History and Philosophy

St Laurence Flexible Learning Centre (SLFLC) is an initiative of Edmund Rice Education Australia’s Flexible Schools Networks. EREAFSN services including 22+ Flexible Learning Centres located nation-wide that offer full time and multi-year secondary education and social inclusion programs for young people who are disengaged from mainstream education.

Guided by the vision of Edmund Rice about the empowering service of education and personal and community liberation through educational experiences that enable transformation, SLFLC seeks to respond to the needs of young people by providing a place and opportunity for young people to re-engage in a suitable, flexible learning environment.

Services

SLFLC opened as a registered school in 2019 catering to Stage 5 (Year 9 and 10) students.

What’s On Offer

SLFLC delivers the NESA curriculum including numeracy, literacy, PDHPE, Science, History, and Geography through practical approach. There is also a Work Ready program which includes a range of Vocational Education & Training (VET) courses such as:

• Certificate I & II in employability skills
• Certificate I in Sport & Recreation and
• Certificate I in Visual Arts

These credentials are ideal for those considering moving into the workforce, apprenticeships, or TAFE.

SLFLC offers the ROSA program. Further, our program ensures that learning is more personalised and can be set at a pace suitable for the individual needs of each student. VET courses are offered to ensure students transition with credentials that will provide further learning opportunities.

Alongside the curriculum, our school ensures that interest activities are available including surfing and lifesaving, art, music, mountain biking, and cycling. Activities are selected based on student and staff interests.

How We Do Things

SLFLC offers an inclusive and non-discriminating learning community to young people who, for a variety of reasons, are disenfranchised from mainstream education. Young people are enrolled from a variety of genders, sexualities, language, cultural, and religious backgrounds with sensitivity to Indigenous culture and/or socio-economic disadvantage.

SLFLC services provide young people with a varied and holistic set of learning experiences supporting them to identify and pursue an individual transition to adulthood, employment, further education and training, and social connectedness.

Young people are exposed to learning experiences that develop an understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultural values that constitute Australian society and learning is focused around the individual needs of students. Progress is carefully documented and monitored for every young person.

The philosophy of our program has a practical focus and is based in the application of our four Principles of Operation:

• Respect;
• Safe and Legal;
• Participation; and
• Honesty

The principles apply to all participants of the SJFLC community and are a significant point of difference from mainstream schooling. The principles establish a “common ground” among staff, young people, and families where the means to resolve conflict, negotiate learning, recognise rights, and responsibilities are modelled and explored, both within the group and individually.