gwunspoken - Beyond the Plan
gwunspoken: Beyond the Plan
Hear the person beyond the plan.
This podcast is where NDIS participants, families, and supporters reclaim their narrative. We dive into life beyond the diagnosis, beyond the reports, and beyond the plans—exploring identity, strength, and voice.
Whether you're a parent seeking connection, a support worker craving understanding, or someone walking their own NDIS journey, this space is for you.
Because labels don’t define people—stories do.
gwunspoken - Beyond the Plan
Beyond the Classroom: A Walking Tour of Earnshaw State College
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What happens when you hand the microphone to an eight-year-old and let them guide you through their world? Pure magic, as it turns out.
Join us for a delightfully unscripted walking tour of Earnshaw State College, led by our enthusiastic grade three guide, Arie. This episode breaks from traditional podcast formats as we literally follow a child's footsteps through the familiar spaces that make up his daily educational experience.
Arie's commentary transforms ordinary school grounds into a landscape of wonder and significance. The tuck shop isn't just a cafeteria but the home of coveted "ham and cheese toasties" and special "red days" when junk food appears. The sports hall becomes a stage where our young guide demonstrates the proper way to "sit and listen" during assemblies. The oval transforms into multiple domains with invisible but strictly observed boundaries between year levels.
What makes this episode special isn't architectural insights or educational theory—it's the unfiltered perspective that only a child can provide. When asked about his previous years at school, Arie's candid admission that he didn't enjoy Year 1 "because my teacher kept yelling at me" offers a powerful reminder of how significantly teacher-student relationships shape educational experiences.
Throughout our journey, we discover thoughtful environmental design elements—mathematical problems decorating stairways, ABC snakes painted on walkways—that create opportunities for incidental learning throughout the campus. These subtle features reveal how educational spaces can nurture curiosity beyond formal classroom settings.
Whether you're an educator seeking to understand how children experience learning environments, a parent curious about school life, or simply someone who appreciates the refreshing honesty of children, this walking conversation offers heartwarming insights into the spaces that shape our youngest community members.
Listen, laugh, and rediscover the wonder of school through a child's eyes.
Welcome to an edition of GWN Spoken Beyond the Plan on behalf of EngageU. And I've got a little mate with me, Ari, how are you mate?
Speaker 2Good.
Speaker 1Happy Monday.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Where are we going?
Speaker 2To everywhere.
Speaker 1What are we doing right now? Because we're not on a normal podcast with our headphones on. What are we doing?
Speaker 2We're walking.
Speaker 1We're walking where.
Speaker 2At the school.
Speaker 1Okay, so you're showing me around the school grounds here at Earnshaw State College.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1So you know, I'm really terrible with directions, so I would get lost really easily. So can I trust you to know where we're going? Yeah, Alright.
Speaker 2Because I've been here for four years.
Speaker 1You've been here for four years, but aren't you only in grade three? Yeah, so how's that four years? Oh, does prep, prep? One, two, three. This is your fourth year. You can just nearly own the place here, all right, so where are we going right now?
Speaker 2To the office.
Speaker 1Okay, and we're looking at a building right now and I know it sounds a bit weird for people listening because you can't see this but we're going to this big. What's this big building here?
Speaker 2Um. This is the tuck shop area.
Speaker 1Oh, is there good food in the tuck shop? Yeah, what's the best thing you like eating in the tuck?
Exploring the tuck shop and grounds
Speaker 2shop. Um like eating in the tuck shop Ham and cheese toasty.
Speaker 1Ham and cheese toasty Sounds nice. Do they do burgers in there?
Speaker 2No On red days.
Speaker 1Oh, red days when they have the junk food day, yeah, okay, all right. So what is it normally? Green days, is it orange as well? No, just green.
Speaker 2Just red.
Speaker 1Just red days if you're going to have a junk food day.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1All right, now we're going towards the car park. Are we going for a drive?
Speaker 2It's the red food day.
Speaker 1Oh, it's the Red Food Day. Alright, now we're going down here. I believe you had Wednesday off last week, is that right? Yeah, why's that? Is it a teacher's strike or something? Yeah, and then you. Oh, someone said you also had this Wednesday off.
Speaker 2Public holiday.
Speaker 1Why.
Speaker 2Because the ECCA.
Speaker 1Oh, are you going to go to the ECCA or not? No, no, you're just going to have a day off.
Speaker 2Yeah, what are you going to do for the day off? I don't plan it yet.
Speaker 1Don't know yet. Are you going to be at mum's or dad's Wednesday?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1All right. This way Do you know whose house you're going to be on Wednesday.
Speaker 2Mum.
Speaker 1Mum's house. Alright, does mum get the day off too? Yeah, yeah, cool. Do you know? Some schools have Monday off. They have today off. So, yeah, my daughter's had today off. Where are we now? I'm lost already. Where's this place?
Speaker 2That area is the what's it named Is it like a playground. No, it's where you get these shirts.
Speaker 1Oh, like the uniform shop.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Feels like we're going back to where we were before. No, no. Where are we going to now?
Speaker 2We're going to turn.
Speaker 1Yeah.
E Block and brother's laptop story
Speaker 2This is the E block. Is where the building area where my brother.
Speaker 1Oh, is that where they make stuff? Yeah, is it like an industrial tech, sort of woodwork and metalwork and things like that? Woodwork yeah, woodwork, do you get to use that stuff? Or when you're older, when I'm older. Yeah, cool, oh, I love you showing me around this place.
Speaker 2And you also get a laptop by yourself. What, and I'll score where he broke his.
Speaker 1Oh what, he broke his laptop. Yeah, yeah, you broke his laptop.
Speaker 2Liam shook his bag and then it went like drop.
Speaker 1It came out of his bag, out of his laptop bag or out of his school bag?
Speaker 2Out of his laptop bag. Oh.
Speaker 1And so what happened then? Did they give you one free fix-up, or what happened?
Speaker 2Um, it's probably just. They said it was probably just a cord fell out, probably unplugged, so they're going to try to fix it.
Speaker 1Oh gosh, that's a bit scary. Is it a good laptop? Yeah, that's cool. So you're looking forward to when you're in grade seven, so you get a laptop.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Nice. Here's a question for you what's better, laptops or iPads? Laptops how come?
Speaker 2Because then you get to. I used to love playing on Roblox on it.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Because I used to have my own.
Speaker 1You used to have your own laptop, yeah, and then what happened to that one?
Speaker 2Dad sold it.
Speaker 1Oh, okay.
Speaker 2To get a PS5.
Speaker 1Oh, my goodness, All right, you're taking me around the block. Which block was that one? Is that your classroom up there?
Speaker 2That's the S block.
Speaker 1What's the sports hall? Yeah, can we look in there or not? Sure, oh, awesome. What kind of things are we going to find in the sports hall?
Speaker 2I don't know, just plain area. If there's people in there. We shouldn't go in there.
Speaker 1We'll peek through the window. Here Is this where you go when it's raining and you can use the sports pool.
Tour of the sports hall
Speaker 2No, this is where I do my PE, oh that's cool.
Speaker 1No one's in there, we can sneak in there. Is it open?
Speaker 2I think so.
Speaker 1Yes, it's open. So, yes, whoa, that's cool, that's really cool this is where I have my assemblies oh, you sit down, do assemblies. Here there's a whole school. Do assembly together. Or primary school different to high school.
Speaker 2Primary different to high school. So, does grade three sit about halfway here?
Speaker 1Yeah, About here somewhere.
Speaker 2Yeah, and that's where they speak.
Speaker 1Up on stage.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Should you go up there now and do some speaking? Yeah, go on then, help me get.
Speaker 2There's stairs up there.
Speaker 1All right. Should I sit down here as if I'm the audience? Yeah, All right. All right, so Ari's going up on stage now and I'm going to sit down here as if I'm in the audience. Oh sorry, hang on, I'll just sit down here. Okay, what are you going to tell me today, teacher? I don't know. Do I have to make sure I have my shirts tucked in? Yeah, what else?
Speaker 2How do I start to behave at this school? Sit and listen, yep, those are all the things.
Speaker 1Sit and listen and make sure you wear your uniform well. Yep, those are all the things. Sit and listen and make sure you wear your uniform well. Yeah, can I talk to my friend while you're talking?
Speaker 2No.
Speaker 1Would I get in trouble? Yeah, oh no. What would happen if I got in trouble? What would I do? What if?
Speaker 2I kept doing it over and over again. Then you would probably get suspended.
Speaker 1I don't want to do that. Yeah, all right, well done. So this is the sports hall. I like this place. This is good, and so is all the equipment in there. Yeah, is that the staff room in there where PE teachers are?
Speaker 2That one is where the chairs, where you sit.
Speaker 1Oh yep.
Speaker 2And that's the sports teachers and that's where the equipment is.
Speaker 1All the equipment is. Thank you for showing. That's cool and what's all over here? There's more equipment over this side as well. That's caged away.
Speaker 2Oh, don't touch that. That makes that squish.
Speaker 1Oh, it makes that it goes down. Oh, I see it makes the net go down so you can divide the cord up. What is that up there? It's a helicopter. Yeah.
Speaker 2What is that? It's a van.
Speaker 1That's massive. Same with that one. There's like two of them. Same with that one. There's like two of them. Yeah, it cools people down. Oh, now here's your sporting houses Rafter, O'Neill and Bradman. Which one are you in?
Speaker 2Bradman.
Speaker 1So Bradman's the shark.
Speaker 2Bradman is the blue one. So, Bradman O'Neill is the green one and Rafter is the Red one. Red one, who's the best?
Speaker 1one.
Speaker 2I'd say Rafter Red one.
Speaker 1Red one who's the best one? Mighty Raptor who's the best one?
Speaker 2Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.
Speaker 1Fight, fight fight. Fight to win. Yeah, is Bradman the best.
Speaker 2It keeps winning.
Speaker 1Does it Like for swimming carnivals and Cross country and that.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1This is cool. Who would win out of a race between you and me if we raced to the end?
Speaker 2Um me.
Speaker 1Ready, steady, spaghetti, long, leggy. What's so funny? Oh, your shoelace is undone. Go Ha-ha tricker. Hey, no, no, he's gone past me.
Speaker 2Why are you laughing at me.
Speaker 1Paul.
Speaker 2What'd you?
Speaker 1You have to tell everybody who actually won. Tell the trace.
Speaker 2Me.
Speaker 1Oh no, I thought you'd say me.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1Now what I need a rest.
Speaker 2We can show the oval.
Exploring the massive oval
Speaker 1Oh, yes, please, alright. So we've just had a race through the sporting gym, Earned a good job here. Looks beautiful, this indoor facility, beautiful place here. Volleyball basketball how you going? So one of the teachers out here? All right, we're going outside. Oh, look at here. Oh damn, what is it a leaf?
Speaker 2No, it's a. This is all the oval.
Speaker 1Wow, it's massive. So we're outside the sports hall, straight onto the oval, the backs, all the oval, wow it's massive.
Speaker 2So we're outside the sports hall, straight onto the oval, the backs of the oval, make sure to be careful of the mower.
Speaker 1Holy, it's massive. They've got red lines here for some kind of games. Yep, what kind of games get played in this one? I don't know Any ones, I suppose, isn't it?
Speaker 2I'm not supposed to be up here. I'm supposed to be down there.
Speaker 1Oh okay, We'll go in there. It's a massive. What is it like? It's like about three or four ovals back to back here. It's beautiful out here.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1You've got such a nice college. You're very lucky, aren't you?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Grade 3s and 4s or grade 3s only.
Speaker 2Grade 3s.
Speaker 1How many grade 3 classes are there? Three, three grade 3 classes, one there, one there and one there. Are you in 3A, b or C? Is it called 3A, b and C?
Speaker 2No, it's called B, c, g. I'm in B, how come?
Speaker 1it's not A, b, c, g. Oh, I'm in B. How come it's?
Speaker 2not A, b, c, because it doesn't go like that.
Speaker 1It just doesn't.
Speaker 2They choose the names.
Speaker 1Oh.
Speaker 2They choose the. Oh God, there's a duck.
Speaker 1There's a couple of ducks here. What a beautiful, beautiful campus.
Speaker 2And look, that's the playground, that's also another playground.
Speaker 1So which one are you going to go on? Both of them Are those fine?
Speaker 2Uh, fruit break. After fruit break, I go on to that playground. By lunchtime we, yeah, I'll show you where.
Speaker 1Alright, we're walking down here to the bottom playground. This is where I dig Now hang on.
Speaker 2What's this over here? I can see down this way.
Speaker 1Look at this this is what I was going to dig. Did you dig out the earth, did you? Yeah, look at me Side of the bank. Oh, we can't look a slip there. So down the bottom down here, we can also see. Like so down the bottom, down here, we can also see Like this oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah, skiing down, it is fun for kids eh, yeah. What do you call those things over there?
Speaker 2Oh, that's where you do basketball.
Speaker 1You've got basketball courts as well. I can't believe this place, and that's where you do cricket. Where you do cricket In there as well, yeah.
Speaker 2This is the playground.
Speaker 1So you'll add that's the preppy. Is that where you went in prep? Yeah, can I ask you a question? Yeah, do you miss going to prep? Yeah, was prep fun? Mm-hmm Played lots of games all day.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Can you remember prep, or were you too young to remember?
Speaker 2I remember prep. Can you remember?
Speaker 1prep, or were you too young to remember? I remember prep.
Speaker 2What was the best thing about prep that you remember that. Don't go past that way, because that's where the parking area is.
Speaker 1Oh, okay, out of bounds, yeah. So what was your favourite thing about prep? If you look over there and see prep, what do you remember was the best for you?
Speaker 2Swings.
Speaker 1Yeah, they were fun.
Speaker 2Yeah, they were very fun Do you still like swings?
Speaker 1Yeah, guess what? My daughter's almost 14 and she still loves swings. Oh my God, every time we go to swings she'll hop in a swing. Ever since she was a baby, she loved swings. Look at that. Tennis court, basketball court, oval. Oh, is this where you do your sprinting race for Athletics Day, where the tracks are over here? Yeah, you know what? I'd race you again, but you're too fast for me. I'm not going to race you because I'll just lose again. Yeah, I'll go slow. Oh, you would not. Oh, the prep place even has a veggie garden so you can build your skills on how to do veggies. You can't go near it. Don't go near it.
Speaker 2Yeah, because the preppies are over there.
Speaker 1Should we go in there and see if we can go and stay with the preppies all day? No, no good, you're too clever for that now, aren't you? Your brain's got a bit bigger since then. Show me how you get up on this playground. All right, you're pulling yourself up with this rope behind this ladder Strength. Good work, yes.
Speaker 2See this slide.
Speaker 1Little red slide here and blue at the end. Oh my gosh, well done. So do you play that at second break or first break? I don't play at this playground anymore, oh, but can you, yes, like what year levels can come here? One, two and three? I don't play at this playground anymore, but can you, yes, what year levels can come here? One, two and three? So if I'm in grade seven, I can't play in here. Yeah, I get in trouble.
Speaker 2Yeah, both of them, both of the playgrounds.
Speaker 1Well, this is amazing. You're going for a lovely walk outside. Yeah, it makes you feel nice being outside, doesn't it? Yeah, sometimes it helps you stay nice and calm when you've got some fresh air. Yeah, you feeling relaxed? Yeah, I was feeling relaxed until you beat me in a race.
Speaker 1Yeah, now I'm feeling frustrated, not really. You showed some good speed there. Now, how's the new house going with Dad's Good Good, all settled in now? Yeah, beautiful, well done, alright. Now what else haven't you shown me? We've gone through there. You've shown me here. You've gone down to the little playground area. You've shown me the preppies. You've shown me the sports hall, which is awesome.
Speaker 2This is the waiting area for the teachers to come and get us.
Speaker 1Is it like you do different subjects like PE and music and stuff?
Speaker 2Those are both both and top, top and bottom of those things are the toilets.
Speaker 1Oh okay, oh yeah, toilets there. Is there lifts as well, or just stairs?
Speaker 2And do you want me to show you the other office?
Speaker 1Yes, is there lifts there, or just stairs, just stairs?
Speaker 2Hey, they've got, they've there a lift seat or just stairs, just stairs.
School buildings and features
Speaker 1Hey, they've got like maths problems as you walk up the stairs when. Look over this side, look, oh yeah, so you can learn maths on the way up. Yeah, that's smart. All right, we're going under a cover here. Which one?
Speaker 2That way or that way.
Speaker 1You choose.
Speaker 2That one's the easiest.
Speaker 1Well, should we take the easiest or the most challenging? Challenging, oh I love that. It's where you mostly learn is when you get out of your comfort zone and go the challenging way.
Speaker 2Yep Nice.
Speaker 1And now, what's these numbers on here? What's this? More maths problems?
Speaker 2One times, one is obviously one.
Speaker 1Is it one times one two? No, oh, it's one plus one is two.
Speaker 2Yeah, don't go in there because it once flooded.
Speaker 1Did it.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's in construction.
Speaker 1Oh, is it Getting fixed? Oh, the construction zone I see. And so what's upstairs here? What's up the top here?
Speaker 2Year ones, year ones.
Speaker 1Year ones.
Speaker 2And those are year ones, did you like?
Speaker 1year ones, did you like?
Speaker 2putting in year ones no.
Speaker 1Did you like year one?
Speaker 2I liked two and three.
Speaker 1You liked prep two and three.
Speaker 2I liked prep two and three.
Speaker 1What was wrong with year one? Be quiet, because we're at sort of year one. Why didn't you like E1?
Speaker 2Because my teacher kept yelling at me.
Speaker 1Were you in trouble a bit Drink fountains oh, actually refill. Wow, that's pretty good. You got a pretty good school here there you are, and that's a parking lot. Parking lot Toilets here that you spoke about before.
Speaker 2And that's all the school.
Speaker 1What about that?
Speaker 2Oh, that's the pool.
Speaker 1You have a pool as well. Let's. Should we go for a swim?
Speaker 2No, what do you mean? It's winter.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2We can't go in the pool in winter, why not?
Speaker 1It'll just be cold. You go first. It looks freezing.
Speaker 2Oh crap, my man's going. It's all right, we should better, probably, probably, let's get off the grass.
Speaker 1Yeah, do you get to use the pool? He's coming. Do you get to use your pool? The pool, do you get to use the pool? Yeah, yeah, in summer months, do you do it for PE?
Speaker 2What was that? A bug he?
Speaker 1doesn't eat much.
Speaker 2I just got disgust.
Speaker 1So what do you use the pool for? Is it for HPE classes?
Speaker 2I always love watching the mower.
Speaker 1Do you? Would you like to be a grandson? Would you like to be a grandson? Yeah, what's your grandson's name? Ari, ari, what, yeah, his same name as you.
Speaker 2His name is already Ben His name. His original name was Ben.
Speaker 1But now he calls himself Ari.
Speaker 2No, he calls himself Ben. Oh look, his name was Ben, but now he calls himself Ari.
Speaker 1No, he calls himself Ben. Oh look, you see, his name was Ari.
Speaker 2Come on, since the mole is gone.
Speaker 1Oh, okay.
Speaker 2Mostly, that's the tractor.
Speaker 1Yep, oi, is that a snake?
Speaker 2What.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Oh, that's, an ABC snake.
Speaker 1Oh it's got the letters on it. That's a good idea, isn't it?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1There's lots of different incidental learning at this college. I love this. This is so good. Now, what's this one? This building here? Oh, the woodwork. That's the woodwork here, the backside of it.
Speaker 2And that you know that area.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2That's the ILC.
Speaker 1All right, nice, this is a nice area too.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1What happens on this stage up here? We're outside, but there's a stage outside. What happens here?
Speaker 2This is where they eat. What stage up here? We're outside, but there's a stage outside what happens here.
Speaker 1This is where they eat. What grade?
Speaker 2eats here Four, five and six.
Speaker 1So you have to eat here first before you're allowed to go and play. Yeah Nice, and then you've got some handball courts here. Do people play handball here?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Nice.
Speaker 2Only for the year sevens.
Speaker 1Only for year sevens. Okay, Now there's another class lining up here. Where do you think they're going?
Speaker 2To music? I don't really know, because that's my class.
Speaker 1That's your class.
Speaker 2Yeah, see, lachlan.
Speaker 1Which one's Lachlan?
Speaker 2That guy, that blonde guy.
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 2Next to that long hair person with the short hair at the front and the long hair at the back.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I see At the front and that's all your class kind of music. Now, where are we? That's the mower. Oh, there's the mower. We're going back to the library now. You can see some older kids here doing some fitness, which is cool as well. They're testing themselves here, aren't they Doing some side planks? That's pretty cool. Are you around to someone? And we're nearly back to the library. Thanks for showing me around.