Neerim District Secondary College

Neerim District Secondary College is a small rural high school in Neerim South, Baw Baw, Victoria, Australia. The school accommodates Year 7–12 students from the local district. It opened in 1961.

School Profile 2020: "NDSC is a small, rural school of approximately 208 students and 30 staff. The school offers students an attractive, settled and inclusive environment with spacious grounds. Upgrades to the buildings at the school will begin this year and these will provide enhanced learning spaces for students. The community of Neerim South is aspirational and supportive of the school environment and teaching and learning programs. Confidence in the school and its future has seen a rise in student numbers over the last two years and many of these students from out- lying areas. This creates a strong impetus for NDSC to be competitive and provide a high-quality education for all students as well as enhancing the opportunities for our top students.

Our vision is to provide a point of need education for all students, maximising their ability to achieve the best possible outcomes. We see our school as a community that cares for and respects one another. We pride ourselves on staff working as a cohesive unit to support students and families to achieve their goals. We have high expectations for our students and believe that all students can achieve excellence in their educational pursuits.

NDSC is a Positive School Wide Behaviours school. The values developed by students, staff and the community include:

Community - We have a strong sense of belonging to the school community and welcome everyone. Respect - We have due regard for the feelings, wishes and/or rights of others. Perseverance - We admire and encourage others to continue to persevere in spite of barriers. Leadership – We strongly encourage students to undertake leadership roles but also to take on leadership behaviours. Fundamental to these values is a belief that everyone has something to contribute, hence tolerance and understanding are core to the way students and staff operate at NDSC.

The College has had a strong focus on improving literacy and has had some success with NAPLAN writing and reading growth. 2019 Year 9 benchmark growth was really strong in literacy and numeracy, placing us well above state and national levels. Our challenge is to maintain these levels and see consistent performance in VCE data.

All teachers are undertaking professional learning on classroom practice and we have adopted an agreed instructional framework. Professional learning is an aspect of every meeting we undertake in the school.

As we enter into the first year of our 4-year Strategic Plan, we will continue to drive improved literacy and numeracy outcomes for students; build teacher capacity through the implementation of an agreed instructional model; and to build student agency in their learning. Strong implementation plans are being developed to ensure that these goals are met."

From school profile in positions section of https://www.education.vic.gov.au/ October 2020

Junior Years 2021 Prospectus in PDF format: http://ndsc.vic.edu.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/Junior_Years_2021_Prospectus.pdf

Some History:

In July 2014 a former principal, Michaela Cole, took up the role of Principal of Officer Secondary College, which opened in January 2015.

In 1988 the school Shire Council started to provide Community Libraries, and soon after opened their library to both members of the school and local community every weekday and Saturdays. In 1988 a Distance Education (Telematics) Program began that linked five local Secondary Colleges. To provide vocational subjects, the school soon after opened a metal workshop and a machine room. In 1989, the school opened a physical education facility, and in 1995 the school opened a new gymnasium. Funds for these projects were raised by a joint effort including the College, the Primary School, and the Buln Buln Council. Also, the local community provided funding for the centre.