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
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 2:Good.
Speaker 1:Happy Monday.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Where are we going?
Speaker 2:To everywhere.
Speaker 1:What are we doing right now? Because we're not on a normal podcast with our headphones on. What are we doing?
Speaker 2:We're walking.
Speaker 1:We're walking where.
Speaker 2:At the school.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you're showing me around the school grounds here at Earnshaw State College.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So 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 2:Because I've been here for four years.
Speaker 1:You'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 2:To the office.
Speaker 1:Okay, 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 2:Um. This is the tuck shop area.
Speaker 1:Oh, is there good food in the tuck shop? Yeah, what's the best thing you like eating in the tuck?
Speaker 2:shop. Um like eating in the tuck shop Ham and cheese toasty.
Speaker 1:Ham and cheese toasty Sounds nice. Do they do burgers in there?
Speaker 2:No On red days.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:Just red.
Speaker 1:Just red days if you're going to have a junk food day.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, now we're going towards the car park. Are we going for a drive?
Speaker 2:It's the red food day.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:Public holiday.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:Because the ECCA.
Speaker 1:Oh, are you going to go to the ECCA or not? No, no, you're just going to have a day off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what are you going to do for the day off? I don't plan it yet.
Speaker 1:Don't know yet. Are you going to be at mum's or dad's Wednesday?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right. This way Do you know whose house you're going to be on Wednesday.
Speaker 2:Mum.
Speaker 1:Mum'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 2:That area is the what's it named Is it like a playground. No, it's where you get these shirts.
Speaker 1:Oh, like the uniform shop.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Feels like we're going back to where we were before. No, no. Where are we going to now?
Speaker 2:We're going to turn.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:This is the E block. Is where the building area where my brother.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:And you also get a laptop by yourself. What, and I'll score where he broke his.
Speaker 1:Oh what, he broke his laptop. Yeah, yeah, you broke his laptop.
Speaker 2:Liam shook his bag and then it went like drop.
Speaker 1:It came out of his bag, out of his laptop bag or out of his school bag?
Speaker 2:Out of his laptop bag. Oh.
Speaker 1:And so what happened then? Did they give you one free fix-up, or what happened?
Speaker 2:Um, 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 1:Oh 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 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Nice. Here's a question for you what's better, laptops or iPads? Laptops how come?
Speaker 2:Because then you get to. I used to love playing on Roblox on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because I used to have my own.
Speaker 1:You used to have your own laptop, yeah, and then what happened to that one?
Speaker 2:Dad sold it.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:To get a PS5.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, All right, you're taking me around the block. Which block was that one? Is that your classroom up there?
Speaker 2:That's the S block.
Speaker 1:What'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 2:I don't know, just plain area. If there's people in there. We shouldn't go in there.
Speaker 1:We'll peek through the window. Here Is this where you go when it's raining and you can use the sports pool.
Speaker 2:No, this is where I do my PE, oh that's cool.
Speaker 1:No one's in there, we can sneak in there. Is it open?
Speaker 2:I think so.
Speaker 1:Yes, 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 2:Primary different to high school. So, does grade three sit about halfway here?
Speaker 1:Yeah, About here somewhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's where they speak.
Speaker 1:Up on stage.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Should you go up there now and do some speaking? Yeah, go on then, help me get.
Speaker 2:There's stairs up there.
Speaker 1:All 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 2:How do I start to behave at this school? Sit and listen, yep, those are all the things.
Speaker 1:Sit 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 2:No.
Speaker 1:Would I get in trouble? Yeah, oh no. What would happen if I got in trouble? What would I do? What if?
Speaker 2:I kept doing it over and over again. Then you would probably get suspended.
Speaker 1:I 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 2:That one is where the chairs, where you sit.
Speaker 1:Oh yep.
Speaker 2:And that's the sports teachers and that's where the equipment is.
Speaker 1:All 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 2:Oh, don't touch that. That makes that squish.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:What is that? It's a van.
Speaker 1:That'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 2:Bradman.
Speaker 1:So Bradman's the shark.
Speaker 2:Bradman 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 1:one.
Speaker 2:I'd say Rafter Red one.
Speaker 1:Red one who's the best one? Mighty Raptor who's the best one?
Speaker 2:Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.
Speaker 1:Fight, fight fight. Fight to win. Yeah, is Bradman the best.
Speaker 2:It keeps winning.
Speaker 1:Does it Like for swimming carnivals and Cross country and that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:This is cool. Who would win out of a race between you and me if we raced to the end?
Speaker 2:Um me.
Speaker 1:Ready, 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 2:Why are you laughing at me.
Speaker 1:Paul.
Speaker 2:What'd you?
Speaker 1:You have to tell everybody who actually won. Tell the trace.
Speaker 2:Me.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I thought you'd say me.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Now what I need a rest.
Speaker 2:We can show the oval.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:No, it's a. This is all the oval.
Speaker 1:Wow, it's massive. So we're outside the sports hall, straight onto the oval, the backs, all the oval, wow it's massive.
Speaker 2:So we're outside the sports hall, straight onto the oval, the backs of the oval, make sure to be careful of the mower.
Speaker 1:Holy, 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 2:I'm not supposed to be up here. I'm supposed to be down there.
Speaker 1:Oh 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 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You've got such a nice college. You're very lucky, aren't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Grade 3s and 4s or grade 3s only.
Speaker 2:Grade 3s.
Speaker 1:How 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 2:No, it's called B, c, g. I'm in B, how come?
Speaker 1:it's not A, b, c, g. Oh, I'm in B. How come it's?
Speaker 2:not A, b, c, because it doesn't go like that.
Speaker 1:It just doesn't.
Speaker 2:They choose the names.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:They choose the. Oh God, there's a duck.
Speaker 1:There's a couple of ducks here. What a beautiful, beautiful campus.
Speaker 2:And look, that's the playground, that's also another playground.
Speaker 1:So which one are you going to go on? Both of them Are those fine?
Speaker 2:Uh, fruit break. After fruit break, I go on to that playground. By lunchtime we, yeah, I'll show you where.
Speaker 1:Alright, we're walking down here to the bottom playground. This is where I dig Now hang on.
Speaker 2:What's this over here? I can see down this way.
Speaker 1:Look 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 2:Oh, that's where you do basketball.
Speaker 1:You'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 2:This is the playground.
Speaker 1:So 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 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Can you remember prep, or were you too young to remember?
Speaker 2:I remember prep. Can you remember?
Speaker 1:prep, or were you too young to remember? I remember prep.
Speaker 2:What 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 1:Oh, 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 2:Swings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they were fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they were very fun Do you still like swings?
Speaker 1:Yeah, 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 2:Yeah, because the preppies are over there.
Speaker 1:Should 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 2:See this slide.
Speaker 1:Little 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 2:Yeah, both of them, both of the playgrounds.
Speaker 1:Well, 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 1:Yeah, 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 2:This is the waiting area for the teachers to come and get us.
Speaker 1:Is it like you do different subjects like PE and music and stuff?
Speaker 2:Those are both both and top, top and bottom of those things are the toilets.
Speaker 1:Oh okay, oh yeah, toilets there. Is there lifts as well, or just stairs?
Speaker 2:And do you want me to show you the other office?
Speaker 1:Yes, is there lifts there, or just stairs, just stairs?
Speaker 2:Hey, they've got, they've there a lift seat or just stairs, just stairs.
Speaker 1:Hey, 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 2:That way or that way.
Speaker 1:You choose.
Speaker 2:That one's the easiest.
Speaker 1:Well, 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 2:Yep Nice.
Speaker 1:And now, what's these numbers on here? What's this? More maths problems?
Speaker 2:One times, one is obviously one.
Speaker 1:Is it one times one two? No, oh, it's one plus one is two.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't go in there because it once flooded.
Speaker 1:Did it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's in construction.
Speaker 1:Oh, is it Getting fixed? Oh, the construction zone I see. And so what's upstairs here? What's up the top here?
Speaker 2:Year ones, year ones.
Speaker 1:Year ones.
Speaker 2:And those are year ones, did you like?
Speaker 1:year ones, did you like?
Speaker 2:putting in year ones no.
Speaker 1:Did you like year one?
Speaker 2:I liked two and three.
Speaker 1:You liked prep two and three.
Speaker 2:I liked prep two and three.
Speaker 1:What was wrong with year one? Be quiet, because we're at sort of year one. Why didn't you like E1?
Speaker 2:Because my teacher kept yelling at me.
Speaker 1:Were 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 2:And that's all the school.
Speaker 1:What about that?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's the pool.
Speaker 1:You have a pool as well. Let's. Should we go for a swim?
Speaker 2:No, what do you mean? It's winter.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We can't go in the pool in winter, why not?
Speaker 1:It'll just be cold. You go first. It looks freezing.
Speaker 2:Oh crap, my man's going. It's all right, we should better, probably, probably, let's get off the grass.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 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 2:What was that? A bug he?
Speaker 1:doesn't eat much.
Speaker 2:I just got disgust.
Speaker 1:So what do you use the pool for? Is it for HPE classes?
Speaker 2:I always love watching the mower.
Speaker 1:Do 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 2:His name is already Ben His name. His original name was Ben.
Speaker 1:But now he calls himself Ari.
Speaker 2:No, he calls himself Ben. Oh look, his name was Ben, but now he calls himself Ari.
Speaker 1:No, he calls himself Ben. Oh look, you see, his name was Ari.
Speaker 2:Come on, since the mole is gone.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Mostly, that's the tractor.
Speaker 1:Yep, oi, is that a snake?
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's, an ABC snake.
Speaker 1:Oh it's got the letters on it. That's a good idea, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:There'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 2:And that you know that area.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's the ILC.
Speaker 1:All right, nice, this is a nice area too.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What happens on this stage up here? We're outside, but there's a stage outside. What happens here?
Speaker 2:This is where they eat. What stage up here? We're outside, but there's a stage outside what happens here.
Speaker 1:This is where they eat. What grade?
Speaker 2:eats here Four, five and six.
Speaker 1:So 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 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:Only for the year sevens.
Speaker 1:Only for year sevens. Okay, Now there's another class lining up here. Where do you think they're going?
Speaker 2:To music? I don't really know, because that's my class.
Speaker 1:That's your class.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, lachlan.
Speaker 1:Which one's Lachlan?
Speaker 2:That guy, that blonde guy.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Next to that long hair person with the short hair at the front and the long hair at the back.
Speaker 1:Oh 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.