South Gippsland Specialist School

Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) Australasian Region Awards 2010:
Education Initiative / Design Solution for an Innovative Program – Winner

The South Gippsland Specialist School is co-located within the Leongatha Education Precinct. As a K to Year 12 school, the new building has to meet the diverse needs of students with a wide range of disabilities across several age groups. Junior, senior and special needs precincts were created to encourage a sense of belonging for each child in age-appropriate environments.

Each precinct serves as a small, fully serviced home-hub, enabling students to learn and practise life skills. Open plan kitchenettes connect to a covered outdoor wet area with vegetable and sensory gardens. There is also a provision of enclosed spaces designed to allow the control of visual stimuli, including a secluded courtyard for small group activities and a sensory room in the special needs precinct based on Snoezelen Rooms, offering a therapeutic space for students with a variety of disabilities, disorders and conditions.