The Campus

Wesley College - Clunes Residential Learning Village Wesley @Clunes is purpose built village situated in the historic gold mining town of Clunes 35km North of Ballarat. All Wesley College Year 9 students have the opportunity to live for eight-weeks in Clunes. The houses are self contained, modern dwellings and the students do all their own cleaning, washing, shopping, cooking, budgeting and generally, are responsible for their own lives while in Clunes. Staff do not live in houses with the students but are on site in adjacent houses.

Living away from home in a house with no adults provides students with many challenges and opportunities. It brings a different focus to education, a more personal one where the learning emphasis is on personal relationships and community living rather than purely academic pursuits. The curriculum arises from the setting, from living together in a challenging environment. In conjunction with structured activities, students draw much of their learning from the lived experience and from pursuing a self-devised project.

The daily education program is unlike a school experience we have all been used to. There are no bells or normal subjects, and the curriculum is negotiated between students and leaders in a collaborative manner. The learning focus that has emerged for Clunes is different, however will complement and enrich the campus based curriculum. Clunes is about community building and is helping to build closer ties between the three city campuses. The vision for Clunes is exciting. We all face forks in the road and Clunes is definitely leading us down a road less travelled. It is proving to be a fascinating and wonderful journey for all involved.