Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning

Curiosity. Creativity. Collaboration.

At The Hamilton and Alexandra College our learning community encourages academic excellence and engagement of the whole person. We value curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.

The College curriculum is designed to provide our students with teaching and learning that challenges and changes their thinking and knowledge of the world. Learning should be transformational; it should be continuous and develop the whole person. Each student’s learning program is unique, and it is designed to give them agency and the opportunity to direct their own learning pathway. As a student moves through the school, the College curriculum is designed to enable each student to engage in foundational literacies, explore a broad range of subject interests and emerge from the VCE with the skills, knowledge and character that will equip them for the future. In this section I will provide an overview of our curriculum.

Learning Ecosystem: Three Entry Points

Our connected community at The Hamilton and Alexandra College ensures students are empowered to achieve their best. Students have three entry points for learning program:

Engage Program (Transition) Year 7
Explore Program (Breadth) Year 8-9
Emerge Program (Depth) Year 10-12

The Senior Years (10-12) offers students access to an academic curriculum program that allows depth and rigour in all areas of chosen study. Students emerge with strong foundations and a clear learning pathway. We seek the best for and from every student, and our emerge program celebrates this.

Our teachers employ best practice and work together to inspire our students and foster independent and active learning in their students, both inside and outside of the classroom. College students develop skills and knowledge that prepares them for a future world of work and equips them to be exemplary global citizens with strong personal values.
The Emerge program recognises that our students are young adults ready to take responsibility for their own personal learning. Choice and agency are important, and we have designed the Emerge program with that in mind. We invite you to partner with us as we work together, student, parent, and teacher on an exciting final three years of secondary schooling.
From Years 10-12, students are on a VCE pathway, and they create a program that allows them to achieve real depth in their learning. Students begin to specialise at Year 10, whilst exploring some options for their final two years of school. Prerequisite subjects prepare students for a diverse future of further study, work, and travel. Our students are guided by mentors, careers counsellors and our curriculum experts to make informed choices about the best learning program at College.
We have a team of excellent staff who are experts in their subject and are recognised by their colleagues at a state and national level. It is the passion that each teacher has for their subject that fosters deep learning and allows our students to do their very best.
From Year 10, students have options to complement their school based academic program with VETDSS programs – Vocation Education and Training. Furthermore, an extensive co-curricular program and an Outdoor Education Camps program allows students to experience the best of our local context, whilst making connections with learning opportunities at a state, national and global level.

Over the last few weeks our senior staff have been meeting with students and parents to discuss the subjects selected for 2023. It is important to us that each student has an academic program that meets the interests of the student, the specific learning needs and the pre-requisites that might be required for future study at university.

The senior staff enjoy this opportunity to get to know each student better and hear about their future ambitions and how a passion in a particular subject can help to define the learning program. Sometimes students and parents decide to change a course of study and we welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you.

Students going into Year 8 and 9 in 2023 have selected their Explore elective pathway subjects. Several of the subjects have been oversubscribed. We have a limit on some subjects due to safety and transport regulations. I will be in contact with students and parents this week about nominating alternative preferences for 2023. It is important to remember that the Explore program is about experiencing a breadth of subjects during your time at the College.If you are in Year 8 in 2023, please note that you will have access to these subjects in 2024.

We work hard to provide your first choice and to ensure you have a balanced program. I look forward to confirming your program for 2023.

For additional advice about subject selection please contact:

Head of VCE Studies: Mrs Rebekah Bonnett
Head of Senior Years: Miss Helen Reiher
Head of Middle Years: Mr Ben Hawthorne
Careers Practitioner: Year 10 Mrs Alison Churchill and VCE Mrs Louise Manifold
Head of VET Ms Matilda McGoon

Susan Bradbeer

Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning