The School’s Strategic Plan (SSP) 2016 -2019 prioritises “Excellence in Teaching and Learning” and a “Positive Climate for Learning”. This is to be achieved through the provision of a challenging and differentiated curriculum which caters for the individual learning needs of all students; builds confident, independent learners; provides a stimulating learning environment that enables the full engagement of all students in their learning; and develops productive leadership in the college and broader community; along with a safe and secure learning environment that fosters high levels of personal resilience and promotes empathy and inclusiveness in all students.
Keilor Downs College has a strong record of achievement in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and provides a broad range of VCE subjects. The numbers of students achieving ATAR scores over 90 has increased strongly in recent years along with the percentage of students accessing University. The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is delivered at both the Intermediate and Senior level, with a strong Pathways counselling and support process implemented from Year 10.
The college also participates in a local Vocational Education & Training (VET) cluster, to enhance the choices available to students by sharing VET classes and provides Cert II Hospitality and Cert II Building & Construction on site. The latter is delivered in a specifically constructed Trade Training Centre (TTC), which is one of three facilities built as a joint project across colleges in the Brimbank VET Cluster. Recent enrolment levels have demonstrated excellent growth and additional staff have been employed to cover a growing demand for VET Cert II Building & Construction.
Year 10 is treated as an introductory year to VCE, with the timetable aligned with Years 11 and 12 and using many of the processes and terminology of VCE. There is a specialist pathways support program for Year 10 students who are academically at risk, leading to a VCAL course of study at Year 11.
An emphasis of the college is its strong student support structure with each individual student being known and supported academically and personally. This is achieved by both a House and a Home Group structure. Student engagement and management is based on four vertically structured Houses of Year 7-12 students. Each House has a strong identity and is resourced with a Principal class member, House Leader (Leading Teacher), Student Coordinators and a Secondary Teacher Assistant. Home Group teachers are assigned to each new Year 7 Home Group and follow them through to Year 12. Two SWC’s, a School Nurse, a psychologist, a Careers teacher and MIPs Officer, also provide a range of additional supports.
Student Leadership is a strong element of the House structure with an extremely active student leadership group, consisting of House Captains, Year Level Leaders, KLA and Co-curricular Program Ambassadors and Peer Leaders.
The college has a well-established Select Entry & Accelerated Learning Program (SEAL), which is a highly successful program for gifted students. The College operates an International Students Program (ISP) and our students have enjoyed considerable success at VCE. The program continues to grow as a consequence. We also have a strong relationship with the Shiroi district in Japan, with reciprocal school visits each year, with a correspondingly strong LOTE program in Japanese (and Italian) to Year 12.
For further information please refer to the College website at www.kdc.vic.edu.au