Kensington Community High School (KCHS) specialises in the education and development needs of students identified as being at risk of not completing a secondary education programme through significant personal and interpersonal difficulties, family dislocation, homelessness, personal trauma and learning difficulties.

Students attend from a broad area of the Western and Northern suburbs of Melbourne and reside in suburbs such as, Broadmeadows, Jacana, Werribee, Laverton, Melton, Hoppers Crossing, St Albans and Delahey. Some students travel considerable distances from suburbs such as Sunbury, Broadford, Avenel, and Woodend. KCHS has a population of approximately 100 students with enrolments accepted throughout the academic year. There are 19.5 equivalent full time staff (one principal class, 11.4 teachers, 6.7 education support staff and a 0.4 speech pathologist).

With an SFO index of 0.774 the school prides itself on providing high quality and practical learning initiatives, a safe, supportive educational environment and a high-quality education outcome for all students.

Our school’s philosophy is focused on the development of five key values: Community, Achievement, Respect, Effort and Safety (CARES). This focus is embedded in our guaranteed and viable curriculum that includes a strong emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy. Underpinning this philosophy is a whole school commitment to Positive Behaviour Support (PBIS). Furthermore, achievement, a growth mindset and personal growth are integral to the KCHS philosophy. Students are supported and encouraged to focus on high expectations as part of a positive learning environment. Students from Years 7 to 12 have a choice of targeted and managed electives that provide each individual student with a broad and engaging curriculum. At Years 10, 11 and 12 Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificate programs are also provided with a focus on facilitating the transition between school and the workforce. In Years 11 and 12 a Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) program is offered with an emphasis placed on practical “hands on”, applied learning. Teachers at KCHS maintain an intensive pastoral support role providing close monitoring and supervision. Student data illuminates risk factors, and additional learning needs. Programs are planned, interventions designed and managed to provide achievement, support, and development in response to student data. The education component of school life and student connectedness at KCHS is strongly supported by an integrated social welfare framework encompassed by the School Student Engagement and Inclusion Team which consists of the Student Welfare Coordinator, leading teacher, level team leaders (as required), School Senior Youth Worker, school nurse, visiting student educational psychologist and student support social/youth work and art therapy students on placement. The welfare team is responsible for developing whole school welfare and health promotion strategies, welfare policies, and ensuring welfare support is in place for all Kensington Community High School 2017 WWW.KCHS.com.au/Philosophy and Context – KCHS Practices of Support, Teaching and Learning, and Development students. In the KCHS, Strategic Plan and Annual Improvement Plan detailed welfare responses aim to strengthen student engagement. Case-management of students creates professional development forums between social workers, youth workers and teachers, with the aim of developing Individual Education Plans and a strong Student Support Group (SSG) culture at KCHS. Furthermore, the school offers specific school based support programs and provides referral and support to students to access a wide range of services. This approach is necessary, due in part to the wide geographic area our students come from, and our school’s belief in supporting other service providers in their role of provision to young people in need. Our school focus is to liaise between the young person, families and existing services. Significant time and energy is invested at KCHS in establishing strong relationships with parents, carers, guardians and support agencies. These relationships help to provide a strong safety net for our young people at KCHS. Maintaining a consistent levels of support means that education programs in all year levels can proceed with an increased hope of success. Our goals are to reinforce a school culture of high expectations, and to support our young people to utilise the available services to improve their achievement and personal development while they attend KCHS. The KCHS strategic plan, and 2017 Annual Improvement Plan explicitly states: The goal of achievement for all students at KCHS is to see themselves as creative individuals who experience success and gain confidence as learners in literacy and numeracy, and in the broader curriculum. Our aim, through an inclusive, and guaranteed viable curriculum, is to ensure that students successfully find pathways in further education, training, lifelong learning, and stable employment. The engagement goal for all students at KCHS is to know, and to feel that they have the ability to learn, and to personally develop into mature citizens with a global perspective. KCHS reinforces the lived value of respect for oneself, peers, teachers, support staff, parents, carers, and guardians. At Kensington Community High School, we aim to support our students to engage in education. It is our vision to make a difference in student lives, by assisting to create a foundation to explore viable pathways that in turn lead to a strong sense of purpose, and a sense of optimism for their future. This Policy Was Last Ratified by School Council in 2017.