Architects are planning for Stawell Secondary College to have more of a “village feel” when parts of the campus are demolished and rebuilt into a more modern facility.
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The school was awarded $500,000 from the Department of Education to completely fund the master planning stage for the rebuild.
Principal Nick Lynch said the way the school was currently designed people entering the college through the main building would immediately look out onto a bathroom entrance.
“They are going to demolish that bathroom and open it up so people can look through to an open courtyard,” he said.
“Buildings and learning blocks will then be built around that space, so there is like a whole village feel to the school.”
The whole school will demolished, except for the main administration building, the Year 7 facility and the trade training centre.
Mr Lynch said a complete renewal would create a better learning environment.
“Our whiteboards are highly reflective so it is difficult sometimes for students to see, our food technology classes do not have stainless steel working benches,” he said.
“It is the whole experience that the students will be getting a big improvement to.”
Ripon MP Louise Staley visited Stawell Secondary on Friday and said the school’s physical structure was not up to standard.
“The school has made the best of it, it is painted and kept clean, but it is just not good enough,” she said.
“It is one of the reasons parents choose other schools, they see the physical environment, but don’t see all the great work that the teachers do.
“I am pleased to see the Department has moved the school to the master planning stage, there must now be a push to get the full project committed.”
Mr Lynch hoped to get the project signed off by the Minister at the end of the year – Ms Staley said a budget announcement should shortly follow the sign-off.
“You would hope for a budgetary announcement at the next budget if that is the timeline,” she said.
