How NSW’s biggest public school runs like clockwork and why its polite, tidy, youngsters love learning

There are enough students to fill a small stadium but NSW’s biggest public school doesn’t need rules, replacing them with co-operation and support.

There are enough students to fill a small stadium. More kids in this schoolyard than there are people in the towns of Lake Conjola, Lake Tabouri, and Kangaroo Valley combined.

Welcome to Riverbank Public School. NSW’s biggest public school: 2150 students, 186 staff, 87 classes.

Yet, for all the students, the school is relatively quiet, kids walk to class in two straight lines.

The playground is tidy, not a skerrick of rubbish in sight. Bikes line the walls … and when you ask students what their favourite part of school is, one smiling kindergarten student replied with one word: “Studying.”

The principal, Ms Jeanie Brown, the leader of the school, the only principal the school has ever had, beams down on students, who whisper excitedly as she passes. Each Monday morning starts with an address that’s broadcast to TVs in classrooms.

There’s no mismatched uniforms here, no public school polos paired with nike shorts or leggings. Just hundreds and hundreds of kids wearing pleated uniforms, ties knotted, shoes polished, blouses pressed.

Riverbank Public School students (from left) Saajh, 11, Kayla, 12, Harrison, 12, Estella, 11, Rashi, 10, and Lucas, 11. Picture: Tim Hunter

Things run smoothly here. They have to, explains Ms Brown.

Even the humble Year 6 school captain process is run with an efficiency that could rival the Australian Electoral Commission.

Riverbank Public School doesn’t just have school leaders, they have a “state and federal parliament”, represented by Stage 2 and Stage 3.

NSWs largest school, Riverbank Public School, has more than 2000 students. Picture: Tim Hunter

Year 6 leaders take on the roles of Prime Minister in federal parliament and Premier in state parliament.

There’s Ministers of Sport, Environment, Events, Transport, Education, Arts and Technology. There is a Treasurer, Speaker, Sergeant-At-Arms and a Leader of the Opposition.

The federal parliament is given a budget from the principal to work with throughout the year and they designate half of the funds to be given to state parliament.

You get the sense there are no electoral promises here of lemonade in the bubblers.

“I have 50 school leaders across a cohort of just under 400 students in Year 6. We have ministers for the environment, for education, ministers for communication,” Ms Brown says. The list goes on.

“They are all members of parliament, and they put in a motion to floor as they would in parliament. They have to stand up, read their motion, they have to be seconded just as they would in parliament. Then they are voted on.

Principal Jeanie Brown. Picture: Tim Hunter

“Those votes are just taken to myself. We have meetings and we develop the next steps.”

Previous motions have included calls for an Aboriginal Education Minister to join cabinet, more handball courts for heart heath, a community library for book swaps, and “Say something nice day”.

Ninety-eight per cent of their motions have been actioned over the years. That’s one efficient government.

“It’s listening to their voice. They can see that they can make change along the way. They can talk in front of their peers, whether they are right or wrong,” Ms Brown says.

The neat playground is dotted with posters reminding children of their responsibilities. When asked about school rules, Ms Brown quickly corrects The Sunday Telegraph: “We don’t call them rules. We don’t have rules here. We have students who have expectations and values. It’s a common language.”

Instead of rules, students follow “Help Increase the Peace Keys” (HIP), instructing students to “Care for others”, “Think before reacting”, “Respect yourself”, “Work together for a nonviolent way” and “Expect the best”.

School captain Kayla has nothing but praise for the school’s system.

“We have so many different rules, the HIP keys that encourage us to work together, build relationships with everyone. Because we are in Year 6 we are mentors to other grades. I love how we are all supporting each other and co-operating,” Kayla says.

A Riverbank Public School, students are encouraged to work together and build relationships with everyone. Picture: Tim Hunter

It’s an answer that could have come straight out of a school advertisement, but Kayla means every word of it.

So do the other kids who all give the same answer. Ms Brown is hardly surprised.

“We have high expectations and students own their learning. All our classrooms have the same signage around our expectations. It’s how I know every student and every ­teacher knows the expectations,” she says.

There are challenges that come with such a large school, challenges which Ms Brown tackles with ease.

Unable to fit all the kids in the playground at once, lunch and recess is staggered, split into two sessions. Instead of one school assembly, there are seven, one for each grade.

The school has around 50 demountables, though these classrooms are worlds away from the sticky, un-airconditioned, temporary sheds of years past. It’s a point of much contention for Ms Brown, who fiercely defends her pop-up classrooms.

“I get very frustrated when I see articles written about our demountables. This has not taken up any space from the playground. Our staff lost their carpark. But the staff unanimously preferred to have lost their carpark than to have lost the hill and playground space,” she says. “It’s a quality learning space.”

And she is right; these demountable classrooms are state of the art learning spaces, filled with high tech equipment, a plethora of iPads, and beaming students.

The desks are covered in whiteboard material, so students can collaborate, mindmap, and crunch numbers directly on their tables, while the walls are plastered with colourful handmade artworks.

It’s a big school that makes a big impact. The kids here are more prepared for the real world and high school than most. They might not know everyone in their grade, but they know how to go up to strangers and introduce themselves.

“These kids don’t have a problem engaging or having a voice with anybody who walks into a room. They are happy to share. They aren't afraid to act because we teach them that it’s okay to have a voice,” Ms Brown says.

The before and after school programs rival any university society roster; there’s the engineering and robotics club, mandarin creativity workshop, chess, public speaking, drama, debating, gardening, dance groups, multicultural ­language club (86 per cent of the student have a language background other than English).

The school is one of four government schools – all located in the Hills District – to exceed 2000 students. Ms Brown is keen to welcome more students into the school.

“I firmly believe firmly that students have not been impacted by size. I could probably have doubled the amount (of students) and the same processes would still be in place,” she says.

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