WELLINGTON SECONDARY SCHOOL

30th Okt 2007

I am very happy to go out to the school given to me and my partner (Mr Pesol Saad) for mentor shadowing program. Given below is the school overview, taken from the school's website. Before we share our experience, I think it is good for everyone to have some ideas about the school that we visit. This school is one of the successful cluster schools, being implemented and practiced in Australia.

Junior School Centre

Western Courtyard planting

SCHOOL OVERVIEW:
Name: Wellington Secondary School
Address:  91 Police Road,
                 Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia 3170

Wellington Secondary School is a large co-educational state secondary school located in the City of Monash, approximately 24 kilometres to the south east of the CBD of Melbourne. It provides programs for

 secondary school aged students from Years 7-12.

The school has maintained a strong student enrolment of over 1000 students since 1992. In the last three years the enrolments have increased to over 1300 students. The ethnic mix of its students reflects the multicultural nature of the surrounding area, one of the most diverse in Melbourne.

Additional to the local enrolment, the school has a strong international student program of over 80 students, largely from China and Vietnam.

The School provides a quality educational program to the Mulgrave, Springvale, Noble Park, Dandenong North, Keysborough, Westall and surrounding communities. Wellington SC enjoys a very positive reputation in this local community. It has well established traditions, the students and their families are generally aspiring and students are inculcated with the culture of the school’s motto, the "Wellington Way". Retention of students at WSS is very strong. Academic success is expected and high standards of behaviour required. Students usually remain enrolled for the duration of their secondary education, except where the family relocates.

To accommodate the varied interests of the students Wellington offers an extensive co-curricular program: musical ensembles & bands, inter-house and the inter school sports and cultural competitions, a theatrical production, a presentation ball, social service activities, the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, Tournament Of Minds and special interest clubs.

New Science Labs

The school opened in 1973 with 5 permanent brick wings set around two large courtyards with a central library. Due to an expanded enrolment, the permanent facilities are supplemented with twenty relocatable classrooms. The facilities are generally excellent and well maintained. A major building programme including two new gymnasia, a performing Arts complex (including a 288 seat theatre), remodelled Visual Arts, Technology and Science blocks was completed in late 2010. Wellington Secondary College has recently undergone a $10 million buildings and grounds upgrade. This has included:


24 refurbished General Purpose Classrooms

2 new Gymnasiums
A new Performing Arts Centre including a 288 seat theatre
A new Visual Arts block
New Technology Complexes
A new Science & Language Centre
A new Canteen
Landscaping

The College employs approximately 140 staff with an effective full time teaching staff of 100 and a large support staff of 40, including 2 multicultural aides, a college nurse, a welfare coordinator and a careers counsellor.