Warrnambool West is one of the few primary schools in Victoria to offer the Hands On Learning (HOL) program, developed and supported by Hands On Learning Australia.

HOL runs once a week for a small group of mostly Year 5 and 6 students. Through practical, hands-on projects, including painting, construction, gardening and general maintenance around the school grounds, students build real skills alongside something harder to measure but just as important: a sense of accomplishment and belonging.

The program is designed for students who benefit from a different kind of success. When a student builds something real, fixes something broken or improves a space others will use, it changes how they see themselves at school. That confidence travels back into the classroom.

Recent projects include the construction of our Gaga Pit, a much-loved addition to the school grounds that students built themselves and every kid in the school now uses.

HOL sessions are facilitated by trained staff and are not a replacement for classroom learning. They work alongside it.