Community in Focus: Finley Public School

Providing a safe and secure environment for students is a priority at Finley Public School (FPS).

The school also has a strategic focus on ensuring facilities are provided that meet the individual needs and challenges of students.

With this in mind, a new project at the school is a sensory garden, being established adjacent the school library.

The garden will be a place where students can develop reading skills, and get a sense of enjoyment and appreciation for reading.

This project has strong support from Principal Owen Gill, and the school P&C Association also jumped on board to help raise necessary funds so it could become a reality.

“The sensory garden will provide a learning space outside where kids can connect with nature," Mr Gill explained.

"It will provide a quiet and calm atmosphere, where those requiring sensory input to concentrate will benefit from the stimulation that the garden provides while they read.

“This space will reflect our increased understanding of how to meet kids' individual needs and challenges. FPS is acutely aware that we have a responsibility to provide an environment that not only is safe,  but also feels safe.

“This is for the wellbeing of our students, because feeling safe and valued is vital to a child's development. Sometimes school is the safest place in a child's life and FPS strives to provide this environment to the best of our ability.”  

Work is already underway on the sensory garden and will continue into next year.

Existing trees have recently been removed, as they caused issues for asthma sufferers. They also filled pathways and gutters with debris and were lifting concrete pathways.

The existing sprinkler system is being modified to suit a garden bed area rather than a grassed area, and this work will include system diversion and new sprinkler heads.

Trees which are appropriate for the garden and provide sufficient shade are being planted, as are the hardier plants that will survive summer, with additional plants added next autumn.

“We want to establish the walking pathways during summer, and when funding is available circular seating will be added,” Mr Gill said.

School P&C Association member, Hannah Ham, has been helping to generate the funds required to progress the sensory garden from concept to reality. 

“Our P&C was keen to provide assistance so we could get the project off the ground,” Hannah said.

“As a group, we work hard to raise funds that facilitate improvements in the school, support students, and provide student opportunities.



"The sensory garden was seen as a very worthwhile area which aligns with our goals.”   

The P&C is a busy organisation in the Finley community, undertaking numerous activities that all play a role in raising funds to benefit the school and its students.

This year it has sold donuts at football matches, ran a Mother's Day stall, food stalls at a clearing sale and zone athletics carnival, provided a mini canteen, worked at the Apex B & S Ball and, for a fun night, hosted Bogan Bingo. 

This has enabled the P&C to undertake numerous projects.

“These have included EduMarking, which has provided colourful upgrades to the school with painted games on the concrete," Hannah said.

"We installed a water cooler which gives students access to cold water, and provided and installed a Tiny Town village, with mini shops and a theatre that provide another unique learning experience for students.

“We’ve also helped with sporting facilities, including upgrades to the cricket pitch and installation of sports netting behind the football goal posts.”

Some of these projects have required volunteer manpower, with working bees organised that involve active P&C participants. Hannah says the P&C is working on garden spaces within the school, including the sensory garden space.

The school recently established a School Grounds Improvement Committee, which complements the P&C and also engages staff and community members.

“This allows the P&C to focus on fundraising and activities to support the students, while providing a forum to strategically plan school improvement areas, including the sensory garden,” Hannah explained.

“The School Grounds Improvement Committee does not have its own finances, so relies on P&C and the school for funding and applying for grants.”

Hannah helps out in this area and, as a local irrigation farmer, when she read about Murray Irrigation’s Community Sponsorship Program early this year, quickly got busy preparing a submission for the sensory garden.

Murray Irrigation could see the value of this project for students and was happy to support it with a contribution of $3,000, which was enough to ensure the project could go ahead.

Once completed, the sensory garden will be a valuable addition to a school which has a long and distinguished history.

FPS opened on its current site in 1895, with the original building constructed from Murray pine weatherboards.