Posted 9 November 2020 by Catholic Education in 'Environment Matters' Blog
St Patricks Primary School’s Living Classroom is a beacon of sustainability in the Catholic schools of New South Wales. This verdant cornucopia is a thriving food garden and inspiring learning oasis.
It is just a hop, skip and a jump south of the chugging and grinding steel mill of BlueScope in Port Kembla and is where Permaculture has been used to produce a mindful response to the severe environmental impact of heavy industry.


This learning paradise provides a dynamic environment where children practice sustainability. While they maintain their Living Classroom they develop life long skills to traverse an uncertain future.

One of the keys to ongoing success of the Living Classroom Program is the passionate and dedicated work of teacher Mr M. Being an avid Permaculture practitioner and patient leader allows him to support the flourishing growth of both the students and garden plant systems.

Adjacent the bountiful subtropical food forest is the outdoor kitchen. If you happen to visit when the Garden Ambassadors are working in their Living Classroom, you may just be lucky enough to share a tasty wood fired pizza. It is not uncommon for these sumptuous delights to be pumping out of the Continental brick oven.

During this mid Spring period the students work harmoniously while they tend the earth and build a positive culture of hope and resilience.
