Principal's Report

Principal’s Report - July 2026

It has been a positive start to Term 3 at Brentwood following the school holidays, with students returning settled, focused and ready to learn. 

Strengthening Learning Routines 

It has been pleasing to see students and teachers continue to embed our whole-school learning routines at the beginning of lessons and when teachers cue students' attention. 

The purpose of these routines is to maximise learning time by ensuring every lesson begins calmly, purposefully and with clear expectations. By establishing consistent classroom routines, students know exactly what is expected of them as they enter each lesson. This reduces unnecessary cognitive load, allowing them to devote more of their thinking to the learning itself, including the lesson's 'Do Now' activity. 

It has been particularly encouraging to see our ENTER routine becoming well established across classrooms. Throughout Term 3 we will continue to refine these practices so they become automatic habits for both students and staff. 

Teachers are also continuing to strengthen students' focus during lessons through the implementation of our FOCUS routine. While Brentwood classrooms are already orderly and productive learning environments, a consistent approach across every classroom helps students direct their attention to the most important information, supporting deeper learning and improved engagement. 

Below is an overview of our ENTER and FOCUS routines. 

Year 11 Central Australia Camp 

The annual Central Australia Camp has been a valued Brentwood tradition for more than 50 years. Once again, our Year 11 students had the opportunity to experience the remarkable landscapes of Central Australia while developing a deeper understanding of Australia's Aboriginal cultures, histories and connections to Country. 

Experiences such as these create lasting memories while fostering independence, resilience and cultural understanding. 

We sincerely thank the staff who dedicated their time and energy to planning and leading this year's camp: Ms Scipione, Ms Qiu, Mr McLaughlan, Mr Van Ginneken, Ms Ozga, Mr Gekas and Ms Green. Their commitment ensured another highly successful experience for our students. 

Pathways and Subject Selection 

Students across Years 8–11 have been actively engaged in planning their 2027 subject selections and future pathways. It has been wonderful to see so many students discussing their options with classroom teachers, ASPIRE teachers, the Pathways Team and their families. 

This year, the Pathways Team has continued to expand the information and support available to families, particularly for our Year 10 students as they prepare to commence their VCE journey in 2027. 

Earlier this week, every Year 10 student and their parent/carer participated in an individual course counselling appointment with key staff. The quality of these conversations and the engagement from families was outstanding. We hope these discussions have provided students with greater confidence in selecting a pathway that will both challenge them and enable them to achieve success. 

Thank you to all staff who generously gave their time to support families during these interviews. 

Another significant development this year has been the introduction of the OPTICK student dashboard. OPTICK provides students and parents with a comprehensive overview of each student's progress and readiness for future pathways, including Advanced Placement opportunities. 

We encourage Year 10 students to explore their dashboard with their parents and carers. It provides valuable information including attendance, assessment performance, Morrisby career profiling, Learner Behaviours, Mathematics and English pathway recommendations, and Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) results. Together, these indicators support informed conversations about future pathways and help students understand the importance of maintaining consistent effort throughout Years 7–10. 

Performing Arts Camp and The Addams Family 

Last week our cast and production staff attended the annual Performing Arts Camp at Portsea. The camp provides an invaluable opportunity for students to rehearse intensively while building the strong relationships that contribute to an outstanding production. 

By all accounts, the camp was a tremendous success, with rehearsals making excellent progress. We are eagerly looking forward to seeing our talented students perform The Addams Family from 19–22 August. 

If you haven't already secured your tickets, we encourage you to do so—you won't be disappointed! 

Year 7 and 8 Locker Bays 

Student voice continues to play an important role in improving our facilities. Through previous student forums, students identified locker areas as a priority for improvement. 

Over recent years we have progressively upgraded and expanded locker facilities across the College. During the holiday break, our Maintenance Team completed a significant refurbishment of the Year 7 and 8 locker bays, including resealing the floors, repainting the walls and ceilings, and installing brand new lockers. 

The refurbished spaces provide a fresh, welcoming environment, and we hope our students enjoy these improved facilities. 

Pupil-Free Day – Tuesday 28 July 

A reminder that Tuesday 28 July is a pupil-free day. 

On this day, all staff will participate in professional learning led by Phil Coloca, an experienced educational consultant and former Principal in Residence at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. 

Phil will work with staff to deepen our understanding of the latest research in the Science of Learning and continue building our collective expertise in evidence-informed teaching practices. This professional learning forms part of our ongoing commitment to continually improving classroom practice and achieving the best possible learning outcomes for every Brentwood student. 

John Ballagh

Principal