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THE BERRY STREET SCHOOL
Characteristics of the Student Population
The young people enrolled at the Berry Street School are aged 12-18 , come from all walks of life and have an interest in learning . Our students have previously struggled in mainstream education settings and have either stopped attending or have been excluded . Our program aims to engage our students in their own measurable , visible academic growth , simultaneously teaching them strategies to become independent and autonomous learners in their schooling , pathway choices and adulthood .
Staff at the Berry Street School
In 2013 , a total of 29.5 EFT staff worked at the Berry Street School .
The Noble Park Campus had a Senior Education Manager , 5.0 x EFT teaching staff ( including a Lead Teacher ) and 1.4 x EFT education support staff .
The Morwell Campus had a Senior Education Manager , 7.4 x EFT teaching staff ( including a Lead Teacher ) and 4.5 x education workers .
The Shepparton Campus had a Senior Education Manager , 4.8 x EFT teaching staff ( including a Lead Teacher ) and 3.4 x EFT education support staff .
Education support staff include Youth Workers , Integration Aides and an Aboriginal Support Worker .
All teachers are fully qualified , with VIT registration . One staff member has Special Education qualifications .
The high ratio of staff for the number of students is a reflection of Berry Street ’ s belief that our students require specialist , individual support in order to support their educational progress .
The School Program
The curriculum at the Berry Street School is a specialised adaptation of the Australian Curriculum for students enrolled in years 7 through 10 .
Our curriculum is developed and delivered with high expectations for education attainment leading towards senior secondary certificates and further education and training . The curriculum program is based on five key learning areas- literacy , numeracy , technology , the arts and health & physical education .
The Berry Street School also offers the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning ( VCAL ) to students who show readiness to undertake work at this level .
We offer VCAL at both Foundation and Intermediate level . The program is determined by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority ( VCAA ).
The qualification aims to provide the skills , knowledge and attributes to enable students to make informed choices about pathways to work and further education .
Individual Education Planning
The development of Individual Education and Learning Plans is a key strategy in ensuring success for every student at the Berry Street School . Students are supported by key staff to develop a plan that identifies broad life and behaviour goals , as well as identifying clear learning goals and outcomes .
The curriculum program for each student is then designed around this plan , based on a program that focuses both on setting goals for improvement and allowing students to develop skills in their area of interest .
Each student ’ s IEP is reviewed and updated every term .
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