Child Safety & Wellbeing

The safety and wellbeing of young people is a priority at Pitta Patta Driving Academy.

The program is supported by Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, with adults working with young people required to hold current, verified Working with Children Checks.

We're also developing Academy-specific child safety procedures covering supervision, appropriate behaviour, privacy and reporting concerns.

Further information and relevant policies will be made available as these arrangements are finalised.

Every great team needs a few good Nuggets!

Our Nuggets are the affordable, sometimes slightly rough-around-the-edges cars that make Pitta Patta Driving Academy possible.

From our manual Hyundai Excel and automatic Ford Festiva to the donated Ford Focus and Volvo 240 Wagon, every Nugget has its own personality and purpose.

Students help prepare, maintain, design and personalise the cars, learning valuable skills along the way.

They're not just cars. They're part of the team!

One of our goals is to give young people the chance to experience grassroots motorsport without needing to own an expensive competition car.

We're starting with Khanacross, a timed motorsport activity where drivers navigate a marked course and build vehicle control, accuracy, and confidence.

Our Nuggets will give participants experience driving different types of vehicles, including manual and automatic cars.

Events are run under applicable motorsport regulations, with vehicle checks, safety requirements, and event officials.

We want young people to enjoy competing, improve their skills and learn to respect their vehicles, their teammates and everyone else at the event.

Motorsport needs a lot more people than just drivers.

Pitta Patta Driving Academy encourages young people to get involved in the many roles that make events possible, including marshalling, flagging, checkpoints, communications, administration and general event support.

Where eligible, participants can explore Motorsport Australia officiating pathways and gain practical experience alongside experienced officials.

It's a chance to learn responsibility, teamwork, and new skills while joining the wider motorsport community.

And you don't have to be behind the wheel to be part of the action.

In partnership with Kurnai College, young people are helping prepare our Volvo 240 Wagon for future charity rally activities, including events such as the Variety Bash.

The Volvo is also intended to support the wider Academy as an event-support vehicle, carrying equipment, shelter, and supplies for volunteers and officials.

The project gives students opportunities to get involved in vehicle preparation, mechanics, fundraising, design and event organisation.

One of Pitta Patta Driving Academy's long-term goals is to help young people become safer, more confident drivers.

Through hands-on vehicle experience, road safety awareness, and grassroots motorsport, participants can learn more about vehicle control, responsibility, and how different cars behave.

We also hope to develop a volunteer-supported learner-driver program in the future, helping young people who have difficulty accessing a suitable car or supervising driver to build their on-road driving experience.

This is a future stage of the Academy and is not yet operating.

Motorsport experience does not replace professional driving instruction or supervised on-road learner driving.