EDENHOPE COLLEGE

Edenhope College is a rural, isolated school in Edenhope, West Wimmera Shire, far-western Victoria, a town of about 1000 people, 400 kilometres from Melbourne
and Adelaide.

Facilities: Students at Edenhope College enjoy extensive top class facilities and grounds set on the edge of Lake Wallace. Edenhope Consolidated School and Edenhope Secondary College merged voluntarily in 1994 to create a Years Prep to 12 combined primary and secondary school. A multi–million dollar major upgrade was completed seven years ago, with all former buildings demolished to make way for new buildings. The Kowree Sports Centre provides an excellent venue for indoor activities, including a stadium, squash courts, a weights training room, and an outdoor swimming pool. It also has tennis courts and an oval. Interactive whiteboard technology rollout commenced in 2005 and installation in all classrooms across the college was completed early in 2007. A Connected Learning Environment was developed as the 2006 to 2008 Wimmera Cluster Phase 3 Leading Schools Fund (LSF) project with Murtoa and Warracknabeal Secondary Colleges, “meeting challenges and creating student options with ICT and a virtual environment”. Edenhope College now has extensive information and communications technology capability including five computer pods, three computer laboratories (one multimedia), three video conferencing setups (two multi-point) and mobile sets of wireless notebook computers. The college has specialist science, music, technology (metal, automotive, wood, textiles and foods), multimedia, photography and 2D and 3D art facilities. It has a pottery studio and a farm. The college has a Multisport Facility, a Building the Education Revolution – Economic Stimulus Package Primary Schools for the 21st Century and National School Pride building, as well as the Australian Government’s Edenhope Trade Training Centre and “Paddock to Plate” Project.

Curriculum: Curriculum provision is inclusive of all Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) domains (Key Learning Areas) and meets AusVELS requirements. Key features are: Early Years Literacy and Numeracy, Languages Other Than English — German, Years 9 and 10 elective program with access to Victorian Certificate of Education studies at Year 10 (including Vocational Education and Training in Schools studies), access to further vocational programs, including School-Based Apprenticeships, Structured Workplace Learning and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, Technology (Food, Textile, Automotive, Metal and Wood), Visual Arts (Multimedia, Photography, Ceramics and Painting), Performing Arts (Drama and Instrumental Music) and Animal/Agriculture Studies, utilising the college farm. Christian Religious Education (CRE) staffed by trained community volunteers is offered from Years Prep to 6 and Values Education is college-wide. Students are placed in home groups in the Junior School (Years Prep to 4), Middle School (Years 5 to 9) and Senior School (Years 10 to 12). Each sub-school has a student manager and teams of home group teachers. A key educational focus is powerful learning enabled by information and communications technologies (ICTs): integrating and embedding the use of digital/e-learning (electronic learning) resources and thinking tools in curriculum and assessment: The Advance Youth program (Year 9) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme — Bronze, Silver and Gold levels (Years 9 to 12) provide senior students with opportunities for community service and outdoor education.

Student welfare programs: The Student Wellbeing Team (student wellbeing manager, primary welfare officer, assistant primary welfare officers, integration aides, chaplain and secondary school nurse) and the Health and Physical Education Team run college-wide programs across the school year, including programs that focus on issues of self-esteem, anti-bullying, friendship, drug and alcohol education, learner driver education, mental health and cross-age mentoring.