Late in 2019, Mrs Mandy Downing had the excellent idea of creating a new flexible learning space from two classrooms that were under-utilised and somewhat unsuitable for larger classes. The result is ‘The Loft’ which is a wonderful space allowing for innovative teaching and learning, in both individual and group contexts. We are already making the most of this space for our Challenge Based Learning and several other Middle School classes.

When people think of a flexible learning environment, they often think only of the physical space. While that is the focus on this renovation and it is true that the space is wonderfully flexible in nature, there is much more to a flexible learning environment than just the physical floor plan or furniture choices.

The term ‘provocation’ implies really digging deep. The purpose of a provocation is to forcibly cause your mind to move out of well-worn mental tracks, allowing you to come up with potentially radical solutions to the problem at hand.

We look forward to ‘The Loft’ being a flexible learning environment for our Northside students, both as a physical space and one for provocation and innovation.