2024 Food For Movement Mooroopna Park Primary School, Victoria

Principal Hayden Beaton and wellbeing co-ordinator Lisa Hueston

Hayden and Lisa at Mooroopna Park Primary School in Victoria know the power of getting children to move their bodies to give them a brain boost! And it’s had a huge impact on the success of their students.

Listed in the top 3% of disadvantaged schools in Australia, with over 76% of students having suffered or been exposed to significant trauma, Mooroopna Park Primary School in Victoria supports its students to become autonomous life-long learners who contribute positively to their community.

At the heart of the school’s Student Wellbeing Program is its Healthy Food Program, which began after approximately 80% of students were either not bringing food to school or what they were bringing was unhealthy. In 2019 the school introduced ‘The Park Cafe’, converting its sports shed into a dining room and upgrading the school canteen. A full-time onsite chef provides breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, and a cooked lunch daily, free of charge, for every student. For some, this program offers the only decent meal they may get that day.

The school has established strong links with local community organisations and businesses to help run the Healthy Food Program.  The majority of the food is donated and volunteers help out in the kitchen on a daily basis.

Since implementing ‘The Park Café,’ staff have noticed significant changes in student behaviour, attendance and student’s ability to focus.

Physical and mental health is also a huge priority for the school. Of the 152 students in attendance, 45 have ADHD, 24 with autism and a number with learning difficulties. The school has a speech therapist, play therapist, school chaplain, community hub, health and wellbeing specialist teacher and a visiting paediatrician.  

Not only is food at the heart of the school, but so is movement. 

Mooroopna Primary School created a scooter track with traffic signs and a roundabout, scooters and helmets are provided to offer regular breaks when students are unsettled or needing to reset their learning.  Knowing the huge benefits of team sports for children, staff promote opportunities to participate in community football and netball, with a number of students now playing as part of a club for the first time.

The school’s ethos of ‘Every child, in every community deserves a fair go’ is evident.