2019 marks the much-awaited opening of Adelaide’s first vertical high school, Adelaide Botanic High. Nestled in the heart of the CBD, the impressive $100 million seven-storey building is designed to inspire and facilitate a new learning style that deviates from the traditional model with five new key trends.
High-Tech Infrastructure
Adelaide Botanic High has made significant investments in cloud-based SASS solutions, such as the MGM communication suite, that relieve education providers of the administrative tasks and to allows them to spend more time teaching. Students and parents also benefit with the live streaming technology touchpoints implemented throughout the maker and performer art spaces, as well as subscriptions to richer online learning resources.
Tertiary Education Style Environment
With large open communal spaces filled with natural light, the organic feel of the building design encourages a collaborative tertiary style learning environment. The school boasts a commercial grade kitchen to support food technology education, state-of-the-art design and technology laboratories which support the strong focus on STEM subjects, indoor gym and fitness studio, research centres, 170 bicycle parking bay, and a cafeteria with an outdoor terrace, all designed to help students transition to tertiary learning environment more seamlessly.
Community Hub
Positioned in Adelaide’s east end university precinct, the school will prepare students for the future through establishing close ties with universities, and giving students opportunities to work with mentors, such as academic staff and students from the University of Adelaide and UniSA. The schools is also working to establish close links with the key destinations in Adelaide’s Cultural Hub; Art Gallery, Museum and State Library, so students develop relationship building skills and are exposed to more opportunities.
Health and Environment Focus
The vertical school was designed to encourage increased natural movement through the use of stairways rather than lifts, which facilitate efficient flow between levels that maximise learning time whilst promoting healthy activity levels.
Positioned on the 15,750 square metre block, the school incorporates an environmental design to minimise energy and water consumption in support of Adelaide’s pledge to the Zero Carbon Challenge. The school also aims to be completely paper free within 10 years, with majority of the course work accessible online.
Independent Learning approach
The school places strong emphasis for students to be more responsible and accountable for their learning by encouraging a self-sufficient and proactive approach, where most course work available online, promoting an anytime, anywhere study model. Time management skills will also be developed with the removal of the school bell.
By 2020, Adelaide Botanic High will one of seven up and coming vertical schools in Australia, driving change and shifting parameters.
What impact do you think vertical schools will have?
See Also: Multi-channel School Communication
