Principal's Report

Education Week

This week is Education Week across Victoria. The theme for this year is 150 years of public education. This is a great opportunity to reflect on our own school’s history. 

In 1979 our school began life, with a small intake of foundation students and staff, as Melton Technical School. Originally only consisting of portable buildings, founding Principal Jack Cunningham and his school council worked hard to ensure permanent buildings were constructed. It was our privilege to host a reunion of students from this era a number of years ago where Jack spoke, and the fondness of the students of that era for the school, each other and its staff were evident. 

In the 1990’s there ceased to be a distinction between Technical Schools and High Schools. Melton Technical College was renamed Wilson Park Secondary College. Norm Simons became the principal during this time. From this point we offered the same curriculum as all government Secondary Colleges. In 1994 I was first employed at the school as a long-haired graduate teacher. I personally love catching up with students of that era, many of whom are now parents of our current students. They have a strong connection to the school, its staff and each other. 

In the early 2000’s the school was again renamed as Staughton College as Shayne Lakey become the principal. He started a major focus on school improvement that has carried through to the current day. When Shayne retired Jenny Malberg became the principal. She continued and widened this improvement work to make sure students had opportunities outside the classroom such as whole school productions. Both Shayne and Jenny led significant work in improving our facilities largely without major funding opportunities.  I was enormously grateful for the support and mentoring they both provided to myself and many other developing leaders at the school. Near the end of Jenny’s time as Principal we secured funding for, and built,  our outstanding Trade Training Centre. 

While I have been the principal we have continued our school improvement work. We have prioritised the development of learning, effort, respect, care and connection across our Staughton Family, particularly over the last few challenging years. I look forward to our next phase of development as a school including the exciting capital works recently announced in the state budget. This will significantly assist our ability to provide an excellent education for all of our students. 

The very brief history above mentions school names, principals and buildings. Our school is so much more than that. The power of our school is in our sense of community. It is in the connection of our students, parents and staff to each other across our Staughton Family. I am very grateful to have worked in this community for the last 28 years. I particularly cherish and the many relationships that I have developed over these years. I am energised and inspired by the work we do and excited to see what our next stage in the life of our school brings. 

Child safe

In response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse, all schools are required to implement minimum Child Safety Standards. At Staughton College, we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. We have fully implemented all of the standards, including a Child Safe Policy and Code of Conduct. Both of these documents can be found on our website. I will be regularly reminding our school community of these policies as part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care. 

DAVID LORD

Principal

We, at Staughton College, would like to show our respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is situated, of elders past and present. We extend a warm welcome to everyone who visits our school.