Mooroolbark College

Mooroolbark College is a government secondary school situated in Victoria, Australia, near the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley. It has a student population of around 1,160 (fluctuates between 1,100 and 1,200, 1,200 being the max).

The school operates a "House" system across all year levels. Vertical homegroups allow senior students to provide leadership and role models for younger students.

College History

On Tuesday 6th February 1973, despite inclement weather, Mooroolbark High School opened with eighty-seven form one students and six portable classrooms, but most of all with purpose and direction. The continuing rapid growth in the immediate area meant that the existing schools could not cope with the rising number of students seeking to access high school education. Mooroolbark High School was built in four major stages over 10 years on a twenty two and a half acre site, which not long before had been part of the local JP’s dairy farm. Two main courtyards bordered by four permanent blocks of classrooms, a library and an administration block.

From 87 original students, the number grew to 618 by 1977, the year the school first ran form five with 64 students and staff of 37. The first form six class came into existence in 1979 when the student population reached 822 and the number of useable classrooms totalled 37. Fourteen subjects were offered. By 1983, in just ten years, the student population had rocketed to 955. In October 1982, six years after completion of the main buildings, the ECA Centre and the school buildings were officially opened. In 1985, more than 200 students enrolled at year seven and there were 55 HSC students. Further improvements were made to the exterior of the buildings and in 1992 the southern quadrangle was developed as a passive recreation area. The year1992 also saw the provision of a third computer laboratory and computerisation of the library system.

The 1990s saw a name change when Mooroolbark High School became Mooroolbark Heights Secondary College. In 1993, the school decided it would remain as a stand-alone year seven to 12 school, rather than merge to create a junior/senior mega-campus with two neighbouring schools. Along with the new name and decision to retain its individual status, came a new logo and new uniform. Gone were the green and brown uniforms. Navy and bottle green took over as the school colours. The student population grew to nearly 1300. A new technology wing was added to the college in 1999-2000 which, coupled with the department’s laptop program for teachers, ensured that the college was well equipped to handle the challenges of a rapidly developing technological world. The centre replaced many portables and cramped and dark rooms at the end of the arts block with modern, open well-resourced rooms, full of natural light. With the college charter providing the foundations on which the college moved forward, high standards, high expectations and success formed the building blocks for every program or initiative. With a dramatic rise in year seven numbers giving strong support to the new direction, the school became Mooroolbark College from the start of 2004. During 2004, with six other outer east schools, the college gained a multi-million dollar grant as a leading school to develop an eLearning Community. The college also accessed the Innovation and Excellence Project that enabled our students and teachers to work closely with students and teachers from our local feeder primary schools. The Red Earth Cluster was formed.

External links

• Official website