A program that opens some school playgrounds and other outdoor spaces to the public is undergoing a trial expansion. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
A Snowy Mountains school is part of a trial program that opens school grounds so students – and their families – can keep enjoying their facilities outside class time.
Delegate Public School, located about 30 minutes from Bombala, is one of 11 schools involved in the Share Our Space Term Time Trial.
It is running across terms one and two of the school year and gives the public access to the school’s green spaces outside of school hours, every day of the week.
The new program is an extension of the existing Shared Spaces Program, in which schools can open their green spaces and other outdoor facilities to the public during school holidays.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the initiatives meant more people could use the facilities.
“It seems like a waste to keep hundreds of school ovals locked up at night, over the weekends and during school holidays,” he said.
“It’s why we’re throwing the gates of this public land open – it means people who live in apartments have more space to enjoy the outdoors, and kids have more options to get off their devices and play outside.”
Delegate Public School principal Bradley Bannister said the school’s involvement did more than help kids burn off some energy after a long day in the classroom.
“The takeaway, for me, is I’m so proud that the community view us as the hub of the community,” he said.
“It hasn’t been a ‘kid-based’ thing. It has created a community – there is a definite community aspect to it.”
After joining the program, he said seeing multiple families using the school’s outdoor spaces – such as synthetic tennis and basketball courts, an oval and the play equipment – was a frequent sight.
“Some of the Kindy kids and their parents stay for a good hour after school, just playing in the playground because they see it as such a valuable asset in their lives,” he said.
“We’ve had magnificent weather down in the Snowy Mountains this first term, so it has been awesome to see families out there using it in that manner.
“The weather’s been stunning. We’re not used to that in this part of the world.”
Mr Bannister said the school was provided with extra cleaning services each Monday to make sure the school’s facilities were ready for students during the week.
He said having extra people on the school grounds meant there were more eyes keeping watch on its facilities.
“To have people using your space in a positive manner certainly keeps away the undesirable people that might want to take something or damage something,” he said.
“We haven’t ever had any damage to our school. We haven’t ever had anything stolen from our school.”
He said the program also meant kids could access resources they might not have elsewhere.
“We are a community that lacks facilities. We’re only [a community of] about 250 to 350 people, so we don’t really have cricket nets or the basketball stadiums or the like,” he said.
“We’ve provided a space [that is] not only for the kids to use Monday to Friday, 40 weeks a year, but all those other days when people want to come and kick a footy around, have a hit of tennis or play a game of basketball.
“As the school principal who lives directly across the road from the school, nothing makes me happier than hearing the bounce of a basketball, the kicking of a football on my school grounds after school, in the morning or even on the weekend.
“To know that it’s getting used in a positive way makes me really proud and really happy for that to occur.”
A full list of schools taking part in the Share Our Space program and the expanded trial is available online.
