There was plenty of excitement at Pomonal Primary School when it was announced it was one of 93 schools across the state to share funding from the Inclusive Schools Fund.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The school has been allocated $90,300 to create an outdoor classroom, kitchen and sensory area to provide for students of all abilities and needs.
Western Victoria MP Jaala Pulford said the funding is crucial to creative inclusive schools.
“As we build the Education State, we’re continuing to invest in schools to ensure students of all abilities can access a great education, no matter their circumstances,” she said.
“It’s all about giving our primary schools the equipment and infrastructure they need to inspire a lifelong passion for learning for all of their students and to show that disability isn’t a barrier to learning and achieving.”
Pomonal Primary School principal Belinda Wethers said the funding will help “make a dream come true”.
“It is very, very exciting. It is a dream project the Pomonal parents and community have had for a number of years,” she said.
“At Pomonal Primary we really value the outdoors and have a number of students who find working within the constraints of the four walls of a classroom challenging.
“Due to our location it allows us to have the Grampians as a backdrop to what should become an amazing outdoor education area.”
Ms Wethers said the push for the space has been “about two years in the making”.
“We have had plans in place for about two years but the dream has been for much longer,” she said.
“It has been a very parent-driven initiative, with parents putting the application together.
“Pomonal is renowned for our hands-on community and how they support the school in a number of ways.”
A landscape architect has already drafted ideas of what the new area may look like.
“We are hoping to develop the outdoor kitchen with some natural landscape involved,” Ms Wethers said.
“We will also make use of the school garden project which enhances our focus on sustainability.”