“Eudemonia is nothing new,” said Westminster School principal Simon Shepherd.

“It’s a term coined by Aristotle – that you find a sense of contentment and happiness in life, through living a life of purpose and being grateful, kind and useful,” he said.

“It’s what we’re trying to achieve at Westminster with all students when educating them. We really want to help our students find it.

“This includes giving the students a breadth and width of subjects and activities to find the areas they excel in, and enable them to do their best.”

To that end, the school embarked on a five-year “impressive build of world-class educational facilities” across the senior school, building on significant investments in the ELC and junior school.

Now this current master plan is complete, the last of the projects will be officially opened on Saturday, 29 October.

These comprise the three-storey Forder Centre, home to the new library, music and drama facilities, the school’s dining hall and a community café, a new year 12 centre, upgrades to the Michael Murray Centre for Performing Arts, and Westminster Green.

Simon said the campus masterplan, which has resulted in the biggest changes to the school since it was established in 1961, is only part of the school’s efforts to ensure students have access to “the best educational resources” to prepare them for life after school.

“While we’re developing the infrastructure, we’re also ensuring what’s happening inside the classrooms is the best it can be for the students.

“We’ve had a pedagogy coach working at our school since 2018. We have seven highly accomplished lead teachers at school and we have a lot of peer mentoring and coaching for our teaching staff as well.”

Over the past two years, Westminster has also seen the opening of a tri-level specialist STEM centre, a new sports pavilion overlooking the extensive playing fields, a second dedicated dance studio, and a new wing housing creative arts, digital media and the school’s Stretch Centre.

Exterior of the new Inquiry and Innovation Hub at Westminster School, Adelaide

The school is also known for its leading outdoor education program and on-campus farm for students undertaking agricultural studies.

In terms of educational outcomes Westminster hopes to achieve, Simon said theirs was a holistic view.

“The motivation behind the redevelopment is to give the students the best infrastructure we can. Developing the infrastructure to facilitate their learning, and prepare them for life beyond school as well,” he said.

“For example, in the new buildings we’ve got a significant number of breakout spaces and small rooms that can be booked by students.

“If they’re going on to a tertiary environment, then the facilities really reflect what a tertiary learning environment will look like, and how it will feel and encourage responsibility.

“If they’re going straight to the workplace, it’s the same sort of thing. There’s a meeting room you can book and use.

“Likewise, the technology and design spaces for students who are following the vocational pathway are there to take them through.

“It also provides them with an environment that is really conducive to academic learning and social learning.”

The school has a unique approach to timetabling of lessons in the senior years. Students choose their subjects – there are over 40 on offer in year 12 – and the school develops the teaching timetable to try to accommodate every student’s choices.

“It’s highly complicated… but it’s a very student-centred approach to learning.”

Asked which parts of the development are his favourites, Simon answered without hesitation.

“I like the spaces where I see the most student interaction with each other, so the dining hall when I see the kids are eating together, conversing together and having that social interaction.

“And the Year 12 centre and the collaboration gallery in the library are fantastic spaces, because you can wander past them and the kids are using them very responsibly. They’re showing a strong degree of emotional intelligence I’m not sure I would have had at their age! But they certainly do.

“Every decision that we’re making around the buildings and the facilities and what’s happening inside the classrooms is student-centred.

“So, I enjoy the spaces that the students enjoy the most. Because then you know you’ve done something worthwhile.”

Westminster School will officially mark the completion of the current Campus Masterplan with a day of celebration for students, staff, families, Old Scholars and community members on Saturday, 29 October.

The family event will include live entertainment, cultural workshops, interactive activities, food trucks and tours of new facilities.

The school is also holding an open day with tours on Thursday, 3 November.