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Review Getting extra help

Teachers were extremely accessible and open to supporting students. Many subject clubs were ran by teachers including Maths Club, English Study and Science Club, where students could come in at lunchtime or after school and spend time with teachers going through problems or understanding content. It was a very open space, with lots of group work and one-on-one mentoring available. On top of that, the school had many other opportunities available for students who didn't want to pursue an academic pathway. The vocational department was exceptional at organising TAFE courses, internships, work placements, apprenticeships and certificates and qualifications that allowed students to move straight into full-time work after graduating. Overall, struggling students had a plethora of resources and support from both students and staff for academic and non-academic pathways.

Review Subject range and curiosity

The academic subjects were a bit limited in my senior years, and only covered the sciences and maths departments. However, my school offered plenty of diverse arts and creative subjects that many students elected to study and pursue. On top of that, my school made up for the limited academic diversity by offering plenty of opportunities and pathways to explore subjects that weren't offered, and this sparked a lot of engagement and curiosity amongst students about these pathways. There were over 75 different careers that students wanted to pursue by the time I graduated, and this was a direct result of the opportunities my school provided to explore diverse interests.

Review Would you recommend it?

I would recommend this school to others due to the quality of the teachers. While it didn't offer as much variety in senior subjects compared to larger schools in my time, the teachers I had were not only engaging and enjoyable, but taught me in a way that allowed me to achieve an adjusted 99.95 ATAR without any fancy subjects that are offered at other schools. On top of that, the school culture in senior grades was amazing, and my classmates developed strong bonds with each other and the teachers.

Review Chances to take part in the arts

I didn't engage in these subjects, but I had friends who did and I was a member of the music club. The opportunities to participate in arts programs were vast and diverse; the school promoted these subjects a lot and hosted many large events to showcase the creative talents of our students, such as expo nights and live music and art nights. The music department in particular was amazing; the teacher organised a music club where students could simply come along and play music with all the different instruments. My friends and I, along with the teacher, would often come down and play songs together and engage in our passion and hobby of music, which was a really great way to take a step back from the academic workload.

Review Coaching and chances to compete

My school worked extremely hard to organise interschool competitions for sports, and promoted these sports a lot. There was a lot of engagement amongst the cohorts, and even though my school didn't offer elite athlete programs or academies, we still placed within the top 4 for all our competitions. The team coaches were often PE teachers who specialised in their respective sports, and their dedication and commitment to the students on top of their regular teaching workload was admirable. Students of all athletic abilities were supported and encouraged to participate and get involved, and many students commented on their individual improvement after engaging with these sport teams.

Review Year 12 subject choices

In grade 12, I took Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English, and History. I chose these subjects because I was interested in pursuing a career in engineering, and these subjects aligned with the prerequisites for university engineering programs. I was also particularly good at Mathematics and Physics, which made them enjoyable to study. If I could change anything, I might have considered taking a subject like Economics to broaden my knowledge, but overall, I am satisfied with my choices as they helped me get into my desired university program.

Review Something only students would know

One unique aspect of the school that only students would know is the "Secret Staircase" tradition. There's a lesser-known staircase in the old building that students believe brings good luck if you walk up it before a big exam.

Review School culture

My school was strict when it came to enforcing serious rules as mentioned before, but a lot more relaxed in the classroom. Teachers were always happy to joke around and have a laugh with the students, but we always got the work done and got back on track if the conversations steered too far from the content. My school was definitely more modern than traditional, and students were a lot more relaxed and happy to support each other rather than compete with each other. I remember my friends and I would always organise large study groups to help everyone do their best for externals, when we could've just kept to ourselves and fought for the best ATAR. It was also easy to fit in with other groups; everyone was always open and welcoming and happy to hang out. New students in particular were treated like royalty; everyone wanted to get to know them and show them around and make them feel welcome and comfortable, which was really good to see.