about us
About Village Learning
Village Learning is a holistic education collective for ages 0-18.
We provide small group learning programs for homeschooling families and others seeking educational enrichment, in a range of learning areas including academic subjects, creative arts, outdoor education, play and social connection.
We welcome new ideas for classes and programs and encourage parents to initiate new group learning opportunities and start a group, or for teachers in our community to get in touch with class or program ideas they may be interested in teaching.
Our educators come from diverse holistic education backgrounds including Classical, Steiner, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Big Picture Education, Nature Pedagogy, Coyote Mentoring and Deep Ecology, to name but a few and these elements are interwoven throughout our various programs and classes on offer. If you are a passionate educator and would like to be part of our team, please reach out!
Village Learning is a wholesome, nurturing and inspiring place for children and their families to come together, creating a sense of place and belonging with like hearted community, strengthening relationships with other children and adults and providing group learning and play opportunities for homeschooling families and others looking to enrich their educational journey.
We are passionate about holistic education, intentional parenting and healthy child development and love to support our community by offering parent centred educational workshops hosted by members of our community, special guest teachers and experts in their field. If you have an idea for a workshop and would like to host or facilitate something, please contact us.
Community connection is important to us and we gather throughout the year, for special seasonal celebrations and events with the whole family. All are welcome at our fun seasonal events and they a great way to get a feel for our community.
We are a grass roots, not for profit, community initiative, coordinated by volunteer parents and passionate educators. Our Collective is funded entirely by our participating families, community grants and donations. We welcome donations from those who are passionate about intentional, holistic, alternative education and who would like to support what we are offering the community.
We are honoured to be serving our community in such a meaningful way and to be part of the educational journeys of so many wonderful children and their families.
We look forward to connecting with you in The Village soon!
Location
Village Learning Collective is set on a gorgeous 40 acre property in Vasse, Western Australia, 10 minutes from Busselton and easily accessible from other areas around the Southwest. We have families who come from Bridgetown, Balingup, Nannup, Donnybrook, Bunbury, Capel, Margaret River, Dunsborough and Augusta.
The property has a plethora of beautiful indoor and outdoor “classroom spaces” including a cosy barn style main school-house building, with kitchen and library, undercover indoor-outdoor learning areas, a beautiful garden with grassy picnic area, nature playground, fire pit, bushland, dams, an olive grove, wetland to canoe on and more and is truly a place of magic a wonder - the best place for learning!
Our Team
Kate, Kindy, Lower & Upper Primary Educator
Sally, Kindy Educator
Kate is our wonderful and muti-skilled Kindy, Lower Primary and Upper Primary Educator. She is passionate about nature connection and is skilled in art and handicrafts, and incorporates both of these elements into her teaching.
Kate is an advocate for Steiner Education and Interest Led Learning and her programs are a beautiful combination of these educational pedagogies.
Kate has taught in various educational settings from mainstream classrooms, Steiner schools and has also homeschooled her own children (now graduated). Her rich teaching background and experience as a mother is reflected in her confidence, capacity, adaptability and care as a wonderful teacher for our lucky VLC children
In her spare time Kate loves horse riding, crafting and spending time with family.
Sally brings with her 23 years of teaching experience, 13 of those as an Early childhood teacher, co-ordinator and Parent workshop facilitator at the Steiner school in Yallingup where she currently teaches part time across the Kindergartens and the Primary.
She is originally from the UK, and together with her son, they have spent much time overseas engaged in the Forest School movement where, like the Village school, the children engage in all their learning outside.
Sally’s values lie in creating spaces for children to be one’s which supports their physical, emotional and spiritual development and interests. In her teaching it has always been her concern to take the journey of education along with each child’s family and the child, thus creating a golden thread which surrounds the child, family and community with an expansive light, one that can blossom and be nurtured daily.
Sally enjoys bringing the world to life through the art of curative storytelling and song based on our unique and special surroundings. Through a mixture of open-ended play, craft, singing and story she hopes to provide the children with a physical environment that allows them to feel at home in themselves, safe in the knowledge that all is in hand.
Andrew, Upper Primary Educator / Rewild Program Director
Andrew is our passionate and inspiring Upper Primary Thursday Program educator. He has a background in Steiner education, Coyote mentoring, Camp leadership, wilderness discovery and deep ecology.
He is passionate about building nature-connected communities, particularly in creating pathways for people to claim their true place in the world. He believes that building meaningful relationships with nature and the people in our lives, are essential building blocks to living a purposeful life.
Since joining the Village Learning Collective and leading the Upper Primary Rewild Program (affectionately known as the Dingoes!) he has forged many rich memories with the Dingoes - from epic capture the flag battles to investigating the tiniest flower, from explorations of our wild coast coast to crafting beautiful seasonal nature mandalas.
Having been committed to nature connection work for nearly a decade, He is very grateful and excited to be part of our vibrant Village Learning Collective and its strong values of connection and community.
Andrew lives in Margaret River with his partner Angela, two stepsons Callum and Tate, daughter Ayla and dog Nala.
He looks forward to seeing you out on country soon!
Visiting Fellows | Experts In Their Field
Village Learning regularly hosts visiting fellows and experts in their field, to instruct students in specific disciplines. Examples include Art, Music, Foreign Language, Computer Science, STEM and other tutors who specialise in specific subjects areas.
We may also host other inspiring and specialised members of our community, including software experts, legal practitioners, chartered accountants, medical practitioners, business leaders, trade representatives, agricultural sector workers etc.
We aim to offer excellence in education and to model positive and inspiring leadership in the real world to our children.
If you are a passionate teacher and would like to run a class, or an expert in your field and would love to share your knowledge and skills, please get in touch!