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Western Heights College

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Coordinates: 38°07′32″S 144°20′03″E / 38.12556°S 144.33417°E / -38.12556; 144.33417
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Western Heights College
Location
Map
Hamlyn Heights
,
Victoria
,
3215

Australia
Coordinates38°07′32″S 144°20′03″E / 38.12556°S 144.33417°E / -38.12556; 144.33417
Information
TypeSecondary, co-ed [1]
Established1985
StatusOpen
PrincipalFiona Taylor
Teaching staff70 (2023)
Employees53
Years offered7–12
Enrolment1000-1050 (2024)
CampusesWestern Heights, Vines Road
Campus typeSuburban
HousesMinerva (yellow), Quamby (red), Vines (green), Barton (blue)
Colour(s)Blue and orange   
Websitewww.whc.vic.edu.au

Western Heights College is a government-funded co-educational secondary school in Hamlyn Heights, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

The campus adjoins the Vines Road Community Centre which requires the payment of fees for students enrolled in its courses.[1][2]

History

[edit]

The college was created in 1985 from the merger of three existing secondary schools: Geelong West Technical School, Bell Park High School, and Bell Park Secondary College.[3][4]

For some time, Western Heights College had three campuses: the Junior Years Campus (formerly Minerva campus and Barton Campus) for years 7, 8 and 9, and 10. the Senior Years Campus (formerly Quamby Campus) for years, 11 and 12, located in the suburbs of Herne Hill and Hamlyn Heights respectively.

In 2010, the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) appointed landscape architects Capacity Consulting to "develop a Master Plan for Hamlyn Park Recreation Reserve which incorporated new facilities at the Vines Road Education Redevelopment Project – incorporating Western Heights College". The new facilities included sports grounds and netball courts with Stage 2 including a basketball stadium.[5]

In 2011, the school began relocating to a single location on Vines Road, formerly the site of the Department of Human Services Barwon South Western Regional Office and, before that, the Geelong Teachers' College. The Barton campus closed at the end of the 2008, and the completion of stage one allowed Years 7 to 9 to start school at the new site at the beginning of July 2011.[6]

In 2020 the school opened its high-performance centre to serve its Specialist Sports Program.[7]

In 2020 the school started its Specialist Sporting Program for basketball. In 2021, AFL was introduced. Further sports programs were introduced; Netball (2022), Soccer (2023) and an Aspiring Athlete Program in 2024.[8]

In 2022 the Victorian Government committed to delivering a $7.5 million competition-grade gymnasium to replace the ageing offsite Quamby avenue basketball gym.[9]

Community College

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When the school was opened the college had pioneered "learning communities" of 100 to 120 students - a step away from the traditional arrangements of classrooms.

The college shares community facilities with the public. These facilities include: Community Library, Vines Road Community Centre itself, Seniors Club and sporting. These facilities are owned and co-managed by the City of Greater Geelong in conjunction with the college's management.[10][11][12][13]

Western Heights College/Vines Road Community Centre experienced severe flooding in 2016.[14]

Sport

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Specialist Sporting Program

[edit]

Over 530 student are enrolled the Specialist Sporting Program in 2024.

Sporting program Directors:[15]

Sporting achievements

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Basketball

  • Winner - U17 Boys Victorian Champions Cup 2023[16]

Australian Rules Football

  • Winners - Senior Boys (Division 1) School Sport Victoria 2024
  • Runners-up - Boys Intermediate (Yr. 10)(Division 1), Herald-Sun Shield 2024
  • Runners-up - Girls Intermediate, School Sport Victoria 2024

Soccer:

  • Winners - U15 Boys Victorian State Championship 2024

Notable alumni

[edit]

Includes Alumni from merged foundation schools, Bell Park High School, Bell Park Secondary College, and Geelong West Tech.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Western Heights College Vine Road Community Centre". Western Heights College. 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2016. VRCC set the prices, engage the volunteers and/or staff the programs
  2. ^ "WESTERN HEIGHTS COLLEGE". School Choice. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2020. ...with a community focus on the Vines Road Campus, supports learning in the 21st century.
  3. ^ Gregory's 1982-83 Melbourne Street Directory
  4. ^ "Our Story | Western Heights College | WHC | Hamlyn Heights, Geelong". Western Heights College. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ "HAMLYN PARK RECREATION RESERVE MASTER PLAN Part 1 September 2010". 2010. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2020. The City of Greater Geelong (COGG) appointed Capacity Consulting to develop a Master Plan for Hamlyn Park Recreation Reserve...The Hamlyn Park Recreation Reserve Master Plan has taken into consideration the changes that are occurring in the area through the development of the Vines Road Redevelopment Project - incorporating Western Heights College that is currently being constructed. The new facilities that have been incorporated in the Vines Road Education Redevelopment Project include a new sports ground and two netball courts. Stage 2 of the project will also include a basketball stadium. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ "Regeneration Projects - Regional Initiatives and Programs". Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: Barwon South Western Region. www.education.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  7. ^ "Geelong Advertiser". geelongadvertiser. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Western Heights College | About Us". enrol.whc.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. ^ Rivalland, Nathan (5 November 2022). "Western Heights to get major gym upgrade". Geelong Times. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Western Heights College". Learning Environments Australasia ABN 26 108 413 074. 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2019. This makes Western Heights College unique....LEARNING COMMUNITIES OF 100-120 STUDENTS..There are no classrooms with 25 students and one teacher....These communities can operate independently and each learning community has their own...Shared Community facilities are in the school and are open to the public. They include: Community Library, Vines Road Community Centre, Seniors Club, Sporting facilities and a central Civic Plaza.
  11. ^ "Vine Road Stage 2". Western Heights College. 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  12. ^ Fowles, S. (21 June 2016). "Geelong council: Flash flood costs city council more than a million dollars". Geelong Advertiser. The Vines Road Community Centre is in the same complex as Western Heights Secondary College Library, which also sustained a large amount of damage.
  13. ^ "Geelong Regional Liibraries - Western Heights College Library". Geelong Regional Libraries. 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  14. ^ Fowles, S. (21 June 2016). "Geelong council: Flash flood costs city council more than a million dollars". Geelong Advertiser. The Vines Road Community Centre is in the same complex as Western Heights Secondary College Library, which also sustained a large amount of damage.
  15. ^ "Western Heights College | About Us". enrol.whc.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. ^ Oorschot, Vinnie van (29 September 2023). "Western Heights secures biggest win in program history". Geelong Times. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  17. ^ "About 2 | Western Heights College | WHC | Hamlyn Heights, Geelong". Western Heights College. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
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