Principal’s Overview

As Term 2 draws to a close, Kurunjang Secondary College has continued to focus on the important work of strengthening learning, engagement, curriculum planning, and whole-school improvement.

This has been a significant period for the college, with senior school examinations, the General Achievement Test, Year 10 examinations, curriculum planning aligned to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, and continued work to strengthen student learning habits and engagement.

The work of the college remains aligned to the School Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and the 2026 Annual Implementation Plan. Our focus continues to be on improving student learning growth, strengthening engagement and responsibility, and building a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment.

A key message throughout this term has been that school improvement is not one single initiative. It requires consistent attention to teaching practice, curriculum quality, student learning behaviours, attendance, wellbeing, staff collaboration, and family partnership. This continues to guide our work.

Senior School Examinations, Year 10 Examinations, and the GAT

The week beginning 9 June saw our Year 11 and Year 12 students undertake examinations. This was an important period for senior students as they demonstrated their learning, practised formal assessment conditions, and continued to build the study habits required for success in the senior years.

The week beginning 15 June included Year 10 examinations, supporting students to experience more formal assessment expectations and prepare for the increased demands of senior pathways.

On Tuesday 16 June, the college also supported students through the General Achievement Test, commonly known as the GAT. This was an important day for students undertaking a Unit 3 and 4 study, and required careful organisation, supervision, and support across the school.

I acknowledge the work of our staff in preparing students, coordinating examination processes, supervising assessments, and supporting students through this important period. These weeks require significant organisation, and I thank staff for their professionalism and care.

Curriculum Planning and Victorian Curriculum 2.0 Alignment

On Tuesday 16 June, while the GAT was taking place, staff participated in a full day of curriculum planning and alignment to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.

This was a highly productive day of professional work. Teaching teams worked across the college to review, refine, and strengthen curriculum documentation, with a focus on ensuring that our curriculum is coherent, realistic, appropriately sequenced and aligned to the required standards.

The day supported staff to engage deeply with curriculum expectations and to continue building shared understanding within and across learning areas. Staff feedback was very positive, with many commenting on how productive the day was and how valuable it was to have dedicated time for this important work.

The college also provided a coffee cart and donuts, which were brought to staff in the different areas where they were working across the school. This was a small but appreciated gesture of recognition for the significant work staff were undertaking. It contributed to a positive and collegial atmosphere throughout the day.

This curriculum work will continue beyond Term 2. The next stage will be to ensure that the planning completed by teams translates into consistent classroom practice, clear learning sequences, meaningful assessment, and stronger learning outcomes for students.

Teaching, Learning and Student Learning Habits

The college continues to embed the Kurunjang Secondary College Instructional Model, with a focus on predictable classroom routines, teacher clarity, explicit teaching, checks for understanding, retrieval practice, and opportunities for students to consolidate learning.

A key focus has been strengthening the Do Now / Retrieval Practice phase of lessons. This supports students to recall prior learning, activate key knowledge and build stronger long-term retention. This work aligns with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 and our broader commitment to evidence-informed teaching practice.

I have also continued to reinforce key messages with students and families about the importance of engagement in education and active participation in learning. Students are being reminded that learning does not only occur during class time. Regular revision, completion of homework, and the habit of taking books and learning materials home in school bags are important routines that support long-term retention of key knowledge and information.

These habits help students consolidate what they have learned, prepare for future learning and build confidence in their studies. They are particularly important as students move through assessment periods and prepare for the next stage of their learning.

Families also play an important role in supporting these routines by encouraging students to bring required materials home, complete homework, revise regularly and speak with teachers if they are unsure about expectations.

Our aim is to continue building a culture where students understand that effort, preparation, organisation, and regular revision are central to learning success.

Staff Recognition and Celebration

We are very pleased to acknowledge and congratulate staff members who have received a Recognition of Service Award for 40 years or more of service with the Department of Education.

We congratulate:

Mr Neil Bradbury
Mr Issam Kanaan
Mr Francis Szydlowski

This is a significant achievement and reflects decades of commitment to public education, students, colleagues, and school communities.

It was also pleasing to see this service recognised publicly in the Victorian Parliament. On Tuesday 2 June 2026, Steve McGhie MP, Member for Melton, congratulated Mr Bradbury, Mr Kanaan, and Mr Szydlowski in the Legislative Assembly for their 40 years of service and acknowledged their contribution to students, the community and public education in Victoria.

This recognition is a proud moment for Kurunjang Secondary College. Longstanding service of this kind is worthy of genuine celebration. It reminds us of the depth of experience within our staff and the sustained commitment many educators make to the lives and futures of young people.

On behalf of the College, we thank Mr Bradbury, Mr Kanaan and Mr Szydlowski for their remarkable service and contribution.

Farewell to Mr Robert Graham

At the end of Term 2, we will farewell Mr Robert Graham, our Music Coordinator, who has accepted a position at another school.

Mr Graham has made a valued contribution to the college through his work in music and through the opportunities he has helped provide for students to perform, build confidence, and participate in the life of the school.

It was wonderful to see this contribution reflected in the recent music concert, which was a great success. The concert was very well attended and showcased the talent, commitment, and enthusiasm of our students. Events such as this are important in celebrating student voice, creativity, and connection to school.

We thank Mr Graham for his contribution to Kurunjang Secondary College and wish him every success in his new role.

Student Engagement, Wellbeing, and Inclusion

Student engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion remain central to the work of the college. We continue to strengthen our approach through a multi-tiered system of support, with an emphasis on strong universal practices for all students and more targeted support where additional needs are identified.

The college continues to focus on attendance, punctuality, classroom readiness, respectful behaviour, and student responsibility. These areas are essential to creating the conditions for learning.

The Ready to Learn Room continues to support students who require time, structure and guidance to re-engage with learning. The focus remains on regulation, restoration, and readiness for learning, rather than punishment.

Our ongoing work is to ensure that students experience consistent expectations, predictable routines, and appropriate support across the school. This requires continued alignment between classroom practice, engagement systems, wellbeing support, and family communication.

Leadership, Professional Culture and Staff Development

The college continues to strengthen leadership clarity, professional culture, and team-based accountability.

Learning Area Leaders continue to play an important role in leading improvement within their teams. Current work is focused on curriculum planning, meeting routines, check-ins, follow-through, and collective responsibility.

The work with our key leaders is also supporting the college to strengthen agreed behaviours, build trust, improve team effectiveness, and develop a more consistent leadership culture.

As with any significant improvement process, the work requires clarity, persistence, and careful pacing. Our focus is to ensure that improvement work is meaningful, manageable, and connected directly to student learning and student engagement.

Transitions and Community Partnerships

The college continues to strengthen its approach to Year 6 into Year 7 transition. This remains an important strategic priority, particularly given the learning, engagement, and wellbeing needs of incoming cohorts.

We are continuing to explore stronger partnership work with key feeder primary schools, including Kurunjang Primary School. The purpose of this work is to improve shared understanding of student needs prior to transition, strengthen data-sharing processes, identify students requiring early support and build smoother transition practices.

This work is not only about enrolment. It is about ensuring students are better known, better supported and more ready for secondary school.

Key Priorities for the Next Phase

As we move into Term 3, the college will continue to focus on:

strengthening curriculum alignment to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.
embedding the Kurunjang Secondary College Instructional Model.
improving consistency in classroom routines, student learning habits, and expectations.
supporting students to revise regularly, complete homework and take greater responsibility for their learning.
strengthening attendance, punctuality, and engagement.
supporting middle leaders to lead improvement within their teams.
continuing to align wellbeing, inclusion and engagement supports through a multi-tiered approach.
ensuring workforce and resource planning remains sustainable and strategically focused.

The next phase of work will focus on implementation. This means continuing to move from planning to practice and ensuring that agreed approaches are visible in classrooms, team meetings, student support systems, and leadership routines.

College Building Works and Advocacy for Our Students

Families will have noticed that the southern part of the college, near the tennis courts, is currently under construction. Most of the ground works have now been completed, and the next phase will involve the laying of foundations for the new building.

This is an important and welcome step forward for Kurunjang Secondary College as we not only building, but creating the school of choice in the community. The current upgrade will provide new and improved learning spaces and will support the ongoing work we are doing to strengthen teaching, learning and student engagement across the college.

At the same time, it is important that our community understands the broader context. Kurunjang Secondary College was built in 1986 as a post-primary school, with facilities designed for a very different era of education. The college’s buildings have been formally rated as being in Poor condition. The condition categories used for school facilities include Good, Worn, Poor, and Unknown where an assessment has not been undertaken.

While we are grateful for the funding that has been allocated and for the works now underway, our school site has significant long-term infrastructure needs. A school of our size, serving the Melton community, requires facilities that support contemporary teaching, safe and inclusive learning environments, vocational and applied learning, technology-rich classrooms, and high expectations for every student.

The original 1980s post-primary design reflected a time when technical and trade offerings were delivered very differently. Our future must honour those practical and technical roots while also ensuring our students have access to modern academic, vocational, and digital learning environments. This includes spaces that support science, technology, digital fabrication, automotive engineering, VCE Vocational Major pathways, and the full range of learning opportunities our students need for the modern workforce.

Recent public reporting by the Victorian Auditor-General has raised important questions and data that shows why our community must continue to advocate for transparent, evidence-based, and needs-based investment. For example, published data shows that some schools with significantly smaller enrolments and stronger building condition ratings have received larger infrastructure allocations than Kurunjang Secondary College. One inner-west primary school with fewer than 350 students received more than $20 million in upgrade and expansion funding. Kurunjang Secondary College, by comparison, serves close to 900 students, has been rated in Poor condition, and has received $10.7 million for its current upgrade. However, our rating in not singular, as established state schools in the west, and particularly in Melton, have similar ratings.

Families and community members who feel strongly about school infrastructure may choose to make their views known to elected representatives in a respectful and constructive way. Our position as a college is simple: students in Melbourne’s outer west deserve learning environments that recognise the talents they bring today and expand what they are capable of tomorrow—reflecting their potential, their aspirations, and the importance of public education. Your advocacy is welcomed to continue this progress for all state schools in the west.

We will continue to work constructively with the Department of Education, the Victorian School Building Authority, and our local representatives to ensure Kurunjang Secondary College receives the facilities our students and staff need, not only for today, but for the decades ahead.

End of Term Acknowledgement

As we near the end of Term 2, I would like to acknowledge the work of our students, staff, and families.

Students have engaged in learning, assessment, and school life across a busy and demanding term. Staff have supported students through examinations, curriculum planning, professional learning and the daily work of teaching, wellbeing, and school operations. Families have continued to support the college through partnership, communication, and encouragement of their children.

I wish all students, staff, families, and members of our community a safe, restful, and positive term break. We look forward to welcoming students back for Term 3 and continuing the important work of learning, growth, and school improvement.

Warm regards,

Aylin Gökmen

Principal

Kurunjang Secondary College

URSTRONG Workshop

URSTRONG Friendship Tips for Teens Workshop