a streamlined source of support for local families. The Challis Parenting and Early Learning Centre delivers primary health care, education and social support in an increasingly responsive, integrated and client-centred service system. Services are purposefully designed to meet specific needs along the early childhood trajectory—from birth to four years old. These supports improve child outcomes by providing more accessible and integrated care. To date, improvements across multiple domains have been attributed to the Centre. These include improved child development, as measured by the Brigance Developmental Assessment Screen, improved school readiness, as measured by the Performance Indicators in Primary School (PIPS), reduced developmental vulnerability, as measured by the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), and a notable reduction of the ‘gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous performance in school attendance, literacy, numeracy, and health outcomes.