Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus

Sydney Secondary College
Leichhardt Campus

Quality, Opportunity, Diversity
Location
Sydney, NSW
Australia
Coordinates 33°52′44.5″S 151°9′33.24″E / 33.879028°S 151.1592333°ECoordinates: 33°52′44.5″S 151°9′33.24″E / 33.879028°S 151.1592333°E
Information
Type Public partially selective
Established 2002
Principal Melinda Bright
Deputy Principals David Allen &
James McMaster
Enrolment ~666 (2012)
Colour(s) Blue and grey
Website School site

Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus is a coeducational, partially academically selective junior high school, located in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Leichhardt, in the Australian state of New South Wales. Together with the senior school at the Blackwattle Bay Campus and the other junior school at Balmain Campus, the school is part of the Sydney Secondary College.

History

Prior to 2002, the school was known as Leichhardt High School. Established in an area with a large number of migrant families, particularly from Mediterranenan backgrounds, the school has long been known for its diversity of cultural backgrounds. This led to focused funding and pedagogical approaches towards non-English speaking background students.[1]

Declining enrolments at the school, together with a push towards multi-campus colleges (i.e., also including the later established Northern Beaches Secondary College and Georges River College among others) led to the establishment of Sydney Secondary College in 2002. In the first year after establishment, the College had a combined enrolment of 1800, up from 1250 in 2001.[2]

From 2011 onwards, as part of the Smarter Schools National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality, the school was involved in an alliance with the Balmain Campus and Campus of the Georges River College as a Centre for Excellence.[3] The schools within the alliance shared resources and professional development opportunities to promote and sustain quality teaching, in regards to engagement, the building of partnerships within school communities and professional development. Among other areas, the Leichhardt Campus chose to focus particularly on the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander students. They teach their students mainly respect and responsibility. The community always report to the school about how all the students of Leichhardt are well behaved.

Facilities

Lostock

The campus maintains a property, known as Lostock, about 60km north of Maitland in the Hunter Valley along the Paterson River. The property is used for school excursions and camps, and also provides facilities for families of staff and students as a "weekender". The property is home to an abundance of wildlife, including wombat and platypus colonies.[4]

Notable alumni

Proposals for extension

Leichhardt Council has proposed that two heritage former tramway buildings, situated next to the school, be handed over and made into a performing arts centre for the students. The school supports the handover, but the government is unwilling to allow access to the buildings.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Unknown (18 August 1977). "Brighter Future for Inner City Children". Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ↑ Linda Doherty (15 October 2003). "Class conscious send children to public school with a view". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Centre for Excellence Plan" (PDF). Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Lostock School Camp". Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Jane Southward (31 January 1988). "Don't Muck up! - Jeff Fenech". Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ↑ "Expand Leichhardt High". Retrieved 24 July 2013.