The Living School has been in existence since 2020 located on Conway Street. The progressive school is not alternative or mainstream but is about adapting the best policies and practices in the world, without a specific doctrine. 

The Living School has grown exponentially in that time and has plans to expand.

There is a current development application (DA) lodged with Lismore City Council for Block E at Southern Cross University for a "change of use of E Block to permit teaching (educational establishment) for the purposes of primary & secondary education." A space that was used by the Living School after the February 28 2022 big flood while founder John Stewart, staff and parents cleaned up the inundated site.

In what was seen as a bold, and seen as somewhat of a controversial move by some, John Stewart purchased the historic Brown and Jolly building on Woodlark Street in January 2021. COVID and the flood have delayed the Living School's expansion but that is about to change as 2024 becomes a planning and building year, with 2025 the likely opening date.

The Lismore App sat down with founder John Stewart to find out what the plans are for the Living School and the Brown and Jolly building.

"So the plan is to cater for Kindergarten to Year 4, and probably an Early Learning Centre opening next year, will be in the Conway Street property. And that's all been upgraded. We've still got work to do as we wait for DAs to come through that process but that means that we'll have our little kids in their own space.

(Living School Principal John Stewart)

"Then we've got Years 5, 6, 7 and 8, which will go into the Brown and Jolly building. That's going to be a real epicentre of the community in my opinion, which will be focused on project-based learning, and it'll allow us to interconnect and interrelate with the community."

"We're at the university and we'll be continuing to remain there for Years 9, 10, 11 and 12. That is called the Academy. The Academy is going to nurture another progressive international model that allows students to actively engage in tertiary or do a business or will end up with a vocational trade. They're the three pathways we want to offer."

The plans for the middle-year students at the Brown and Jolly building are progressive and unique. They will certainly bring more people to the CBD as well as add to the aesthetics of Woodlark Street and the CBD laneways.

"It's a huge building, it's a huge space. So, the downstairs will just be play space and creative space and everything downstairs will be able to be moved because we know floods will come."

"We're putting in a rainforest. So, when we need to get the flood water out, we just hose it into the rainforest area where we'll mulch it and so we'll be able to treat it through that process. It also means that downstairs we'll have lots of play activities, which the students can use in their time when they want to have a break. But also we can open up to other options as well."

"Then above that, in the areas which didn't get affected by the flood in 2022, we will be building intentional, huge classroom learning spaces. That will be based around project-based learning, which means students won't be sitting at desks, they're going to be actively engaged in instruction but then doing and participating. So that building is going to be fantastic for that option."

"And it'll be regenerated, so we're not looking to put new stuff in we're looking to reuse and repurpose what's there, which is going to be phenomenal."

John's vision will change the look and feel of part of the CBD.

"Well, it's interesting because the building site is in the very middle of the Back Alley Gallery and we want to see people coming and moving around there. You'll see students walking around the footpath again. You'll see students accessing the public spaces and places. This is what we were doing before the flood and shop owners used to wave to us and older people, who are sitting down having their coffees, would see our little kids moving through town. So it becomes a space that's really engaging in the full spectrum of the community during the day and not just on a weekend or not just in the afternoon and that's, I think, really important for Lismore."

"The other side of that is we're not going to be having buses and cars dropping kids off. It's all going to be using the Transit Centre, we want to teach public use. So, we want the students to walk and bicycle. We want to make sure our kids are actually getting access to that space and engaging in a conversation as they move through the space. I know some people may feel that's a concern but I'm hoping people will see that this is an opportunity to embrace our younger generation and give back."

While John is forecasting a 2025 start for the newly rebuilt Brown and Jolly building, you will see building activity throughout 2024.

"We're in the process of getting all the engineer reports, the traffic consultation to make sure we're meeting all the needs of the public. We're in the process of DA submissions. Anyone who's had to do this knows that it's like swimming with leeches. But the process is one where we want to really honour the CBD of Lismore."