That's why we are proud to support an evidence-informed Occupational Therapy (OT) Program at Mooroopna Park Primary School, an investment that will help remove barriers to learning, strengthen inclusive classroom practice and ensure more children can participate with confidence.
Every day, schools support students with increasingly diverse learning needs.
While some challenges are visible, many are not.
Difficulties with handwriting, fine and gross motor development, emotional regulation, sensory processing, executive functioning, organisation and social participation can significantly affect a child's ability to engage in learning, regardless of their intelligence, motivation or potential.
For many children, these barriers can lead to frustration, reduced confidence and disengagement if they are not identified and addressed early.
As Mooroopna Park Primary School Principal Hayden Beaton explains, “Our students' needs are becoming increasingly complex, with many facing significant barriers to learning. Bringing the Occupational Therapy Program into classrooms at Mooroopna Park Primary School allows us to address these barriers early, providing students with the support they need to fully engage in learning.”
Bringing the OT Program into the classroom at Mooroopna Park Primary School allows us to begin addressing barriers to learning immediately.”
The introduction of OT program under qualified Occupational Therapist Gemma Fekete to the Mooroopna Park Primary School team represents a proactive, evidence-based response to these challenges.
The contemporary school-based occupational therapy brings in teachers, education support staff and families to build inclusive classroom environments and practical strategies that benefit all students.
At Mooroopna Park Primary School, they are also taking on OT University students to support in the classroom, including Mia and Georgia who joined the school for a 7-week placement block this week.
This collaborative model enables therapists to identify barriers to participation early, support teachers with evidence-based classroom adjustments, strengthen student engagement and provide timely intervention before learning difficulties become entrenched. Importantly, many children who require support may not yet have a formal diagnosis but still experience significant challenges participating successfully at school.
For regional communities such as Mooroopna, school-based occupational therapy addresses another significant challenge: access to these essential services.
Many families experience lengthy waiting lists, travel requirements and financial barriers when seeking allied health services.
Delivering OT within the school removes many of these obstacles, allowing support to occur where children spend most of their day and where strategies can be immediately embedded into classroom practice.
The program also builds on Mooroopna Park Primary School's established commitment to early intervention and evidence-informed practice.
The school's award-winning Oral Language Intervention Program has already demonstrated the value of identifying learning needs early and providing targeted support before achievement gaps widen.
The addition of OT complements this work by recognising that successful learning depends not only on literacy and numeracy, but also on the foundational skills that enable children to participate fully in classroom learning.
When children can regulate their emotions, organise themselves for learning, manage classroom routines, develop fine motor skills and confidently engage with their peers, they are better positioned to demonstrate what they know and achieve their full potential.
Together with the school's highly regarded Oral Language Intervention Program, this integrated approach creates practical, sustainable solutions that improve outcomes across the whole school.
At the Greater Shepparton Foundation, we are committed to investing in initiatives that are evidence informed, community led and create lasting change.
Supporting school-based OT at Mooroopna Park Primary School is an investment not only in individual students but also in stronger classrooms, more confident teachers, more supported families and a stronger community.
Every child deserves the opportunity to participate, belong and succeed.
We are proud to support a program that is helping make that vision a reality for the students and families of Mooroopna Park Primary School.
Until next time,
Amanda McCulloch
Greater Shepparton Foundation executive officer
