Vermont Secondary College is a large, single campus, co-educational school with a focus on innovative curriculum, high academic achievement and a broad co-curricular program.
The College values of Integrity, Respect and Excellence reflect our college ethos while the VSC Motto, ‘Lift Up Thine Eyes’, provides the moral purpose, philosophical guidance and academic framework for the college community. We aim to be progressive, forward thinking, positive and optimistic in our endeavours and interactions, constantly striving to improve both our own practice and the outcomes of the students whom we educate.
Our 2021 – 2024 Strategic Plan further emphasises this mission, and our purpose, through our three key goals:
Goal One: To improve Student Learning Achievement outcomes for all students
Goal Two: To improve student engagement through enhancing student voice and agency.
Goal Three: To improve student wellbeing and inclusion.
Vermont Secondary College promotes the achievement of excellence in a learning environment that is safe, caring and accepting of diversity. Our College is committed to the development of life-long learning skills that motivate and enable all students to achieve their individual goals and to make a positive contribution to their community.
We recognise that all staff, parents and members of the Vermont Secondary College community have an active role in contributing to the development of all students.
Vermont Secondary College is proud of its status as a high-performing neighbourhood state school. The goal of Vermont Secondary College is to draw on the qualities of the young people at the college and allow them to flourish in their areas of strength and to develop in areas of weakness. We strive to support all students to develop the ability to recognise and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, act creatively, engage fully with learning, contribute to community, develop high expectations for self, and handle challenging situations with resilience while responding effectively.
Vermont Secondary College is also proud of its proven record of academic achievement while preparing our young citizens for an increasingly diverse range of student learning and career pathways. The college is consistently ranked amongst the top non-selective State Secondary Colleges based on our VCE and NAPLAN test results which are consistently above State and ‘Like School’ levels of performance.
Vermont is an outstanding college in supporting students to achieve impressive VCE results and access tertiary pathways in high numbers. In 2023:-
- our Dux with a study score of 99.75 closely followed by our second ranked student with a 99.55 and third ranking with a 99.3. In total six students scored over 99, with 30 students scoring over 95.
- 65 students, of a cohort of 236, received a study score of 90 and above, placing them in the top 10% of the state. This is 27.54% of our student cohort.
- 122 students, of a cohort of 236, received a study score of 80 and above, placing them in the top 20% of the state. This is an amazing 51.69% of our student cohort.
- 166 students, of a cohort of 236, received a study score of 70 and above, placing them in the top 30% of the state. This is 70.34% of our student cohort.
- 210 students, of a cohort of 236, received a study score of 60 and above, placing them in the top 40% of the state. This is 88.98% of our student cohort.
An outstanding result from our 2023 VCE cohort and staff in light of their Year 9 and 10 classes being taught predominantly via remote learning and major disruptions in 2022 Year 11 with significant ongoing COVID related staff and student illness.
Aligned with achieving our strategic goals the college has, over time, implemented a house structure, Learning Enrichment & Extension Program (LEEP) at Years 7 to 9, a four period day and a fully supported student leadership model with a structured, distributed leadership team (the School Improvement Team) to oversee this change and innovation. Purpose built facilities on site include a Library, Music Centre, Year 7 and Year 8 Centre, VCE hub, and the Fallon Centre, a flexible learning space with a 250 seat auditorium. In 2017 we opened a $2.7 million purpose-built Senior Science/Maths complex and in 2019 a $4.873 million C-block comprising 10 classrooms, two science labs/classrooms, two IT labs/classrooms, five general purpose classrooms with operable walls, a language staffroom and student toilets. We are now planning for a new purpose built double gymnasium with building works to start early in 2024.
The College makes a feature of encouraging, recognising and celebrating outstanding performance of students academically and in the areas of leadership and co-curricular participation. The College’s comprehensive range of co-curricular activities, including our acclaimed instrumental music, choral and performing arts program, supports the growth of students into confident, successful and contributing citizens. The College is also a premier sporting school, with many students competing at a local, district, state, national level and international level.
Our Grade 6 to Year 7 Transition program ensures that students new to the College feel welcome, comfortable and secure in the purpose built Year 7 Learning Centre. This combined with the supportive House structure contributes significantly to a smooth, safe transition into secondary school.
Vermont Secondary College views education as a partnership and values the active support and participation of parents in a wide range of college activities and decision making groups. We enjoy an exceptionally high level of parental support and firmly believe the educational needs of children are best served in an environment where students, parents and teachers are involved in the decision making process.
The educational needs of children are best served in an environment where parents feel part of the college community.
"Vermont Secondary College's true worth lies in its ability to help the children grow as people, not just as students" (Parent)
Welcome to Vermont Secondary College,
Tony Jacobs
Principal