FREE

FREE stands for Flexible Re-Engagement Experience.  

It is an educational setting that supports students that are deemed ‘at-risk’ or already disengaged from education.

The vision of FREE is to ensure each student has the opportunity for a successful return to the mainstream school experience or to pursue a pathway that may suit their needs.

Some students end up back in the mainstream classroom where others have transitioned to the workforce with apprenticeships.

FREE’s main purpose is to provide targeted support so each student will develop their social and emotional skills, have a deeper connection to the school and its community and therefore have significant growth in their learning.

FREE has a permanent, dedicated flexible learning space designed and staffed to create a safe, supportive learning environment for the students in the program.  Next year, we are looking forward to moving to our ‘new and improved’ space in the first floor of the Sheehan Building.

This year was the first year for the FREE program at Ballarat High School… And what a year it has been!

We have been working on our schedules and routines, our self-care, creating posters about our pets and even managed to squeeze in a game of UNO every now and then.

Through the ongoing challenges of lockdowns and remote learning we were also able to offer an external program via STRIDE Education called ‘Supportive Friends 2.0’ where students were encouraged to reflect on their relationship with themselves, their relationships with others and their relationships in a digital context. Students were able to explore these concepts in a supportive and safe environment.