‘Havens of learning’: inside Adelaide’s Hospital School
Budding young artists from Hospital School SA have created a vibrant exhibition that can teach us all a thing or two about searching for colour in the midst of adversity.
Bustling with a cacophony of strange noises, a maze of daunting spaces and constant flux of foot traffic, a hospital can be an overwhelming place. Even more so for a young person who has to take time away from school to be here. But when you get closer to the classrooms of Hospital School SA’s Women’s and Children’s campus – yes, the hospital has its own school – the waters become calm.
The entry corridor is lined with a temporary exhibition of paintings by local artist Maria Parmenter. One piece, Comfort, depicts a deep-blue sky of clouds over an ocean, with a glimmer of sun on the horizon. Hospital School principal Matthew McCurry explains that this painting has been sold not to a collector, but to a 13-year-old student.
“One of our end-of-life young people, our student Alexander, would walk past these paintings with his best friend, Juliette, and they would talk about their favourite pieces. As part of his will, Alex purchased this painting – his friend’s favourite – and gifted it to her,” says Matthew.
Reflecting on Alex’s story causes the principal to take pause. The school helped to bring Alex a sense of normalcy, joy and connection while he was undergoing treatment – including chemotherapy – for a rare type of cancer, before he passed away earlier this year.
Matthew helped Alex draft a one-page story about his journey, which Alex then read aloud to his entire year level at his former school. Alex wanted to help his classmates to understand what he was going through. He recounted the moment he learned there was nothing more doctors could do, and ultimately why he wouldn’t be returning to the classroom.
“Writing his own narrative helped him learn to focus on all the things he was able to do in the time that he was here, rather than what he would not be around to do. It was inspiring to witness his gratitude,” says Matthew.
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Alex’s brave story is now a gift to others as part of the mixed-medium exhibition My Art, My SA, showcasing the bold and inspiring artwork of Hospital School students. Young people from around the state have contributed work to the exhibition, on display at the Credit Union SA head office until August 30.
Hospital School SA operates across all of Adelaide’s major public hospitals. Last year, it welcomed more than 4000 students across the school year. “We receive new students every week. Young people might be here for one or two days, weeks, or months. Some are here for a year or even their entire schooling,” says Matthew.
“All elements of the school are intentional to create a sense of safety. Students pick where they sit in the classroom, giving them agency and control, something they might not feel they have in life. The majority of our young people are at acute levels of emotions, and that is an aspect that we really have to be mindful of.”
The school’s classrooms are painted in shades of blue to encourage wonder, green to elicit a state of peace, and deep purple to instil comfort. Staff wear t-shirts emblazoned with inclusive messages to make students feel welcome. Meditative ambient music plays in the principal’s office.
It all creates a haven of learning – a safe space away from hospital wards and corridors – where children can continue their schooling from pre-school to Year 12. Hospital School is for young people admitted to hospital with illness, injury and mental health challenges, but it is also for children who have a sibling or parent accessing treatment.
When SALIFE visits the school, four students are working on an art class, helped by their teacher and support staff. Each student has contributed work to My Art, My SA. Five-year-old Willow says art is her favourite subject. “I chose pink and purple – they’re my favourite colours because they make me feel happy. Art makes me happy,” says Willow.
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Lyla, 14, has been at Hospital School since the start of the year. She does her schooling in the Hospital School classroom but also in the hospital when she needs to be there. For the My Art, My SA exhibition, Lyla sketched a giraffe. “I like how giraffes are relaxed and calm. I like to paint and draw anything in my spare time, and blue is my favourite colour to use,” says Lyla.
Student Aviana has been connected to Hospital School since birth. Before the end of art class, she has to leave to return to the hospital for treatment – still with purple paint on her fingers. Matthew says art is one of the most valuable subjects.
“Students can come together to create a shared or individual piece,” he says. “The outcome might be the first success they’ve felt in a little while, and that’s how valuable art is. Kids can be fearless with their artwork, but we often put our own measure on ourselves whether we think we’re good at it. Everyone has art within them and it tells a story.”
It takes a special type of teacher to work at Hospital School. Matthew is in his seventh year here. His background working with at-risk youth, combined with his personality, make him the perfect teacher for Hospital School.
“I love my job. All I ever wanted to do was teach kids. People say: ‘I don’t know if I could ever work at Hospital School’, but if you saw how we approach things, it would change your mind. We don’t want to be adding to the challenges our students have, so it’s important that we reframe the challenges to be about the joy, the fun and the experiences. We think of our roles as a privilege.
“There are so many positive things – it’s the smiles, it’s the thanks, it’s the parents who are just grateful to drop off their non-sick child while they go and concentrate on their child who is in need. Or the Year 11 or 12 student who is stressed about their SACE and we assure them it’s okay. We’re going to meet this part of that young person’s life such that they don’t have to be concerned.”
The school often organises uplifting experiences for its students. For Alex, Matthew learned that the one thing that he had on his wish list was to ride on the O-Bahn. Adelaide Metro organised an Alex Express bus to pick up Alex, his friends and family for a joyful day out. “That was a big thing,” says Matthew. “We love to see our students in years to come, but we also get parents coming back to see us, and they aren’t able to bring their children with them. Those young people do become part of our memories. It is a privilege.”
This article first appeared in the August 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.