Blue Gum Community School

Location

Blue Gum is a school community for creative, independent thinkers – students, teachers and parents. This small school opened in 1998 and now caters for 0-15 year olds, through Playgroups, Extended-Hours Preschool, Primary School, Middle School, High School (to Year 10). Their physical learning environment is an important ‘teacher’, so needs to be beautiful and enticing.

Blue Gum is a Big Picture-Inspired school; it Joined Big Picture Education Australia in January 2009. In 2010 Blue Gum opened a high school class with 14 students across Years 9 & 10 – and is exploring elements of Big Picture’s approach with them. These students work with a core Advisor teacher, complemented by a range of specialists. Their social constructivist philosophy requires interactive, collaborative, authentic learning, particularly through negotiated real-life investigations targeting students’ interests and passions. Big Picture’s 3 Rs – Relationships, Rigour & Relevance – are at the heart of their learning. They are negotiating with students, who are ready, the opportunity to undertake mutually-beneficial Community Research Internships (CRI), through which students can explore an interest or passion within the broader community. This is not work experience or vocational education; it is about exploring something that is personally important to them, out in the wider community in a ‘real-life’ setting. Students spend on average one day per week at their CRI. Year 10 students are also writing their autobiography, and examining the context for their lives. The rest of their time is spent targeting the package of learning outcomes mandated for schools, though the process is slowed down so that rich, deep learning options are negotiated with students. The small class size ensures that students develop a strong sense of community and learn what it takes to live daily with a wide range of people and personalities.