Our Setting
Highfields School is situated in Lindfield, one of Sydney’s northern suburbs. We are located on a beautiful piece of land, at the corner of Highfields Road and Wallace Parade. The school is an easy walk from Lindfield railway station and the shops on the Pacific Highway.
Learning Spaces
Careful design and thought about resources, layout and aesthetics ensures that every space in the school is a learning space. Our Kindergarten class is just as likely to be engaging in a maths activity in the garden as they would be in a classroom space. We see the learning environment as the third educator in our school, offering the physical context for learning and when designed well, these spaces provide rich provocations and opportunities to wonder, think and reflect and connect.
The Indoor Environment
Each Preschool space and classroom is designed with the specific age group of children in mind. Educators set up the spaces with consideration given to aesthetics, levels of sensory stimulation, effective movement through the spaces and group dynamics. The rooms are designed to be comfortable, inspiring and well-resourced for children and educators. Displays around the spaces carry meaning and significance for the group, making learning visible and celebrating the shared journey of the children and educators. We want children to feel safe and at-home at school. Furniture, lighting and materials are carefully chosen to support the program and give children a sense of agency and autonomy in their rooms. The classrooms are kept fresh, uncluttered and inviting – communicating care and creating expectation, right from the first welcome of each day.
The Outdoor Environment
We are positioned in a garden setting surrounded by mature trees and a flourishing natural environment. The rich outdoor environment provides boundless possibilities for exploration and creativity. Our budding environmentalists are often found investigating and exploring natural phenomena. The carefully designed outdoor spaces in the Preschool and K-2 offer children lots of choices for learning and play, with room to move and run as well as space to sit and reflect or have a chat with a friend. A large sand pit in the K-2 playground is a favourite spot for even our oldest children who relish in the opportunity to dig, design and imagine, with a spade in hand!
A working garden outside the Preschool is cared for by our Year 1 students who are our ‘gardeners in residence’ at Highfields.
What’s where?
There are three buildings onsite. They are:
Main Building – Preschool, Kindergarten and Year 1 classrooms
Kyle Cottage – Year 2 classrooms, School Office, and Uniform Shop
McDermott Place – School Hall, Learning Support and Enrichment Hubs, Music Room, ICT Lab, Library