Profile of The Village School, Coolanagatta, featured in the latest ADEC newsletter.
Location: The sunny beaches of Coolangatta, perfectly positioned on the southern boarder of Queensland and northern border of New South Wales.
Number of Students in 2025: 90 students (an increase form 76 students in 2024!)
When was your school established? July 2021
Who is the person filling out this survey, and what is their connection to the school? Bianca Nuss, Founding Principal and the school’s biggest and craziest fan!
Tell us about your school in ONE sentence:
We are a school without walls, using our stunning surrounding environment to inspire, drive, and share learning every day.
Describe some of the ways that your school incorporates student agency into the learning environment.
• Experience-Based Learning: our Villagers engage in real-world issues, working collaboratively to create meaningful solutions.
• Flexible Class Structures: Mixed-age classrooms (Prep, Year 1/2, Year 3/4, and Year 5/6 classes) and flexible groupings inside and outside the classroom allow our Villagers to work at their own pace, explore topics based on their passions, and take on leadership roles—like helping peers master a new concept.
• Student Voice in School Decisions: our Villagers, participate in decision-making processes during classroom discussions and weekly Village meetings.
• Celebrating Student Initiatives and Innovations (our favourite): We regularly host exhibitions, showcases, and Village meetings where students proudly present their projects, initiatives, or creative ideas. We love end of term events and celebrating our families at Mothers, Fathers and Grandparents Days!
What is your favourite physical place to be in your school? Why is it special?
The many beaches that surround us! Whether it’s in the water, exploring rockpools, or using the sand as a learning tool, the beach is magical. It grounds and unites us, inspires curiosity, and teaches us the importance of nurturing our natural environment.
Share a treasured memory of being a part of your school community.
One of my favourite traditions is how our Villager elders celebrate our school’s birthdays each year. A dress-up theme is chosen, and we gather around my giant, iconic scissors to cut a ribbon for each year the school has been open (in 2025, we’ll cut four ribbons!). After school, we celebrate with a sunset beach walk, pizza, and a talent show. For the adventurous, there’s always a movie and sleepover to cap off the night. It’s a proud, joyful tradition that our community eagerly anticipates every year