Executive Team Report  

School Review

Thank you to all students, staff and families who supported our recent School review- whether it be through meeting with reviewers as part of a focus group or in our forums and focus groups earlier in the year. 

Every four years government schools are reviewed. Schools are reviewed by an externally appointed School reviewer, our School Council President and two external education specialists who act as Challenge Partners.  We are reviewed around our compliance to policies and procedures, our curriculum and assessment and finally our teaching and learning (Achievement) and Wellbeing and Engagement approaches. I am pleased to present that our feedback indicated that Koonung is performing extremely well in all of these categories.  Although our performances is ranked in the highest category, we still know that there is much work to continue to do in order to ensure that our students continue to achieve excellence academically, socially and emotionally. We are currently working on our next four year Strategic School Plan (SSP) which will be available on our College website early next year. 

While we were working through our review, we also received our Annual Performance Report. All Victorian Government schools receive an annual report on our performance on a range of student outcomes across the two categories of learning and wellbeing. 

The first Category is Learning Performance. This category uses measurements including VCE results, VCE completion, NAPLAN results (including growth from Year 7 to 9 as a key factor) and teacher judgements of student achievement. 

Koonung achieved the highest rating possible- High and Improving.

The second category is Wellbeing performance. this category measures attendance, and student perceptions to emotional awareness, how we manage bullying, school connectedness, stimulated learning and student voice. 

Koonung achieved the highest possible rating- High

These two categories are then combined to give the overall rating-

Buildings and Grounds Works

Koonung Secondary College is currently growing. Next year we anticipate our enrolment will be around 1250 students. Unfortunately, our main building project, the extension of the A block or new middle years building is not expected to begin until early next year. However, given the enrolment growth, we will be upgrading other amenities in order to support a safe learning environment for all of our students and prepare for 2025. We will be constructing a new Year 7 Locker bay and extending the current Year 7 locker bay in order to accommodate the Year 8 cohort in 2025. This will free up our corridors and mean more lockers out of corridors. We will also be constructing a new bicycle shed to support the increased use of bicycles by our students as their means of transport to school. 

Work was scheduled to begin in December on these projects with the aim to be ready for Day 1 of 2025. However, this work will now begin in November. This work will not impact on our curriculum program or the exam periods for VCE students or students in Years 9-11. Temporary fencing will be going up this week and we thank all students and families in advance for their support of these projects. 

Year 12 Graduation

November is the time we say both farewell and good luck to our graduating class of Year 12 students. We wish them all the best during the current VCE exam period, and also wish them all the best in their future endeavours. As they finished classes this term, they demonstrated and modelled to the rest of our school community maturity, determination and an overwhelming excited anticipation for their futures. Koonung has developed outstanding traditions in acknowledging the achievements of our Year 12 students as they finish school, including a graduation breakfast with students and families, followed by the whole School Assembly and culminating in the Graduation Dinner.

I want to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable journey everyone of our Year 12 students has undertaken. When they began as Year 7 students in 2019, we did not know that they would spend the majority of their time in the Middle Years learning from home behind a computer screen. To return to school in 2022 to begin their time in the Senior School and the complexities and challenges of the VCE or VCE VM is tricky enough, to do so while re-forming relationships and connections following the COVID disconnect made what they have achieved even more special. It is an achievement to complete the VCE and we are proud of how hard they have worked to not only achieve academically, but also socially and emotionally. Every student has embodied our school motto, "Excellence through Endeavour," by continually striving to reach their personal best. The effort they've put into their studies, the resilience they've shown in overcoming challenges, and the spirit of collaboration that has defined their time here has been truly inspiring.

As their principal, I have watched with admiration as they've developed and honed essential 21st-century skills—collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. These skills will undoubtedly serve them well as they navigate the diverse and dynamic paths that lie ahead. Whether they're pursuing further education, entering the workforce, or exploring other ventures, know that the qualities they’ve cultivated here will be their greatest assets.

Their teachers are immensely proud of all that they have achieved. We have seen them grow into confident, capable individuals ready to make their mark on the world. As they embark on this exciting new journey, they carry with them the lessons learned and the values upheld during their time at Koonung Secondary College.

We are so proud of not what only have they achieved in their time here at Koonung, but we are also proud of them. We are proud of the leaders and mentors that they have become for the rest of the students in the college, we are proud of their maturity and commitment to their studies and pathways, and we are proud of the mature adults that they have become.

On behalf of the whole College, we wish them all the best in their future endeavours and look forward to hearing of their future successes.

Subject selections and Curriculum in 2025

A big thank you to all students and families involved in the Pathways and subject selection process over the past few months. Discussions around passion, talents and interests and how they relate to a student's program and subject selections are vital and a key aspect of preparing our students for their future.  

At Koonung we run a student choice curriculum. Students are provided with a wide range of subjects, both at VCE level and in Years 9 and 10, and then select the subjects that support their pathways and interest. From those selections, we create the timetable for 2025. This past week, students have received their selections for 2025. While we are a large school, and we generally can run all subjects offered, the curriculum is based on student choice and as such the subjects that run, and where in the timetable, is based on student choice.  We are really pleased to be able to provide a wide breadth of curriculum in all domains (English, Languages, Science, Mathematics, Creative and Performing Arts, Humanities, Commerce, Health, VET, Sport and Physical Education, Information Technology and Materials Technology) while also supporting depth and student choice from Year 9 to 12. 

Vocal Soiree

Well done to all students and staff who performed in our last concert for the year. We finished on a high with multiple ensembles, bands and soloist performing in our vocal soiree. A night of talent, perseverance and collaboration, and ultimate great fun with good music. Well done to all involved. 

Year 7 Debating

Congratulations also to our teams of debaters in Year 7 for completing the first round of the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) Junior Debating competition. This is the first time Koonung has competed in the DAV competition since the onset of COVID so it was great to see our students begin so strongly with two wins from two debates. A big thank you to Koonung alumni, Bella Cidoni, who has come back to share her expertise and experience as our Debating Coach. 

College social media channels 

The College utilises social media to provide quick updates, interesting events, and lots of photos to our community.  We have one official Facebook page and three Instagram pages for members of our community to follow. 

FACEBOOK

OFFICIAL COLLEGE ACCOUNT

https://www.facebook.com/koonungsecondarycollege/

INSTAGRAM

OFFICIAL COLLEGE ACCOUNT

https://www.instagram.com/koonung.secondary.college/

LIBRARY ACCOUNT 

https://www.instagram.com/ksclibrary/

STUDENT LEADERS ACCOUNT

https://www.instagram.com/koonung_secondary_college/

ALUMNI PROGRAM SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

The Koonung Secondary College alumni program utilises social media to stay connect with alumni. 

FOLLOW THE ALUMNI PROGRAM ON SOCIAL.

Andrew McNeil

Principal

andrew.mcneil@education.vic.gov.au

Working bee thank you 

Thank you to our fantastic families who came to our working bee on the weekend and assisted with a general clean up of College grounds, including extensive weeding and mulching of various garden beds, as well as assisting with preparations for the ground works commencing at the college this week. We are very fortunate to have such an amazing parent cohort who are so supportive of all College events. 

Thank you to the following people:

Stace Kerr 

Business Manager