Principal's Report

Report from Westall 

Dear Westall Secondary College Community, 

It has been a very positive and productive start to the year. Our students have settled well into their learning routines, in line with feedback from teachers and sub-schools. Attendance has also started strongly, with an average of 88.4% across all year levels. Even more encouraging is that 41% of our students are attending at 95% or higher—well above the state average. Regular attendance plays a vital role in student success, and we appreciate the ongoing support from families in ensuring students attend school every day.

Across the school, there has been a strong focus on high-quality teaching and learning. Our staff continue to work closely together to refine their practice, with a particular emphasis this term on how teachers support students during lessons to build confidence and deepen understanding through the effective implementation of Guided Practice in our classrooms. We are also participating in a Department of Education initiative that supports positive, structured, and engaging classroom environments—ensuring all students can learn in a calm and supportive setting through the effective implementation of Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS).

Our students recently completed NAPLAN testing, approaching it with focus and maturity. The testing process ran smoothly, and we thank both students and staff for their efforts. We look forward to using the results to further strengthen our teaching programs and support student learning.

We are also excited to be involved in the “Teach the Teacher” program this year. This initiative gives students a genuine voice in their learning by working in partnership with teachers to share feedback and ideas. It is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen relationships and ensure student perspectives help shape classroom experiences.

Supporting every student to succeed remains a key priority. A range of targeted programs is already underway to support students who need additional help, particularly in literacy and numeracy. These include small-group learning and structured reading programs designed to build skills, confidence, and independence in learners.

Student wellbeing continues to be at the centre of our work. We are strengthening our whole-school approach to wellbeing to ensure all students feel safe, supported, and connected.

This includes planning for future improvements, such as a dedicated middle school approach, as well as our involvement in programs that support students from diverse backgrounds and help build strong connections with families.

Strong communication between home and school plays an important role in supporting each student’s learning and wellbeing. We encourage all families to regularly check Compass and their email for important updates, messages, and announcements. Compass also provides a valuable way for parents to stay informed, allowing you to track your child’s attendance data, view assessment results and progress, read teacher feedback, and stay up to date with achievements and other important information. Staying connected in this way helps ensure students are well supported both at school and at home. We also encourage families to read our school newsletter, which is published twice each term, as it provides a helpful overview of what is happening across the school and celebrates the achievements of our students.

Westall Secondary College  is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.

Our child safety framework includes policies, codes and procedures that explain how we support and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students and protect them from harm. These documents are available on our website: https://web.westallsc.vic.edu.au/college/reports-and-policies/

We are also committed to continuous improvement of our child safety framework. We are currently reviewing our child safety policies and practices to ensure they are up-to-date and effective.

Our students and families are important partners in this process. We welcome your feedback or ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing.

If you have any suggestions or comments, please email me directly on Jason.tickner@education.vic.gov.au 

With a new school council period commencing this week, I would like to welcome our new school council parent members: Minh Viet Le, Kayla Boulton, and Anjum Khan. Thank you to the incoming school council members for your willingness to serve. Your support and commitment are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to working with you.

An annual Department of Education requirement is to publish our Annual School Report, which is attached below.

Jason Tickner

Acting/ Principal

Westall Secondary College