Principal's Report

Report from Westall Secondary College Principal

Dear Westall Secondary College Community,

Welcome back for 2025. I hope everyone enjoyed a good summer holiday period. We have enjoyed a smooth start to 2025. The focus the first 2-3 weeks has been staff getting to know our students as people, building relationships and focusing on wellbeing. We are now working on getting to know our students as learners. Their literacy levels and domain-based knowledge and skills. This in turn allows staff to target teaching and supports at the appropriate level for each class and for each student.

The Education Department now equally weights learning and wellbeing and at Westall we have always done this and continue to do so. For Wellbeing our structure remains based on a sub school model. We have introduced a Brain Care curriculum at Year 7 and 8 and we have extended wellbeing programs and workshops further across Years 9-12. Staff wellbeing remains a focus with a Resilience Project Workshop this week (Care for Others) which will extend to students.

When staff and students are happy, engaged, feel safe and a sense of belonging, excellence in learning can follow. Across the board, our EDI model is evidence-based teaching and learning protocols based on cognitive science. In all classes we are constantly aiming for the “wobble zone” for every student. In 2025 Aim High is being relaunched including several students participating in the Education Department’s VHAP (Victorian High Abilities Program). For students needing extra support we have TLI, MYLNS, EAL support, Equity and Inclusion funding and a team of ES staff deployed across the school. A focus in our 2025 AIP (Annual Implementation Plan) is the structure and skill we deliver in this space.

Leading our staff team (98 staff) to lead our students (708 students) is the primary work of our SIT (School Improvement Team). This is a team of 13 staff. Principal and 3 Assistant Principals, Business Manager and 8 Leading Teachers/Learning Specialists. This team is commencing a 2-year leadership and coaching program with Internationally recognised Coaching, Development and Leadership consultant, Mark Oliver. We achieved our “High Performing” school rating from the Education Department in late 2024. We are driven to maintain this and to improve even further and we know that people are our greatest resource. The quality of our staff is the biggest school factor impacting student outcomes. I want to recognise our staff, their care and the willingness of our SIT to invest their time in this program.

Census date each year is 28th February which will provide us our official enrolment number and funding for 2025. We have 87 new Year 7’s that have added to our school total of 708. Included in this total are 130 ISP students. I have invited School Council members to consider School Facility projects over the next few months with a view to making decisions and committing funds before the end of the current financial year. Current ideas include new/refurbished student toilets, sports oval redevelopment, building/construction learning space and social garden areas around the school.

The governance purpose of School Council remains our core business. I want to thank members who finish their tenure with us today and encourage recruitment of potential new parent and community members to commence with us in March. Elections will only be held if interest exceeds positions.

WE NEED YOU!!!!!!!!!! 

I invite you as a parent of our beautiful school to please nominate to join our school council. Please call the school, 9546 3233 or email westall.sc@education.vic.gov.au and let us know you wish to nominate, and I will contact you. Meetings are only twice per term on a Thursday afternoon, 4:30pm to 5:30pm. You receive access to all the inside information on how the school runs and you drive and influence school decision making, such as the example listed here in identifying school improvement projects.

Child Safe Standards are a key operational and compliance reference point in every school to ensure we provide a safe environment for every student. Systems and protocols such as our recruitment processes, VIT requirements, wellbeing systems, mandatory reporting and communication of designated child safe officers all form part of this.

Two big whole school events I am looking forward to this term are the Annual Swimming Carnival scheduled for Friday 7th March at Noble Park Swimming Pool and our Harmony Day celebration and assembly scheduled for Friday 28th March.

Mr Tristan Lanarus

Principal