Trades

The Year 11 cohort has made an excellent start to the year and is settling in well to the expectations and routines of the Trades Department. As they adjust to the workshop environment, students are engaging positively with their structured subject work and showing growing confidence in all areas of the Trades workshops—some have even figured out where all the tools live, which is always a bonus.

Safety

At all times, we endeavour to provide a safe and supportive work environment for all students. In general, students are happy to adopt the safety standards we expect, and the new Year 11s are quickly learning the importance of working safely as part of their daily practice.

That said, many still need regular reminders to wear their safety glasses, masks, hearing protection, and any other required PPE. We would appreciate parents reinforcing the importance of these requirements at home so that safe habits become second nature—or at least become as automatic as checking their phone as soon as they get back into their dorm room.

Furnishing and Engineering Accounts

As students commence their major projects, Year 12s and soon the Year 11s, many are enthusiastically planning and preparing for the practical components of their coursework.

The Year 12s have shown strong initiative and a willingness to learn the processes involved in managing materials, design decisions, and workshop procedures.

To support students and reduce delays, the College is happy to purchase materials on your behalf for the Furnishing and Engineering projects. This approach has proven efficient, helping materials arrive promptly and allowing us to quickly correct ordering hiccups. (And yes, despite our best efforts, timber and steel suppliers still seem to work on a delivery schedule loosely based on the phases of the moon at times.)

Your support in helping students get organised early—with project ideas ready to go—greatly assists Trades staff in sourcing materials and keeping everyone moving forward.

Our process for sending out project accounts is outlined below to ensure families are informed at each stage and do not incur unexpected charges. Initially, a commencement account and a project confirmation slip will be sent home. Parents and guardians are asked to return the confirmation slip as soon as possible so students can begin work on their projects. Payment of the commencement account—50% of the estimated total project cost—is then required. Once the project is completed, a detailed final account will be sent out, with the remaining balance due before the project can be collected.

Mr Ben Elliott

Head of Trades