The Canberra Nature School to immerse students in natural environment

Emily McKenzie-Kay has 25 years' experience in Steiner education but has a vision for The Canberra Nature School, a small, secular independent school that would take students on fortnightly excursions and make connections with community gardens and aged care residences.

"I had lots of people come to me over the last few years and say you should start your own school," she said.

"It's time to find my own new path."

Ms McKenzie-Kay said starting a new school from the ground up feels like standing at the foot of a very tall mountain.

Just getting approval for the school to be registered via the ACT Education Directorate is likely to take two years. The Ginninderry developers have indicated their enthusiasm for the school to be based in the new suburbs in about seven years.

The Canberra Nature School already has a small but enthusiastic group of supporters who want the school to open sooner. A board has formed and work has started on writing a constitution and sourcing financial support.

They are on the hunt for a suitable location for the foundation classes to begin, ideally a central location in Canberra.

Ms McKenzie-Kay would be the foundation principal and has been learning from leaders of existing schools, such as The Cottage School in Hobart and The Nature School in Port Macquarie.

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Prospective teacher Michael Thompson, who has also spent his career in Steiner education, believes the school would be embraced by Canberrans.

"We are called the bush capital for a reason. And the idea of children learning through movement and having experiential and inquiry-based learning, it's starting to become much more acceptable to mainstream educators," he said.

Mr Thompson said the ACT was known for taking a chance on alternative and progressive schooling concepts and this school would take cues from the local habitats.

"You can't care for what you don't know. It's one thing to learn about it in the abstract. It's another thing to be able to know what the bird calls that you're hearing every day or to be able to identify lizards without needing to dial up an app."

Paediatric psychologist Miranda Staniforth has four children between the ages of two and 10 and wants to send them to the Canberra Nature School when it opens.

"They've done some really robust studies in this space and when children are able to learn and move their bodies, they demonstrate improved attention, capacity for working memory, their problem-solving skills increase, their ability to work collaboratively also really increases," Dr Staniforth said.

She doesn't feel it would be taking a risk by sending them to the new school.

"When you have educators like Emily and Michael, who are enthusiastic and excited to start something new and they're experienced teachers, I think that's the pathway to follow. That's what I would like for my children."

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