Living School

Living School, Northern Rivers, NSW is a progressive new independent co-learning community where students and parents learn for life for real - authentic and experiential We are a not-for-profit created from the vision of John Stewart (founder and Conductor). Our vision is broad and purposeful: we are nurturing and teaching good people in a good community for a good future. Whereas this vision statement seems idealistic, the intentional integration of world’s best practice, with exceptional and diverse educators, is about engaging personal pathways in a collaborative collective ecosystem. Living School has a very rich tapestry of pedagogy and curriculum. Our academic year is based on shorter term times. We have six six-week terms, each thematically linked to KeyStone topics: Identity, Nature, Life and Living, Civilisation, Phenomena, Service. The Living School is organised around Learning Neighbourhoods, each with a Director, and a crew of teachers, aides and staff. Our values are clear: the new 3Rs – Respect, Responsibility and (positive/productive) Relationships. We have a focus on creating a culture of kindness, where we explicitly teach universal qualities of success, via our VAST (Values, Attitudes, Skills, Trust) learning lens. Kindergarten to Year Four is our Primary world. Its emphasis is on establishing the foundations of literacy and numeracy while strengthening curiosity. This is shaped in a world of wonder, where our buildings are intentionally different: we have an old “red rattler” train elevated off the ground, where we hold our music lessons. We have a tree room, with a four-tonne trunk from an old grey gum. Our classrooms are refurbished from original houses. And we have a specific focus on colour and light. Year 5 to Year 8 is our Middle School. This space is for developing Project Based Learning, where we integrate subjects around projects for purpose and product, with interactions with our local community to build networks of trust. We are developing an old department store into a magical space with workshops, music centre, theatre, food, library, play spaces and walled rainforest garden – in the heart of Lismore. The premise being: can a school power a town? We believe the fundamental purpose of school is to improve community – and to improve community you have to be in the community. Years 9 to 12 shape our Living Academy, based at Southern Cross University. Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) anchors our challenge years, where we offer expeditions and micro-credentials so these teenagers/screenagers to find agency and purpose, to explore emotions (and regret), to shape these passions consciously to realise our potential is defined by our character: initiative, grit and resilience. Years 11 and 12 have three pathway threads:
• Academe: we are in candidacy to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, an internationally sound pedagogy with foundations on the Core disciplines.
• Horizon: a program to help students realise their entrepreneurial strengths, and build a business over three years – culminating in a shark tank with investors.
• Trade Up: a vocational apprenticeship program for students who are looking at a trade. We are also investigating the opening of an Early Learning Centre for 3 to 5 year olds. In so doing, we will be shaping a community of learners from age 3 to 19. Every Friday, our students from Kindergarten to Year 10 attend Onland Learning, a day on our agriculture training centre in Lennox Head. Onland Learning offers connection to country, indigenous education, outdoor education, active sports, gardening and construction. There is so much more to add, as Living School is a living entity: adaptable, personal, life-worthy. To hear more - listen to our podcast with The Happy Pear: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/john-stewart-on-living-schools/id1549198108?i=1000529516741&fbclid=IwAR1WhMA106LAMOmpuuy6j2IdZFvUA0A3aUPQPKwXDeF70HpZi4HL7klMQ_4