All Saints looks beyond the classroom for learning excellence

THIS Gold Coast school has long been home to some of the area’s most academically gifted students, but this year’s top NAPLAN school now reveals their unique approach to education.

LEARNING has evolved outside of the classroom at one of the Gold Coast’s best NAPLAN schools.

All Saints Anglican School, at Merrimac has long been home to some of the Gold Coast’s most academically gifted students, however behind the learning success is a unique approach to education.

All Saints school principal Patrick Wallas and students Zeba-Allen Ashton (yr3) Emma Taylor (yr 7) Roman Bilios (yr5) are happy about the NAPLAN results. Picture Glenn Hampson

The school which spans from prep to year 12 has stepped away from the desks of a typical classrooms and into a wholistic learning philosophy based on fuelling curiosity.

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To power this learning philosophy, the school has converted their library into the futuristic education centre, equipped with interactive walls, sound spaces, a film making studio and even a virtual autopsy table.

Inside All Saints Anglican School’s ‘Wonder’ room.

Principal Patrick Wallas who has a habit greeting each of the 1700 students by name, said he wanted to ensure his students we capable of a balance in life and the ability to ‘wonder’.

“The reason we achieve what we do is the attention we pay to the intangibles.

“Our culture is about the human factor, to help the child thrive a balance is what the soul needs.

“The is the secret really.

The school achieved one of the highest average scores, at on the Gold Coast for NAPLAN with an average primary result of 492.9 and highschool result of 600.8.

All Saints students use the virtual autopsy table to better understand the human body. Photo: Supplied.

“I believe there is a place for standardised testing, but the most important thing in schools like ours can’t be measured,” he said.

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The idea for the Wondercentre, which even comes with a two story slide was first sparked during a conversation between Mr Wallas and the Director of Learning Culture Jason Wainwright.

Inside the All Saints School Wonder space.

“We had a conversation about looking beyond and getting students to wonder again,” Mr Wallas said.

“That is such an important part of learning.”

Mr Wainwright who takes weekly classes of each grade in the centre, based on questions by the students said he is always pushing the boundaries.

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“The wonder project is about crafted talks, getting them to think beyond the here and now.

“So many things in life you don’t learn in a classroom, this is about layering and embedding subjects.

“We wanted to build a classroom like the inside of someone’s brain.”

Every centimetre of the space is planned, from the positioning of posters to the labelled pipes of the centre’s interior.

“Learning should be fun, this is a temple of that philosophy,” Mr Wainwright said

“More and more we dwell in unrealistic domains online, if you are not careful you make everyday lives dull.

“Unless they are attuned to appreciating the wonder and delight in the world, it will always pale in comparison.

ALL SAINTS 2018 NAPLAN RESULTS:

Year 3: Reading: 477 Writing: 447 Spelling: 448 Grammar: 487 Numeracy: 446

Year 5: Reading: 548 Writing: 487 Spelling: 521 Grammar: 540 Numeracy: 528

Year 7: Reading: 595 Writing: 540 Spelling: 580 Grammar: 595 Numeracy: 600

Year 9: Reading: 614 Writing: 587 Spelling: 614 Grammar: 635 Numeracy: 648