Australian Education Award Honours for Two Innovative Programs

Two very different Westbourne Grammar programs have earned national recognition in the 2026 Australian Education Awards, with the School named an Excellence Awardee in two categories.

Westbourne received acknowledgement in:

• Innovation in Learning Environment Design, for the School’s eSports Studio
• Innovation in Curriculum Design, for the Echoes & Dialogues program

Presented by The Educator, the Australian Education Awards celebrate schools and educators making an outstanding contribution across Australia.

The recognition of Westbourne’s eSports Studio reflects a learning environment designed in partnership with students and shaped around emerging technologies, applied learning and creativity. While the space supports competitive eSports, it is also used for electives such as Flight and Space, VCE Media Studies, VR experiences, coding projects and high-performance computing.

The facility includes race driving simulators, VR headsets, LED data displays and Nintendo Switch arena systems for interschool competition, alongside a custom-built arcade machine designed and constructed onsite by students. The space has also supported Westbourne’s success in the Australian eSports League and the Fuse Cup, where the facility was awarded Best Australian Schools eSports Space in 2025.

Westbourne was also recognised for Echoes & Dialogues, a Years 5–12 philosophy and critical thinking program designed to help students engage thoughtfully with complex ideas, ethical questions and differing perspectives.

The program gives students a shared framework for discussion, respectful debate and reasoning through structured philosophical dialogue and explicit critical thinking tools. Across the school, students learn how to question assumptions, construct arguments, evaluate ideas and participate confidently in challenging conversations.

Together, the two award categories reflect the breadth of learning experiences across the School, from emerging technologies and interdisciplinary STEM learning to ethical inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking.

Winners of the Australian Education Awards will be announced in Sydney on Friday 7 August.