Lunchtimes have become more relaxing, comfortable and connected at Matthew Flinders Anglican College with the opening of The Cove – a beautifully reinvigorated tuckshop courtyard designed by students for students.
The project provided an exciting real-world learning opportunity for Year 10 Design students and stands as a wonderful example of what can be achieved when student voice, staff expertise and parent generosity come together to create meaningful improvements for the College community.
The Cove was officially unveiled at a morning tea event on Thursday, 20 November by College Principal Michelle Carroll and President of the Flinders Parents and Friends’ Association (P&F) Mrs Caroline Edwards.
Guests included a group of Year 10 Design students who contributed to the design process, P&F Committee members, the 2026 Parent Class Representatives and Senior Leadership.
The refurbishment was fully funded by the P&F to support students’ wellbeing and healthy development. All funds raised through 2025 P&F community events contributed to the project, with the P&F pledging $100,000 over three years to help bring the space to life.
During Term 1, the Year 10 Design students were challenged to create an inviting outdoor space for Secondary School students to recharge and enjoy their meals over conversations at break times. The space can also be used for outdoor learning and quiet time for revision before exams, and as a social gathering place for staff, parents and the broader community.
The Cove is fully shaded and features bench seating and communal tables, tropical greenery and trees in planter boxes and a fresh splash of colour throughout.
On a feature wall, a striking Beast paw motif symbolises the College’s mascot, the Flinders Beast, which inspires students “to be strong enough to care for others in our midst, to resist being discouraged by tough challenges, to strive to find an inner strength and to be the best we can be”.
Real-World Learning at Flinders
In the classroom, Flinders is committed to fostering students’ curiosity and inquiry by applying learning to authentic contexts, and the tuckshop courtyard project provided an exciting opportunity for transfer learning in the real world.
During Term 1 Design lessons, the Year 10 students had to respond to the design brief: to transform an unused outdoor space next to the tuckshop in the Secondary School campus into a gathering space that enhances the school environment and experience.
To develop thoughtful solutions, the students used a design thinking cycle – imagine, empathise, ideate, prototype, launch – and worked through a range of strategies and tools, including client interviews using empathetic listening and strategic questioning, peer surveys, brainstorming, sketching and prototyping.
At the morning tea event, a group of Year 10 Design students shared the design process with the guests, noting that it was “lovely to see something that we have designed come to life, and we appreciated the opportunity to contribute to improving our school campus”.
The students explained how they had to reimagine the space to better support the needs and wants of their clients who would use the space, including fellow students who would gather during morning tea and lunchtimes, as well as staff and visitors to the campus.
There were also a range of factors to consider, such as the usability, comfort and visual appeal of the area, along with practical requirements, such as durability, ease of maintenance and environmental conditions. The design also had to work within constraints, such as the resources available – time, money and energy.
Importantly, the students had to consider what the legacy of the space would be to the College community.
Students presented their ideas in a professional-style pitch to the Senior Leadership Team, the Capital Works Manager, Mr Rocco Perugini, and Henri van Blerk, a representative from the P&F Committee. Their imaginative and compelling design proposals helped to inspire and inform the final design.
