OECD/CERI
Innovative Learning
Environments (ILE) Project
Case study: Bellaire Primary School
Summary
Bellaire Primary School is a Prep to Year 6 government primary school located in Highton, near the
city of Geelong. The Bellaire Primary School community prides itself on being a leading school in
the innovation of education. Student engagement in learning and catering for 21st century learners
was the original impetus for whole-school cultural change. The focus of the school’s ILE is
personalised learning, enabled through team teaching in flexible open plan environments. The ILE
is strongly supported by teacher coaching and goal setting and the school works to engage
students in learning communities through its personalised learning focus. There are four learning
communities in the school: the Prep Learning Unit; Junior Learning Unit (Years 1 and 2); Middle
Learning Unit (Years 3 and 4); and Senior Learning Unit (Years 5 and 6).
Aims of the ILE and the nature and history of the innovation
This innovative learning environment was stimulated out of the desire to cater for the needs of 21st
century learners and teachers through a culture of personalised learning. This culture was enabled
through coaching-supported team teaching in flexible open-plan environments.
Background and context
Bellaire Primary School is a state co-educational primary school located in the suburb of Highton,
near the city of Geelong (see Figure 1). The school is situated on four hectares of land and provides
an attractive landscaped environment. The site is sloping, with large open spaces, new courts and
developmental play spaces.
Figure 1. Location of Bellaire
Primary School
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Students come to Bellaire from five local pre-schools and a mix of day-care centres and community
kindergartens. The school’s current enrolment is approximately 590 students, with an equal
number of male and female students. Bellaire has increased its population by 25 per cent over the
past five years with approximately half the students travelling past closer schools, crossing
‘boundaries’ to attend the school and there is a rising demand for Prep (first year of school)
enrolments. The school population is predominantly Anglo-Celtic and middle class. Bellaire Primary
School community, in line with its school motto, 'Aim High', prides itself on being a leading school in
innovative education in Victoria, having received several teaching awards. The school hosts
numerous visiting teachers and principals who wish to learn from its teaching programs.
Origins and development of ILE
The initial catalyst for the whole school cultural change was an identified lack of student
engagement in learning. Five years ago, the school was a traditionally-structured school consisting
of teachers working in isolation in individual classrooms. While team planning was in place,
teaching was generally undertaken individually. Of concern to staff and the new Principal were the
results of the Student Attitudes to School Survey (DEECD 2008a) which indicated that despite
good academic results, student engagement could be improved. In response, the Principal led a
review of curriculum provision for 21st century learners through extensive analysis of school data
and professional learning.
An action research project initially focused on the establishment of a Senior Learning Unit. The
learning community was driven by data that investigated how students were feeling about being at
school, about their connectedness to school, and their interest in the curriculum offered. Data
showed ‘students were wanting something new and different’ (Assistant Principal).The research
plan was reviewed every six months, with progressive changes enacted in funding provision,
physical environments, teaming, coaching, pedagogy and assessment.
Over time, the review resulted in the development of a model (see Figure 2) that enabled
personalised learning for both students and teachers (through coaching).
Figure 2. Model of Personalised Learning
Through successive cycles of action research, Bellaire developed a commitment to personalised
learning of all students—and teachers—through individual student and teacher goal setting.
To enable this shift, funding which had been traditionally dispersed to curriculum areas was redirected
to four learning communities who were responsible for spending decisions.
Prep (first year of school) Learning Community, consisting of four home groups (classes).
Flexible doors mean that groups can work in single classrooms or in combined spaces that
enable team work.
Junior Learning Community, (Years 1 and 2) consisting of approximately 160 students, with
80 learners in either Junior Community A or Junior Community B. Each community has four
home groups.
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Middle Learning Community, (Years 3 and 4) consisting of seven home groups who, in mid-
2010, moved into a new contemporary learning space constructed as part of the Building
the Education Revolution program (Australian Government’s Nation Building - Economic
Stimulus Plan).
Senior Learning Community, (Years 5 and 6) which consists of seven home groups and
works in a learning space that also provides ready access to art, science, a theatrette and
outdoor learning. This space was built in 2006 and has been part of an action research
project, with support from the Innovation and Next Practice Division of the Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).
Changes were made to the physical environments in which Professional Learning Teams worked,
so as to ensure that no teacher worked in isolation. Coaching has been used as the key element in
driving all teachers’ professional learning. Each teacher has a coach.
Over the past five years, the school philosophy has embraced open-plan team teaching, students
setting individual goals in literacy and numeracy—drawn from the Victorian Essential Learning
Standards (VELS) (VCAA 2005)—and teacher goal setting through coaching as encouraged in the
Blueprint for Government Schools (DE&T 2003) and the Blueprint for Education and Early
Childhood Development (DEECD 2008b). By 2010, the pedagogies that were developed had
become institutionalised as everyday practice (DEECD 2011).
While personalised learning is becoming embedded across the whole school, the structured
patterns and characteristics of the learning environment are most strongly evident in the Senior
Learning Community, the focus of the discussion below.
Structured patterns and characteristics of the learning environment
The Years 5 and 6 students work in an open learning community called the Senior Learning Unit
(SLU). This area includes seven home group spaces, a theatrette, an outdoor learning space, and
dedicated science and art spaces. It is enhanced with interactive whiteboards and computers,
including banks of wireless laptops. 162 students (90 Year 5; 70 Year 6) work with seven home
group teachers, with 23-24 students in each group. There are three ESL (English as a Second
Language) students in the SLU, from Thailand and China. Three integration aides support students
with disabilities, including students with hearing impairment and Autism. Close relationships are
developed because many students stay with the same home group teacher for both Years 5 and 6.
Layout
The Senior Learning Unit is an open learning community in an adaptive teaching space (see
labelled images of areas of the Learning Unit in Figure 3 below). It is accessed by the long central
corridor of a 1960s pebble-mix covered building. During the approach one passes through the
Junior Learning Unit (see Figure 3). Units are entered through custom-made doorways which give
a sense of ‘entry’ to the learning community as well as creating boundaries between the units.
Further into the SLU a small stretch of corridor has been retained which serves as a lobby,
providing access to toilets, a cleaner’s room, a workshop room, and a noticeboard displaying
photographs of student activities, notices and work samples. This leads to a ‘great space’ around
which interactive whiteboards are located, in front of which students can collect and work with
teachers on carpets and beanbags. Nests of mobile tables are situated down the centre, along the
right and left walls of the great space. One side of the space has glassed-off teacher offices; the
other side features a small theatrette complete with floor-to-ceiling blue velvet curtain. Straight
ahead are low locker blocks that enable visual access across the great space. Five steps lead into
a ‘support’ area with wet spaces for cooking, science and art and small group work. The side of the
SLU comprises doors opening onto outdoor decking adjoining the inner space where students can
work in groups on benches or at tables.
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Approach to the Senior Learning Unit (viewed
from the Junior Learning Unit)
Entry to the Senior Learning Unit
Lobby with displays of student work,
photographs and notices
Southern side of the SLU
A home group area Students can use the beanbags when engaging
in individual or group work
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Examples of the flexible tables and furniture used at Bellaire x 3 images
Teacher offices Theatrette adjoining main SLU area
Transition space to the ‘support’ area
downstairs from the main SLU area (previously
breezeway and toilet block)
Circular seating encourages interaction with
peers and teachers
Students working in groups in outdoor area adjoining the classroom x 2 images
Figure 3. Areas of the Year 5-6 Senior Learning Unit
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This spatial design, replicated in the Middle and Junior Learning Units, enables mobility and
flexibility of students in small and large groups. The Middle Learning Community, funded by the
Building the Education Revolution program, includes specialist spaces for art, science, home
economics, construction and library activities (see Figure 4). This space is technology-rich and
provides ready access to both indoor and outdoor learning.
The new open-plan learning spa