Secondary schools adapt to keep VCE students on track

THE reintroduction of Stage 3 restrictions and subsequent return of homeschooling ahead of exams has presented VCE staff and students with several challenges.

Exams have been pushed back to start on November 10, with the General Achievement Test (GAT) also rescheduled for October 7.

Furthermore, the state government clarified last month that the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) would consider disruptions to students’ learning caused by COVID-19 when calculating Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) scores.

Premier Daniel Andrews sought to assure students any disadvantages experienced by the pandemic would be accounted for.

“My message to VCE students is clear: you concentrate on doing your best, and we’ll take care of everything else.”

Yet secondary schools have still had to quickly adapt to meet students’ needs.

Surf Coast Secondary College acting principal Tamara Stubley said schools and departments have co-operated to ensure all students get the help they need.

“One of the key learnings is that we’re not doing anything in isolation. We’re very much working closely with the Department (of Education and Training Victoria) but also other schools in the area to make sure the kids are being supported in the best way possible,” Ms Stubley said.

“We’re in the process right now of working with the Department to provide a whole lot of revision lectures. For any student doing a Year 12 subject, there’s about 13-weeks of revision lectures that they can access.”

Grovedale College assistant principal Tania McKew agreed there had been great solidarity among schools.

“We’re all in this together. That has never been more true,” Ms McKew said.

“There’s a lot of resources out there and we want to make sure students are well supported and have access to all of them.”

Ms McKew said Grovedale College had a “strong wellbeing focus” and were closely monitoring its students’ mental wellness in addition to their academic progression.

The college is ensuring each student has daily contact with teachers and is also continuing homegroup classes.

Ms Stubley said Surf Coast Secondary College was also mindful of their students’ mental health.

“We’ve got what we call mentor teachers where every student across the school is connected to an adult who they built that relationship with and check in with on a regular basis. It’s ensuring not only they are travelling along academically, but also checking on their wellbeing. These mentor teachers also teach the kids, so they’re teachers that the kids know,” Ms Stubley said.

“From someone whose come from outside the region into this area, it’s pretty impressive that there’s a number of support mechanisms that are in place to make sure the kids and staff and families are tracking okay.”

Ms Stubley noted the school was similarly supporting its teachers through lockdown

“We as a whole staff touch base at least two times a week just to bring everyone together just to say ‘hi’ and have a bit of a joke,” she said.

“The Department has released a whole lot of tools for staff to support them during this time as well.

“From my perspective, I’ve felt nothing but supported. You certainly don’t feel isolated and certainly don’t feel like you’re alone.”