Assistant Principal (Years 11/12) Report

Ms Travis McIntosh

Report from Assistant Principal Year 11/12

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students of Westall,

Semester 1, 2026 is almost complete, with only two weeks remaining to finalise assessments, consolidate learning, and address any outstanding work needed to meet the requirements of your respective subjects. This culminates with mid-year practice exams for Year 11 VCE students and Structured Work Placement for VCE VM students — marking the halfway point of the school calendar year.

★ Attendance continues to be strong in senior school. As College Principal Jason Tickner has highlighted, attendance matters to overall academic achievement, mental health, and wellbeing. Keep it up!

For many senior school students, this is also a valuable time to attend open days at universities across Melbourne. Even if you have a particular institution in mind, it is worth exploring others — each university offers a unique and different experience. This follows two recent excursions: the VCE and Careers Expo and the Southeast Try a Trade Expo, so students should already be well informed about the variety of courses on offer.

VCAA Insights — Senior Secondary Education

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) recently published insights into senior secondary education that are worth sharing with our community:

Education for future success

Nearly 80% of Year 12 students go on to further study at TAFE or university immediately after school
More will study in subsequent years
More than 90% of new jobs in Victoria will require post-school qualifications (university or TAFE)

Why finish school?

Completing Year 12 sets you up for lifelong learning
You will be ready to keep learning as you navigate your career and career changes throughout your life
Continued education and training leads to higher-paying jobs and better health over a lifetime

What is TAFE?

TAFE delivers nationally-recognised VET courses with practical skills for industry
Provides Certificates, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, and Graduate Diplomas
Many students go to TAFE first, then university
16 TAFE institutes in Victoria
More than 80 post-school VET courses at TAFE are free

With all of this in mind, senior school students have a great opportunity to begin planning — if they haven’t already — what their next steps will look like after school.

Upcoming Opportunity — Access Education Mid-Year Lectures

Ms Vasilakis has kindly offered students undertaking a Unit 3 & 4 subject the opportunity to participate in Access Education Mid-Year Lectures. This online program will ensure students are on track to achieve their personal best and provide them with the tools needed for a head start into their final semester of high school. Students will also receive a bespoke set of notes written by the presenter, delivered in the mail prior to their lecture.

Please see Ms Vasilakis for further details.

Year 11 Students — Mid-Year Exam Preparation

Be sure to plan effectively for your mid-year exams, drawing on the skills taught in Study Space. A few key reminders:

Create a realistic study schedule and stick to it
Use the Pomodoro technique — focused bursts of study with short breaks
Put the phone away to keep your study environment free from distraction

Wishing all our senior students the very best as you make your final push to finish the semester strong.

Mr Travis McIntosh

Assistant Principal – Senior School

Westall Secondary College