What Makes Heywood & District Secondary College Unique?

Heywood & District Secondary College is a small, rural school that strongly believes that students are at the heart of the community.  Because of our commitment to high quality teaching and learning, students achieving at their personal best and strong value system, we are able to offer an outstanding, personalised education that meets the needs of individuals in an environment that offers small class sizes. This ensures students are valued and known personally by everyone at the College. We are committed to remaining a small school, where staff can continue to develop positive relationships with students, families and the wider community to ensure high expectations and achievement are at the forefront of learning. Why do we wish to remain a small school? Simply because we know that small schools can deliver a more personalised learning experience.

More than that though, we are fortunate at the College to have outstanding teachers who believe that professional learning never ends, regardless of experience. Our teachers are committed to developing their own practice to ensure they remain up-dated with latest research and education trends to ensure they deliver high quality learning. Our philosophy is simple: Students are at the heart of everything we strive for. Our state of the art Science & Maths building lends itself to cooperative learning groups, in a large open space, where teachers frequently team-teach to maximise learning outcomes. 

Heywood & District Secondary College is set amongst lush green lawns, bush land settings and comes complete with koalas. It draws students from a variety of local and not so local districts. A large majority of our students use public transport, with bus routes servicing the Portland, and neighbouring areas.

We are a dynamic and caring learning community that takes personal learning seriously. I’m happy to meet with parents and students to discuss personalised, educational needs and offer a tour of the school. It’s the best way to decide if a school is right for you. ‘Is the fit right for your individual learning needs?’ So why not call in for a tour to see our school in operation.

Our aims at Heywood and District Secondary College are to:

•    Develop each student's full potential in reading, writing, mathematics, communication, inquiry and social, physical, creative and manual skills.
•    Develop specific skills of thinking and application within a framework of general knowledge and experience.
•    Provide a curriculum that minimises competitive pressures on learning, while ensuring that it remains challenging for all students.
•    Make school a positive, enjoyable and satisfying experience by providing a variety of activities that will enable each student to experience a feeling of personal success.
•    Encourage mutual self-respect, with all students feeling equally important irrespective of individual strengths or weaknesses.
•    Develop questioning in students where their ability is based on decisions of logic and reason.
•    Develop an appreciation of the need for clear expectations and consequences with self-discipline as the ultimate goal.
•    Prepare students for individual pathways for success.
•    Develop a positive attitude to lifelong learning.
•    Develop in each student independence, self-confidence, self-motivation, tolerance, co-operation, and respect for the rights, wishes and views of others and the willingness to undertake responsibility.

I look forward to talking and meeting with you.

Tina Walkeden
Acting Principal

Heywood & District Secondary college acknowledge the support of the Country Areas Program, which is an Australian Government initiative.