Oasis Academy South Bank Primary welcomes Austrian Education Minister to explore community-led education

Local primary school, Oasis Academy South Bank Primary, has welcomed Austria’s Minister for Education, Christoph Wiederkehr, to explore its innovative approach to education and community support.

The academy, on Johanna Street in Waterloo’s Lower Marsh, hosted the Minister to showcase Oasis’s hub model, integrating education with wider family and community services - reflecting a strong commitment to inclusive, holistic education.

Assistant Principal Leanne Foulkes led a tour highlighting the academy’s play-based, phonics-focused early years provision, the impact of Oasis Nurture - its on-site therapeutic programme, and other tailored resource spaces supporting pupils with complex needs, carefully integrated into the mainstream offer.

Leanne Foulkes, Deputy Principal of Oasis Academy South Bank Primary, said:
“We were incredibly proud to welcome Minister Wiederkehr to Oasis Academy South Bank Primary. His visit provided an ample opportunity to showcase our dedication to supporting the whole child and our wider community, ensuring every pupil can thrive.”

The Minister also saw the academy’s adaptive teaching and blended learning in action through the Oasis Horizons programme, which equips every student with a personal iPad. This enables a combination of high-quality classroom teaching and accessible digital learning - adaptable for pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), ensuring every child can fully engage.

Christoph Wiederkehr, Austrian Minister for Education, said:
“It was inspiring to see how Oasis Academy South Bank Primary connects education with real, practical support for families. This holistic approach creates the conditions for children not just to learn, but to truly flourish in their community. There is much we can take from this model as we think about the future of education systems internationally.”

The academy’s strong focus on transitions and community engagement was also highlighted, with many pupils accessing Oasis led youth and sports clubs and progressing to Oasis Academy South Bank Secondary, just five minutes away.

Nathan Jones, Executive Director of Oasis Waterloo, explained how the Waterloo community space - one of Oasis’s 52 neighbourhoods across the country - brings education and community services together to support families, remove barriers to learning, and strengthen the local community.

Sonya Waller, Oasis Waterloo Family Support Coordinator, and Coretta Brown, Families Worker, showcased the academy’s wraparound provision, including debt advice, immigration support, and access to food and clothing, helping local families navigate cost-of-living pressures and enabling children to thrive.

Nathan Jones, Executive Director of Oasis Waterloo, said:
“Our Waterloo hub shows the power of bringing education and community together. By supporting our families as well as our children with the challenges many across the country are also facing, we’re removing barriers and enabling every young person, and every family to succeed.”

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to showcase Oasis’s community-led, holistic ethos, bringing together education, housing, health, and community services to create thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can belong, contribute, and reach their full potential - while contributing to wider conversations on global education policy and system change.