Principal's Report
Strengthening teaching and learning across every classroom
This year, two of our key school improvement priorities have focused on strengthening teaching and learning across every classroom, while continuing to build positive and respectful learning environments. Together, these priorities support our goal of ensuring that every student is known, supported, and challenged to achieve their best.
Across Years 7–10, Learning Area teams have been reviewing curriculum resources and strengthening lesson planning through the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. This work is helping to ensure that students experience clear explanations, purposeful learning tasks, and regular opportunities to practise and apply new knowledge. When lessons are carefully planned and consistently delivered, students are better supported to build confidence, deepen understanding and make strong learning growth. Alongside this curriculum and teaching work, we have also been strengthening Positive Classroom Management Strategies. These strategies help create calm, predictable, and respectful classrooms where students understand expectations and are ready to learn. Staff professional learning has focused on how routines are explicitly taught and reinforced, so that students know what to do, how to participate and how to contribute positively to the learning environment. These two areas of work are closely connected. High-quality teaching is most effective when classrooms are orderly, respectful, and focused. Likewise, positive classroom routines are most powerful when they support engaging, well-structured learning. Together, they help students develop not only their academic knowledge, but also the habits and behaviours of respectful, resilient, and responsible learners.
To support ongoing improvement, staff have been participating in coaching, classroom drop-ins and Learning Walks linked to each Learning Area’s professional learning focus. These processes help teachers identify strong practice, reflect on what is working well and determine next steps for growth. Learning Walks have already highlighted many positive examples across the school, including clear lesson routines and effective strategies for gaining student attention respectfully and efficiently.
We are also seeing encouraging signs of progress in student feedback, including improvements in Effective Teaching Time, Emotional Awareness and Regulation, Stimulated Learning, Sense of Connectedness, and Effective Classroom Behaviour. This suggests that students are noticing the benefits of our improvement efforts.
Our next priority is to continue strengthening consistency across all classrooms by sharing effective practice, building staff capability, and reinforcing common expectations. This work reflects our ongoing commitment to creating safe, respectful, and productive classrooms where every student is supported to participate, learn, grow, and succeed.
Attendance, uniform and habits that help students succeed
At Doncaster Secondary College, we value the daily habits that help our students succeed. Two of these habits include attending school consistently and wearing the correct uniform. Both send a clear message that a child is ready to learn and a part of our community.
Regular attendance is one of the strongest foundations for learning. When students attend consistently, they build knowledge lesson by lesson, stay connected to teachers and peers, and develop routines that support long-term success. Missing school can make learning harder, as absences create gaps in understanding, confidence, and connection.
Our expectations around uniform are connected to this same purpose. Uniform is not just about appearance. It is about responsibility, respect and belonging. When students wear the correct uniform, they show that they understand and respect the shared expectations of our school community. They also practise organisation, self-discipline, and pride in being part of something larger than themselves.
These expectations prepare students for life beyond school. In workplaces, further study, apprenticeships, sporting teams and community settings, young people are expected to meet standards around attendance, punctuality, presentation, conduct, and effort. By helping students build these habits now, including the applications of consequences, we are preparing them to succeed in the wider world.
We also understand that families may sometimes experience difficulties with attendance or uniform. If this is the case, we encourage families to contact the school early so we can work together to provide support, remove barriers where possible, and help students stay connected and ready to learn. When home and school work together, students receive a clear and powerful message: your education matters, your choices matter, and we believe you are capable of meeting high expectations. Our goal is that students develop the habits, resilience, accountability, and sense of belonging that will help them thrive, at school, in work, and in life.
It is important to note that our students and families are doing a terrific job supporting strong attendance. Student attendance is currently at its highest level since 2019, which reflects the shared commitment of families, students, and staff to making every school day count.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Tickets Now on Sale!
Doncaster Secondary College’s spectacular musical production, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is almost here, and tickets are now on sale!
Step into a world of pure imagination as our incredibly talented students bring this chocolate-magical story to life on stage. Audiences can look forward to a colourful, energetic, and entertaining production filled with memorable characters, wonderful music, and plenty of theatrical magic. Performances will be held at 7:30pm on:
- Wednesday 29 July
- Thursday 30 July
- Friday 31 July – VIP Night
- Saturday 1 August
We warmly invite families, friends, and members of the wider school community to come along and support our amazing cast, crew, and production team. A school production is a wonderful celebration of student creativity, teamwork and confidence, and this year’s show promises to be a truly delicious theatrical experience.
Families can also purchase tickets in the PA Raffle when booking through TryBooking. The raffle winner will receive a beautiful painting by artist Carolyn Sroczynski, which is currently on display in the Main Office Foyer for those who would like to view it.
Tickets are available now via TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/DLCNR
Don’t miss your chance to join us for a night of imagination, excitement, and chocolate-filled fun!
We wish all students and families a safe, restful and enjoyable term break, and we look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready for a positive start to Term 3.
Glenn Morris
College Principal