Student Development

The Secret Garden: Where Play Meets Purpose

Tucked away in a corner of Edgefield Primary that used to be an empty classroom, there's a room our students named, designed and now have to earn their way into. We call it the Secret Garden.

Inside The Secret Garden photos

Entrance to the Secret Garden

Relaxation Corners

Art Areas

Photobooth station

Air Hockey station

Claw machine station

A Space Our Students and Edgefield Community Helped Build

The Secret Garden started with a question to our students: what do you want this space to become? They voted on its name, colour scheme and activities, and chose board games, an art corner, a relaxation nook, an air hockey table and a photobooth.

Parents and teachers donated games. Our Principal, Vice Principals and staff helped set up the room. And our Peer Support Leaders (PSLs) did much of the hands-on work, from unpacking parcels to laminating passes, turning it into a space students genuinely call their own.

UNITY IN ACTION - PEER SUPPORT LEADERS

Peer Support Leaders showing the school value of Unity by organizing games and furniture, unpacking parcels, packing of games, laminating and cutting Secret Garden Passes over the course of a few months. They have been there from the very start, creating the garden together with the teachers.

Unity in Action

Carrying parcels

Setting up furniture

Unpacking parcels

Organising games into various levels

Cutting Secret Garden Passes

Laminating the Passes

Completed Passes

Support Staff

Support Staff offering consistent support

Student Development Team (SDT) working together

Student Development Team (SDT) working together

SDT putting their handyman skills to great use

Organising games into the 3 Levels

Learning Responsibility, One Level at a Time

Access to the Secret Garden works on three levels, each asking a little more responsibility from our students.

Level 1

- games sit along the canteen corridor, free to play during recess with no supervision needed.

Working together and putting their teamwork to the test as they build the tallest Magna-Tiles tower!

Putting their describing and guessing skills to the test with Headbandz.

For some students, nothing beats a cosy game on the floor with friends

An UNO duel

Deep in thought, planning their next Checkers move

Cheering each other on during an exciting game of chess, with friends looking on, curious about their next move

Fully focused in attempting not to drop their Jenga bricks

Level 2

- Premium games are loaned out by our PSLs and parent volunteers using Secret Garden passes, a small lesson in borrowing and returning responsibly.

Peer Support Leaders on duty to support Level 2 - Premium Game loans and Level 3 - Entry to Secret Garden.

Students point to the Level 2 Game they would like to loan, Peer Support Leaders loan out the games by exchanging their Seret Garden Passes.

Our lovely Parent Volunteers in action for P1-3 recess, taking the place of PSLs and supporting Level 2 and Level 3 Secret Garden processes.

We are grateful for our amazing PV team.

Level 3

- Entry to the Secret Garden itself, is earned. Students collect Star Edgefin stickers for good behaviour, with ten stickers earning three visits, learning that good things are worth waiting for.

10 Edgefin stickers earn 3 entries to the Secret Garden each time.

Working hard to earn their rewards, because delayed gratification makes the fun even sweeter!

Something special about our Secret Garden, students get to bring home the toys they catch from the Claw Machine.

Students also get to use fun props and pose for Polaroid pictures, which they can bring home as well.

Working together to play mini Fuseball.

Even our Alumni often return to join us at the Secret Garden

Students showing perseverance as they battle it out in a game of Air Hockey

Some students prefer to spend their time in the Secret Garden, on their own playing mindfully

While others prefer to spend their time drawing and colouring at the Art Areas

What We're Seeing in Our Students

Since the Secret Garden launched in 2025, we've given out over 3,000 more Star Edgefin stickers for good behaviour. But the real story is in the small moments: students settling disagreements on their own, Edgefielders packing away games at the end of recess even when they weren't the ones who left the mess, and PSLs flagging issues and suggesting improvements without being asked.

This is Character and Citizenship Education in its most natural form, not a lesson, but a lived experience.

Built on Voice and Choice

The Secret Garden shows what happens when students are given real ownership: real responsibility follows.