Blue Gum Community School, Hackett School Reviews

Blue Gum Community School, Hackett

School Reviews

By Parent - 08 Sep 2019, Rate: good

I wrote a previous review & wish to change it to say that this school has many wonderful attributes. It offers a different & valuable way to learn, & for some secondary students a really good fit. My honest opinion expressed in the previous review was simply to invite reflection on what one considers valuable at school - if you are interested in more traditional academic-only focussed place of learning then you might feel frustrated but if you are looking for a broader approach then the school could really work for you. There was no intention to discourage anyone from considering the school - it can & does produce lovely students.

By Parent - 08 Sep 2019, Rate: bad

Be careful to check adherence to curriculum especially in the secondary school (language and IT are often neglected). Check that students are learning the specific skills needed for different disciplines as the inter-disciplinary approach can skim over this, as can the multi-aged classes. Some ‘building block’ skills risk being skipped - where students build on previous years learning in a subject - when all subjects across three year levels at secondary are ‘covered’ via a few year topic foci (or ‘learning journies’).

By Parent - 06 Mar 2019, Rate: excellent

The school’s strength-based approach and focus social and emotional development is an excellent alternative that is right for some children. NAPLAN scores show a very narrow picture of what Blue Gum does. The students who graduate are independent, lifelong learners with responsible habits and a strong sense of self. THAT is why we chose Blue Gum. Test scores are not the only data points and in such a small school with an unusually high percentage of students with learning difficulties, they are not representative of the bigger picture. It is absolutely NOT true that they do nothing but hike and explore nature. This experiential learning forms the starting point around which the subjects are taught. Blue Gum does use direct instruction when appropriate and necessary, but there is much deeper and more rigorous learning happening in the classroom than what I have ever seen in other schools. It may not be a fit for everyone, but it is a fit for us and we have seen the results for ourselves.

By Parent - 04 Apr 2018, Rate: average

This site quotes NATPLAN results for Blue Gums from 2011 some 7 years ago. Much can change during this time. The school has some inexperienced teachers and it appears to me to be losing its way along what it calls a journey of discovery. While its nice to spend much time walking round Mt Majura and learning all about stick insects it should not be forgetting some of the three RRRs. My concern is that while it claims to have an exemplary framework for education there is no visible evidence of this on a comparative basis.