Assistant Principals' Report

End of Term Article

Term 1 has been a busy term filled with a wonderful range of events that have enabled our students to engage in career education, cultural understanding, interschool sport, Harmony Week and a range of year level based activities, including the Year 7 & 8 Alternate Program day, Year 9 Cluster Day, Year 10 Revive Day and Senior Student Alternative Program days. These events are significant in the way they provide opportunities for our students to develop positive relationships with their peers, build Personal and Social Capabilities and explore the ways they can engage with our broader school community and develop their knowledge of how to move into the world of work.  

Year 7 students embarked on their first Doncaster Secondary College camp adventure this term. Our staff enjoyed the opportunity to get to know our new students and were spoilt with some glorious weather.  Everyone on camp participated in a variety of exciting activities that challenges them and can contribute to personal growth. The camp program builds early connections for our students and positively influences a community where students feel valued and understood. 

Our Year 7 and 8 students also participated in a specialised learning program as part of Harmony week focusing on topics such as ‘Cultural Diversity’, ‘Stereotypes’, ‘Where do values come from?’ and ‘Learning from Positive Role Models’. Students were able to build both their self and social awareness as they considered different perspectives in the context of their own. This program enhances the learning students engage in as part of the Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning program, promoting students’ personal and social capabilities as well as encouraging inclusion.  

The Middle School Team this term has been focused on two areas of improvement, with a focus on how we support students with through the wellbeing multi-tiered approach. The wellbeing team have been consulting around the various engagement programs we deliver, and the key outcomes are how we monitor student participation and gain their feedback to ensure we are continuing meeting students evolving needs. The feedback from students demonstrated a need for continued forum-based consultation rather than surveys.  

The second area of focus was around students maintaining or having growth in their attendance and Progress reports. We have seen a 10% improvement for our Year 9’s in their attendance compared to this time last year, this is a really significant growth and something we are very proud of and have been celebrating with the year level. Our Year 10’s have been collaborating with the Middle School Teachers and the staff support team on demonstrating those positive learning behaviours associated with their Progress Reports and we are really pleased to see the number of students who have achieved Excelling across each of their subjects. The Middle School really values the learning partnership with students and parents and this has been effective in enabling the improvement in this space. We have concluded the term by wishing Ms. Vanessa Lattanzio all the best as she begins her maternity leave, we are very fortunate to Ms. Ramya Annavarapu & Mr. Tony Leung take over from Vanessa. Ramya Annavarapu will be the point of contact for students in Year 9 and Tony Leung will be the contact for year 10 students and families.  

Year 10 students have been engaging in Career Interviews as they prepare for Work Experience and VCE or VCE-VM. It’s an exciting time for our students as they have an opportunity to consider their strengths and interests and how that might translate into a career path. We encourage students and families to reach out to our Careers Team if they would like further information and support with this. We have held one Parent Evening this term, but more opportunities for students and families to learn and discuss their pathways will come in term 2 and 3, including the Subject Expo and the Careers Expo. 

In the Senior School this term we have been focused on building positive learning behaviours to support students to maximise their results. This means high expectations around attendance and work completion. Our Senior School staff have been working tirelessly to support students to build these strong work ethics which should translate to better outcomes and pathway options for our senior students, as it has in previous years. 

Attendance remains a focus of the whole school, but ramifications for low attendance in Senior School can be serious, so we encourage families to be mindful of the Department’s and the College’s expectations around this. These policies exist to support student development, not only academically but also socially and emotionally. Students are healthier and happier when they have the routine of school. Our Wellbeing Team is extensive and here to support students and families that need it to keep attendance percentages positive. 

Our 2025 Year 12 students have made a positive start to the year and should be praised for their efforts and commitments to improve and achieve their best. VCE rewards effort and if students are working to the best of their ability, they’re creating more opportunities for themselves in higher education and employment, so we encourage them to continue striving to do their best! Additionally, we have employed several Academic Advisors to work with our year 12 students to support them to maximise their results this year. We currently have eight students from 2024 who received 40+ study scores, working with our 2025 high achievers and in classrooms, to support them to achieve their goals. 

During the Senior School Improvement Team (SIT) meeting, we had an opportunity to hear more about student experiences with our processes – specifically the Academic Concern and At-Risk process which is designed to keep students on task and engaging with their work during class and at home. The student representatives discussed how they have found the clarity around Coursework Requirements and what is expected of them in each class, very helpful. They expressed that they have noticed an improvement in student engagement and motivation from previous years. This is very encouraging.  

Term 2 Victorian High-Ability Program 

In Term 2 we will have 28 students from the Junior School participating in the Victorian High-Ability program. Doncaster Secondary College is very proud of the students that have been selected in this Student Excellence Program, congratulations. 

The students have been selected by the Department of Education through a centrally managing process based on student academic performance. It uses a selection algorithm that is based on student achievement data to assess student ability and readiness to participate in the program. A combination of high NAPLAN scores and being one or more years ahead of their peers (based on teacher judgement data) indicates high ability. 

The Victorian High-Ability Program is an extension course that runs for one school term, where students meet with like-minded peers at neighbouring Victorian government schools through weekly virtual lessons studying either English or Mathematics.  The weekly virtual lessons occur during the school day and will be taught by expert Virtual School Victoria educators. 

Participating students will also be invited to a ‘Masterclass’, where they attend up to one full school day of activities. Participation in the Victorian High-Ability Program is free and is funded by the Victorian Government's new Student Excellence Program. You can read more about this initiative here: Student Excellence Program. 

Child Safety and Wellbeing at Doncaster Secondary College 

Doncaster Secondary College is committed to ensuring a child safe environment for all students. To build upon our existing practices, we have recently reviewed and updated the following policies and procedures available on the school website: 

Child Safety Policy 

Child Safety Reporting and Responding Obligations Procedure 

Child Safety Code of Conduct 

Complaints Policy 

Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy 

Bullying Prevention Policy 

Volunteers Policy 

Visitors Policy 

Digital Learning Policy  

We have also recently reviewed a number of our school’s child safety practices and have adopted and planned the following additional practices: 

All staff continue to receive child safety training at the beginning of each year and any new staff member (including Casual Relief Teachers or former students supporting sporting events and working as academic advisors) receive this training as part of their induction when they start with us at the school.  

We have updated communication protocols as part of the recently reviewed Child Safety Code of Conduct to make it clear that the Code applies to all physical and online environments during or outside of school hours as well as developing a Communication with School Staff Policy available on the school’s website. 

We have implemented a Private Vehicle Use protocol (please refer to our Private Vehicle Use Policy available on the school’s website) to cater for any circumstances where students are may need to be transported by members of staff as part of their official duties  

By the end of Term 2 we will be holding focus groups with small groups of students to: 

seek feedback on their classroom experiences from both a learning and wellbeing perspective unpack Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) results discuss any areas of the school or activities that make them feel less safe, and their ideas on how to improve.  

The Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning program has been strengthened across all year levels. 

Acceptable Use Agreements have been developed and will be shared with students and families once finalised. 

We welcome any feedback or queries in relation to any child safety related matters, policies and procedures. Please contact the office on 03 9848 4677 or doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au if you wish to discuss any of this further. 

We wish you a happy term break and hope our students enjoy this opportunity to rest, ready for term 2! 

Belinda, Wes, Elisha & Kristin