History and Philosophy

Gympie Flexible School officially opened as a registered school in 2012. It evolved from “It’s up to you Gympie”, an outreach program that was an annex from the then Noosa Flexible Learning Centre. Since 2008, Gympie Flexible School has progressed from a mobile service with two staff and 15 young people to a purpose-built building with 12 staff and 65 young people.
A milestone in our young history was our official opening. Young people, families, staff and community members gathered for the joyous occasion. Gympie Flexible School was graced with special guests including Uncle Eugene from the Gubbi Gubbi Tribe, who commenced the proceedings with a welcome to country, Most Reverend Brian V Finnigan DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane and Br Paul Oakley CFC President, EREA who unveiled the plaque and officiated the opening. Dr Wayne Tinsey, Executive Director, gave a warming address and Dale Murray, Director of Youth and Master of Ceremony for the afternoon’s proceedings. Gympie embraces the philosophy of “walking with” as guests in the lives of those that we work with and for. This is based on a common ground that is created through all participants fostering the four principles of operation; RESPECT, HONESTY, SAFE AND LEGAL and PARTICIPATION. Operating with the four principles works on the basis that everyone is accountable for their behaviours. It is about negotiation and providing opportunities to discuss issues and find resolutions.
Relationships are at the core of our work and are based on a respect for personal dignity and recognition of difference. We value that each person has a story that shapes their world view and that their story is always changing and growing. We focus on all participants being actively involved in creating and recreating the school community they want to experience. The philosophy and practice of the school is aligned with the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration.

Services

Each young person at Gympie Flexible School has staff who support them in their health and wellbeing. At the Gympie Flexible School site, these staff include their classroom teacher for core literacy/numeracy and at least one other significant worker. The role of the team is to establish a close relationship to the young person, to monitor their progress, to advocate on their behalf, to provide advice, direction and support during difficult personal issues, and overall to support the young person to achieve their stated personal and educational goals. The role of staff is broad in scope, in-depth in its substance, and long-term in relationship. It includes:

• In-house mentoring and advocacy
• Supporting the young person and their families in times of emotional crisis or practical need
• Maintaining the close partnership between school, young person and parent/carer
• Working in partnership with other agencies who are involved with students e.g. CYMHS (Child Youth Mental Health Service), Department of Communities, Child Safety & Disabilities, Youth Justice etc
• Supporting and mentoring young people who live independently
• Helping students to build capacity and resilience in social and emotional aspects of their lives
• Informally helping young people develop positive self-concept
• Supporting young people with issues of drug misuse and self harm
• Networking with other agencies such as Youth and Family Services to provide specialist assistance e.g. family mediation, counselling, anger management.

Our prime focus is to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people under our care. We take our responsibilities for child safeguarding extremely seriously and therefore we commit to ensuring that all our school has appropriate policies and practices to make it a place that is both safe and inclusive. Central to this, is student voice and agency. Our school’s child safeguarding programs are regularly updated and checked for compliance with regulatory requirements.

Learning

The Gympie Flexible School provides holistic learning experiences that address the social needs of students, and promotes their emotional, physical, spiritual and academic development. The purpose of the learning experiences is to empower young people to take personal responsibility for their actions and learning, achieve greater autonomy and self-reliance and to engage in the transition to further education and/or employment. Learning experiences address curriculum areas of literacy, numeracy, study of society and environment, vocational training, information technology, music and technology, outdoor education, Indigenous education, relational and spiritual education and science. Gympie Flexible School provides a curriculum that is relational, responsive and relevant and, as a result, liberating.  It offers a curriculum spanning Years 7 to 12 with access structures that have the capacity to meet the diverse needs and interests of our learners. An extensive curriculum and support program tailored to meet specific needs are designed to support all students at all stages of their learning. Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) are developed for each student upon enrolment and this is updated regularly.  In the case of Students with Special Needs (SWD) this documents from the Educational Adjustment Plan (EAP) or Independent Education Plan (IEP).