Wellington, a small NSW country town located at the junction of the Macquarie and Bell Rivers has experienced some significant local issues exacerbated by drought, bushfires, family tragedies and now a mouse plague. (The latter has included children presenting at school with mouse bites.)

Despite these influencing factors, principal Jo Blatch at Wellington Christian School is in no doubt that a carefully considered refurbishment can make a difference in the delivery of education.

See below for Jo’s comments;

  “The difference is palpable. Despite the emotional and physical issues that come with living in Wellington at present, the change in the children when they enter these newly refurbished rooms is nothing short of miraculous…”

  …”Part of my role as Principal of Wellington Christian School has been to plan for the repurposing of our almost 40 year old buildings. Old and    disused secondary classrooms and outdated, unsafe facilities had languished down the end of the veranda for years. It was time to bring them back to life.
Our team had the privilege of participating in a masterclass with AIS NSW to create a master plan. We partnered with talented architect Caroline Hart from Stanton Dahl Architects and later the inspiring Nica Schuetzmann who helped us to make the physical environment of our school tell the story of who we are.
The heart of our master plan, which we named Love and Light for Wellington, was to refurbish our spaces so that students could be seen, known, valued and supported. We wanted them to experience learning spaces that connected them to nature whilst allowing them to feel safe, loved and valued. We wanted the buildings to embody the mission of our school.
Students are now enjoying Stage 1 of our refurbishment and the impact of the design is profound. Not only are they beautiful spaces that make every child feel worthy, but the quality of the acoustics and finishes has had an enormous impact on their wellbeing.
We can’t wait to begin the next stage of the master plan!”