Orbost Community College

Orbost Community College is the name of the new P–12 college in Orbost.

The new name is inclusive, reflects the College’s community connections and embraces all year levels. Public consultation by the Orbost District Education Committee attracted strong community interest and provided valuable insights.

The best parts of all 3 schools will be merged to create the new school.

The new school leadership will continue to make decisions about teaching and learning practices, year level groupings and school culture.

The school will continue to focus on supporting the needs of Orbost and the surrounding communities.

The working party consists of principals and school council members representing their 3 school communities. It was formed in 2019, but the schools have been working together for many years and meeting regularly to discuss the current and future needs of their students and schools. The working party developed the proposal for the schools to merge as its conversations focused on the best use of current facilities, the retention of staff and the curriculum available to all students.

By coming together on one site, and building on the already strong, collaborative relationships of the schools, students will have more subject choices and teachers. Educators will receive more opportunities for professional learning and development. We can build on the work already achieved to create a new P–12 college and support the local community to see greater educational outcomes for students.

The merger was driven by the schools and school councils and proposed after significant consideration. This included multiple site visits to other P–12 schools throughout 2019. The 3 school councils passed a motion for the merger at the end of 2019.

The site was chosen by the working party, in partnership with the Department of Education, for its size, location, and centrality for the school community. The site is the largest of the 3 schools in the regeneration project and will provide all students with more subject choice and a wider range of facilities. It will support students as they transition between primary and secondary learning by building earlier, closer relationships between students, staff and educators.

Funding from the 2021–22 State Budget will provide the facilities needed at the new site for students from all the schools to come together and learn successfully.

Students will receive greater access to subjects that weren’t available due to lower student numbers or lack of resources, facilities, and staff. It means being part of a wider network and school community. There will be closer connections between students and staff, and better transition and wellbeing support as students move from primary to secondary learning.

Staff will gain opportunities for greater professional learning and development. They will begin working with individual students earlier, allowing them to better understand their learning needs. A shared approach to teaching and learning will help staff learn and grow from one another.

The merger was driven by 3 school communities working together to ensure Orbost students and families had access to greater educational opportunities. Having primary and secondary years on the one site will encourage parents, families, and carers to come together across multiple age ranges and help build a stronger school community. Families will gain a greater understanding of their child’s learning and achievements through a unified curriculum and have closer access to staff and teachers.

Parents and carers are encouraged to approach their child’s principal to ask questions and provide feedback at any time during the process. Parents and carers are also welcome to contact the VSBA directly to ask about the project.

Each school works closely with their Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESOs) and is guided by their expertise to provide the best culturally sensitive practices. Their expertise will guide engagement with traditional owner groups during the merger.

The leadership teams of the 3 schools are part of a working party who represent the schools and their needs. The Department of Education is working with the architect and principals to make sure the school communities are informed and updated on the project.

In partnership with the wider Department of Education, the VSBA will continue to support the 3 schools and the working party to understand the next steps. Together, we will provide the community with clear communications and updates. This will include updates and timelines as we design and build the new P-12 College. We will ensure all staff, students, parents, families, and carers are involved throughout this merger and will soon release a business plan developed by the working party.

Now that funding has been announced, we will work with the schools to develop a master plan for the new college. This work will involve the support of staff, students, parents, families, and carers to shape the future of the school.

A master plan is a long-term planning document. It gives us a better understanding of the land and buildings, and how the site could be developed to best meet student and school needs.

The architect will work with relevant stakeholders for 8 to 10 weeks to develop the master plan.

After the master plan has been finalised and approved, the architects will develop more advanced designs for the new P–12 college.

Throughout, the architects will continue to work with the working party, each school's leadership team and VSBA project managers. The design needs to be within the scope of works agreed in the master plan.