2010 and 2011 marked the commencement of an exciting era in the building refurbishment at St Patrick’s. The process of school improvement has been greatly enhanced by funding in the National School’s Pride (NSP) the Building the Education Revolution (BER), and the National Solar Scheme. This led to an enhanced Library Learning Centre and installation of a bank of solar panels.

In 2014, a master plan was developed for the demolition and building of a new school. As part of this plan, refurbishment of the administration block was also included. In 2016, demolition of the two storey primary block occurred and Years 5 and 6 were housed in demountables with Year 4 in the library and Year 3 in part of the administration block.

In 2014 and 2015, a Permaculture Garden was established where children are taught permaculture principles. Year 4 become ambassadors and work in the garden twice a term. In 2018, one of our teachers underwent training to become a permaculture gardener. The garden has a kitchen which houses a pizza oven. During the year there are opportunities for the school community to use the kitchen - making scones and pizza. Produce for the garden is sold to the community for a donation which is used to purchase seedlings and necessary items. This space is a learning space living classroom and is used to enhance teaching and learning in most Key Learning Areas. Read more about our Living Classroom.

In 2017, our new building was completed – seven flexible, contemporary and creative learning spaces that revolutionise the way we teach and learn at St Patrick’s. While the new building is beautiful, more importantly, it allows us to teach in new and innovative ways that weren’t possible in our old classrooms. We have established a highly creative flexible environment, which allows different modes of learning while still providing for the specific needs of the diverse student. In 2018, completion of the refurbished administration area also occurred, and the official opening and blessing of the new facilities was celebrated.

The success of our new learning spaces is that they have added a deeper dimension to the St Patrick’s learning framework, that is based upon quality relationships, collaborative partnerships and flexibility. The new learning spaces encourage teachers to be innovative in their pedagogy,  thereby, enabling students to develop deeper problem-solving skills, and including critical and reflective thinking skills. The transparency of the space also encourages teachers and students to collaborate across stages. We have also found this openness has encouraged and supported teachers in their learning and continuing professional development, having a direct benefit on their students' learning and development. 
 

Take a virtual tour of St Patrick's to see some of our school's modern facilities and learning spaces