Learning

Junior School

Yr 7,8, 9

Students in Years 7 to 9 are part of the Glenroy College junior school. Classes for these students are centred around the College’s new multi-million dollar Junior School building, due to open in 2021. The junior sub-school has a dedicated Junior Coordinator as well as individual Year Level Leaders to support our students in their academic learning and personal wellbeing.

Year 7 and 8

Year 7 and 8 students are supported in their transition from Primary School to Secondary School through a core academic curriculum that includes English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Languages as well as a focused Personal Learning Program. They are introduced to our College values and encouraged to set personal learning goals.

Year 9

Year 9 is meaningful and challenging for students on both a personal and academic level. The College encourages students to make connections between the different areas of learning and to seek solutions by drawing on the full breadth of their studies. Core Subjects include English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Languages (Indonesian) & Health/PE.

Senior School

Yr 10,11, Yr 12 VCE & VCAL

Students in Years 10 to 12 are part of the Glenroy College Senior School structure, Classes for these year levels operate largely from the Senior School wing, a state-of-the art building with dedicated learning spaces for our senior students which opened in late 2020. The senior sub-school structure includes a Senior Coordinator and individual year level leaders. The College’s Careers Hub and Wellbeing Centre are also housed in the Senior School area to support the needs of our senior students.

Year 10

Year 10 offers pathways towards the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). The curriculum offers:

  • core academic subjects and electives for students interested in pursuing VCE; or
  • an Internship Program focusing on numeracy, literacy and personal development skills for students who prefer hands-on learning via VCAL.

The VCAL pathway is designed to particularly suit those Year 10 students who prefer to explore alternate career or study options of finding work, TAFE or Further Education and Training.

Year 11 and 12

Students generally choose between completing their VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) or their VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning).

For VCE, English is a compulsory subject and students can choose to study four other elective subjects across the learning domains of Science, Mathematics, Humanities, Technology, Health and Arts. VCE exams are held on-site at the College for our students.

VCAL is a hands-on option that gives students practical work-related experience and industry skills, often with a School Based Apprenticeship. Students also concentrate on developing literacy and numeracy skills and building personal skills that are important for life and work. The College runs a successful VCAL program and most students in the program work or attend TAFE two days a week.

Inclusion

Glenroy College is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for students with disabilities and special needs. The Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) is one of the supports available to help schools meet the needs of students.

Our Education Support Staff play an important role supporting our teachers and school with inclusive approaches to education, according to each student’s individual needs.

Team members provide one-on-one support in the classroom and work across the curriculum to help students in all key learning areas, with a special focus on literacy and numeracy.

Members of the inclusion team work closely with our students and their families to create an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Each semester individual goals are set and a student support group is established. This gives every student the support they need to achieve the best outcomes and learning experience during their time at Glenroy College. The support group also gives family members the opportunity to work with us to make decisions about their child’s education and to check their progress.

Glenroy College Inclusion Team Coordinator Vivian Vincitorio [contact us link] is always available to discuss any concerns or questions from families.

English as an Additional Language

Glenroy College students come from a rich mix of language backgrounds. The College operates an EAL (English as an Additional Language) Program across Years 7-12 to support those students. EAL support is determined by a variety of factors including student priority needs; teacher availability; and timetable flexibility.

The college offers three types of EAL curriculum delivery to our EAL students.

  1. Classroom Support
    EAL teacher accompanies student into the lesson and assists the student by modifying the lesson in progress, or working closely with the classroom teacher to modify the work. At times the EAL teacher team teaches with the classroom teacher to assist the EAL student(s).
  2. Withdrawal
    EAL teacher chooses to take the student(s) out of the mainstream class and provide tuition. (Either alternative or modified classroom work).
  3. EAL Timetabled Classes
    EAL teacher delivers curriculum/ support to a class of EAL students which is timetabled and runs concurrently with other subjects. At present this type of EAL class is offered in the Humanities and English Domain.

The EAL Program is reviewed yearly and therefore is subject to change. The number of students who qualify for EAL determines funding, staffing and ultimately program delivery. If you have any queries about the EAL program, please call the school and ask for the EAL Domain Leader.

Dani Gratz,
EAL Domain Leader

Numeracy

Glenroy College is committed to improving the mathematics skills of all our students. In Years 7-9, students take part in the Maths Pathway learning program. The Maths Pathway program builds skills at the point of need by assigning individualised learning modules to every student. Students then apply these skills in rich learning tasks that engage them in class-wide problem solving activities. This approach to numeracy in the junior years prioritises individual student growth and allows lessons to be differentiated to meet the needs of all students. It means high-performing students are not held back and lower-performing students are not left behind.

In Years 7-10, students undertake On Demand standardised testing. This is used with diagnostic data from Maths Pathway to help teachers plan teaching sequences. This practice is ground in a broader goal to ensure student data informs the teaching of numeracy at the College.

Glenroy College has also successfully introduced the Victorian Government’s Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support initiative (MYLNS). In 2021, some students in Years 8 and 10 (identified by assessment data) will receive targeted teaching support in pursuit of improved numeracy achievement outcomes.

Literacy

Improving literacy is a school-wide priority at Glenroy College. Literacy for Learning (LfL) forms a significant part of the College’s literacy approach. LfL is an explicit language approach which uses a range of strategies to develop students’ understanding of texts to help them read and write. The College is actively involved in the Language and Literacy for Learning (L3) collaboration initiative with local schools which works to build cohesive literacy practices across the schools.

The College also has a number of literacy supports for students who find reading and writing challenging. These include the Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support (MYLNS) program funded by the Department of Education and Training, and a targeted individual Literacy Support program for Year 7 and 8 students.

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