Fresh ideas at Wirrigirri Primary School

When Wirrigirri Primary School opened its doors in 2025, Principal Bec Spink set out to build a school that focused as much on community as it did curriculum. A year on, the school’s universal meals program has helped make this goal a reality.

Each day, students come together to enjoy fresh, nutritious meals. The meals program is available for every student, with the aim of making food a joyful experience and removing stigma around food insecurity.

‘Feedback from parents has been great around both saving money and nutrition. From the very beginning, our goal was for care and connection to be part of the structure of our school – as visible and essential as learning itself,’ said Bec.

The program was informed by Bec’s study tour to Finland and Sweden in 2024, after receiving a Bank First Victorian Principals Association Study Award. Through the study tour, Bec learned about the link between nutrition and learning.

‘I saw that school meals were part of the learning day; shared, unhurried moments that built community,’ said Bec.

Since day one, inclusivity has been at the heart of the school meals program. ‘Early on, we surveyed families on their children’s food preferences and favourite family meals, and Chef Mike used those insights to shape our menus. While our community may come from many different parts of the world, food is something we can all share,’ said Bec.

After receiving a Bank First Teaching Initiatives Program grant, Wirrigirri Primary School students are now learning more about the food they eat. In the program, students learn about food systems, sustainability, and the cultural significance of food through hands-on experiences.

‘We introduced Grow and Graze because we thought it was really important that, if we were feeding children morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea each day, they had a solid understanding of food,’ said Bec.

Learning Specialist Annemarie Webb said, ‘gardening and cooking is so hands on, which is why I love it. Students practice communication by working on a recipe together and build their maths skills by measuring ingredients.’

Chef Mike Galton-Fenzi has already started to see the impact of Grow and Graze, saying ‘We get excited students bringing us fresh vegetables from the garden that are then used in our meals. We’re also composting, so there’s a full circle sustainability element as well.’

‘What began as a question about wellbeing and belonging has become part of the fabric of our school, a daily reminder that the way we eat, share, and care for one another is as much a lesson as anything taught in a classroom,’ said Bec.