Principal’s welcome

When you walk through the entrance of Northcote High School into the original 1926 building, you can’t help but admire the rich history and foundations of our school, a school that is embedded within community and one that is a locus of community-building. While we draw on and learn from the past, our focus is very much on educating for now and the future. We challenge minds and equip our young people with the skills and dispositions, knowledge and confidence necessary to contribute as active, engaged citizens of their local and global context – to follow the better path.

Our values of Achievement, Curiosity, Humanity and Fairness underpin our culture, ethos and practice, and are lived daily by students, staff and our broader community.

We are a school with a strong academic focus and a history of outstanding achievement: one of public education’s top performing non-selective schools. Our teaching and learning is informed by this tradition and is embedded in strong disciplinary expertise across the curriculum. We also continue to innovate and grow our practice and programs to meet the current and future needs of young people. Our academic success is born out of an unerring focus on progress for each child, and the development of transdisciplinary skills, such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration and problem-solving. This applies both to students and to staff, who are also reflective learners.

Schools are much more than just the teaching and learning that takes place in class. Fundamentally they are about relationships and connections. It is my mission to ensure that each child finds their place, and is known, valued and understood by their teachers and peers. At Northcote High School, our size provides a guarantee of diversity – everyone can find their niche and their people through the full range of outstanding academic and co-curricular programs. Students have opportunities and experiences that allow them to excel in the full breadth of learning and enrichment activities, be they in class or participating in international programs, tours, camps, the music or debating programs, or our extremely successful sports teams, and much more.

At Northcote High School we celebrate inclusivity in every sense of the word. We are enriched by the differences individuals bring to our community.

We understand the tangible benefits of internationalisation. We are a school of choice for the International Student Program, and our sister school relationships in China and curriculum-based international tours provide students with perspectives and experiences well beyond the school gates.

I invite you to come on a tour of the school – to see us in action. Gain a sense of the learning and relationships that exist in every classroom, experience our culture, and observe the pride we have for our school and for all those who pass through its doors.

Chris Jones