Principal's Report

Acting Principal’s Update

As we reach the halfway point of Term 3, there continues to be a great deal happening across Westall Secondary College. Our school community continues to grow throughout the academic year, with enrolments now at approximately 674 students which is made up 620 mainstream students and 53 Westall English Language students.

There is also much to celebrate in our student outcomes. Our recent NAPLAN results continue to demonstrate strong student learning growth between Years 7 and 9. In particular, 83% of students achieved high or medium growth in Reading, 69% in Writing, and an outstanding 91% in Numeracy.

Our Numeracy results are particularly impressive, placing Westall Secondary College among the highest-performing schools in the state when compared with schools of a similar Student Family Occupation and Education (SFOE) profile. SFOE is a measure used by the Victorian Department of Education to identify the level of socio-educational advantage or disadvantage within a school community, allowing for more meaningful comparisons between schools with similar student cohorts. These results provide strong evidence that the work our teachers are doing every day is making a difference. The consistent implementation of our Explicit Direct Instruction Model (EDIM), together with targeted Numeracy and Literacy interventions for students requiring additional support, is having a positive impact on student learning and growth in Literacy and Numeracy.

With our 2026 Attitudes to School Survey data now finalised by the Department, there is also much to celebrate. The results show improvement across a number of important areas when compared with 2025, including effective teaching and cognitive engagement, teacher–student relationships, learner confidence, social engagement, attitudes to attendance, student voice, sense of connectedness and the management of bullying.

Two results that particularly stand out are the 10% increase in stimulated learning, rising from 65% in 2025 to 75% in 2026, and the improvement in students’ sense of connectedness to school, which increased from 64% to 71%. Stimulated learning reflects the extent to which students feel interested, challenged and engaged in their learning, while sense of connectedness relates to how strongly students feel they belong, are supported and feel connected to their school community. These improvements are encouraging and reflect the ongoing work across the College to strengthen teaching and learning, student engagement, relationships and wellbeing.

Student attendance remains a key priority at Westall Secondary College, with regular attendance strongly linked to improved learning, wellbeing and connection to school.

Encouragingly, our data suggests that students across the College are taking fewer days off. While attendance will generally trend down as the school year progresses, we have managed to slightly improve our overall attendance from key data points recorded during Term 2. Our current average attendance rate is 88.5%, placing us in a strong position to achieve our whole-school target of 88% by the end of 2026.

We believe the range of strategies introduced across the College, including closer monitoring, earlier follow-up, family engagement, targeted support and positive recognition through our Perfect Attendance No days Absent (PANDA) Awards, are having a positive impact.

Strong attendance works best when families and the school are on the same page. Parents and carers can support attendance by:

• Making school attendance the expectation and avoiding unnecessary days away from school.

• Supporting strong morning routines so students arrive on time and ready to learn.

• Contacting the school early if there are concerns or barriers affecting their child’s attendance so we can work together to provide support.

When students receive the same clear message from both home and school about the importance of attendance, they are far more likely to attend regularly and develop positive habits.

Our message remains simple: Every Day Counts, Every Day Matters.

Facilities and infrastructure improvements continue across Westall Secondary College through the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA). We are pleased to share that the major roofing, guttering, downpipe, fascia and stormwater works have now been completed, representing an important investment in the long-term condition and presentation of our College.

Painting works across Buildings A, B and C are continuing, while upgrades to the library sub-floor are also progressing. These improvements will help provide safer, more functional and more welcoming learning environments for our students and staff.

We appreciate the patience of our school community while these works are completed and look forward to seeing the benefits of these upgrades across the College.

In Term 4, Westall Secondary College will undertake its scheduled School Review as part of the Victorian Department of Education’s school improvement process. All Victorian government schools participate in a review every four years, providing an important opportunity to reflect on progress, examine student learning and wellbeing outcomes, evaluate the effectiveness of current practices and identify priorities for future improvement.

Our School Review will take place in November 2026, and as Acting Principal, I will lead the process at the school level, working closely with our leadership team, staff, School Council, students, families and the Department of Education throughout the review. The process will involve a detailed self-evaluation, analysis of a range of school data and evidence, and engagement with an independent school reviewer and review panel. The panel will also hear directly from a range of groups across our school community, including students, staff, parents and carers, School Council members and school leaders, ensuring that different perspectives and experiences are represented.

The findings from the review will help shape the future direction of Westall Secondary College and directly inform the development of our next School Strategic Plan for 2027–2030. We see this as an important opportunity to celebrate the progress and achievements of our College, while also identifying areas where we can continue to strengthen our practice and improve outcomes for every student.

For our VCE students, this is an important time of the year as we move closer to the trial examination period and ultimately the VCAA examinations. The work you put in now matters. Consistent study, regular revision, completing practice questions and seeking feedback from your teachers will help strengthen your knowledge and build confidence before exams.

An important part of your preparation from this point should be completing past examination papers under timed conditions. Having worked with senior students for many years, I have consistently seen that students who complete around 5–7 past exams as part of their preparation are generally better prepared, more confident and more familiar with the style, timing and demands of the final examinations than those who do not.

Equally important is finding the right balance between study and wellbeing. Effective preparation does not mean studying every available hour. Make time to step away from screens, get enough sleep, eat well, exercise and spend time doing things that help you recharge. Looking after yourself physically and mentally will help you maintain concentration, manage stress and study more effectively.

Remember also that you are not expected to navigate this period alone. Our VCE and senior teachers are there to support, assist and guide you through what can be a challenging but also exciting time. Ask questions, seek feedback, use the expertise of your teachers and take advantage of the support available to you.

Develop a clear and achievable study routine now, continue to attend every class and make the most of every learning opportunity. Stay focused, look after yourself, work consistently and give yourself the best possible preparation to finish the year strongly.

As always, thank you to our parents, carers and families for your ongoing support of the College. The strong partnership between home and school plays an important role in helping our students feel supported, connected and ready to learn. There is much to be proud of across Westall Secondary College, and I look forward to continuing to work together as we move through the second half of the term and towards the end of what has already been a very positive year.

 2026 Parent / Carer Opinion Survey:

WE WANT OUR PARENTS / CARERS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK! 

Our school is taking part in the annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey provided by the Department of Education, and we would value your feedback.

The survey gives families an opportunity to share their views about areas such as school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. While participation is optional, we strongly encourage all families to take part.

Your feedback is important and will help us identify areas for improvement, support staff professional learning and guide future school planning.

The survey will be open online from Monday 17 August to Friday 18 September 2026.

All families are invited to participate.

The survey:

• takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete

• can be completed at any convenient time

• can be accessed using a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone

• is available in English and a range of other languages, including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Translation guides are also available in a range of additional languages for parents and carers who may need support completing the English version of the survey. These translation guides are linked below this post for easy access.

Survey results will be shared with parents and carers through our annual reporting processes and published on the College website. In 2025, survey feedback also helped inform and validate priorities within our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP), particularly in strengthening student learning and wellbeing outcomes.

To complete the survey, parents and carers should visit

https://research.orima.com/parent and use the generic PIN 521278. Once logged in, please select Westall Secondary College from the list of schools.

We appreciate your time and encourage you to complete the survey. Your feedback helps us continue to improve our school and better support our students.

Please contact your child’s teacher or the school directly if you would like further information or assistance.

Mr Jason Tickner 

Acting Principal