Message from the School Council President
Congratulations to all the performers at this term’s Musical and Music productions as well as to all the successful Sport, Debating and other teams. At our School Council meeting this month, student members Andy and Otis also delighted the Council with news of the highly successful Book Week activities and the work of various student leadership groups across the school. Well done everyone.
Our School Zone
One of the positive challenges of having a successful and popular school is demand for enrolments. The success of the school, and support from the school community, sees us arriving at a student population of approximately 1,300 pupils in 2025. This means that all our available learning spaces are full next year.
The School Council has, for a number of years, been advocating for attention to ensuring building provision meets the needs of a growing school population. In particular, School Council has been advocating for preserving open play-space for our young people to enjoy. The results of this can be seen in the Government’s investment in building a 4-story building rather than taking up all the available land with single story building. However, the School Council understands that as the school continues to grow in population, we need to ensure that the amenity available to students is maintained or enhanced.
For 2025 Year 7 enrolment, there are currently more than 260 students who have an entitlement to enrol at our school. We look forward to welcoming them at Orientation Day in Term 4. If this enrolment demand continued, there would be at least 1,500 students by the time those students graduate. This number does not account for the 5-15% demographic growth in the area predicted by the Department of Education or the effects of the Preston Activity Centre Plan of the State Government which will increase housing density.
The School Council has, for a number of years, requested the acquisition of additional land to house the classrooms that we need to accommodate our student population. These requests have not born fruit. Consequently, the School Council has written to the Minister for Education requesting a 20 per cent (20%) reduction in the School Zone. This would allow the school to reduce enrolment pressure.
It is a wonderful thing to be at an in-demand school with intense support from the local community. We need the Government to help us by either providing that additional space or by limiting the demand on places.
What can you do?
1. Many families recently received a letter in the mail about the Preston Activity Centre. You can provide your feedback on the link here. If you wish to make a comment about support for the growth of Preston High School so that we can continue to provide excellent and highly-regarded education to our local community, you can add those comments on Page 1 of the survey about "Infrastructure Needs". The survey and information is here:
Info - Preston (High Street) Activity Centre | Activity Centres | Engage Victoria
Survey - Have your say on our draft plans for Preston (High Street) | Activity Centres | Engage Victoria (closes 29 Sep)
2. Talk to and engage with your local political leaders about the issues that we face as an in-demand and popular school.
School Review
It was a privilege this term to represent the School Council on the Department of Education’s four-yearly School Review. This was an earnest, deep and immensely positive dive into school data and included meeting with focus groups and spending time in classes watching the wonderful teaching and learning environment.
Alongside the School’s own 10-year Strategic Plan that is in progress, the School Review will help us set the next four-year Department Plan for our school after the report is returned in Term 4.
Ms Anh Mai
School Council President.