Gazette

Classes are in

By Jade Lawton

3rd February 2010 02:00:06 AM

Nossal High School foundation students Storm Logan, George Abraham and Emma Swayn. 42409 Picture: Donna Oates

VICTORIA’S third select-entry secondary college, Berwick’s Nossal High School, opened its doors to foundation students on Monday.

Two-hundred Year 9 students gathered at Monash University for a morning assembly, meeting principal Roger Page and the school’s 15 teachers.

“It was orientation then straight into classes. It’s already quite pleasant here, and we have the run of the place because the university students aren’t back yet,” Mr Page said.

Classes will operate out of Monash for about a month because of delays to the Nossal buildings, adjacent to the Clyde Road campus.

“We’ll move in to the school buildings in March. The academic program is here for the first month, and when university resumes we have a city leadership program, with students meeting key leaders in the city,” Mr Page said.

Nossal has started with the full Year 9 curriculum, which includes philosophy, architecture and advanced maths as electives.

“It is a bit different to what you get in mainstream schools. It is an academically selective cohort of students and many of them have shown interest in taking up things like advanced maths,” Mr Page said.

The co-educational school is the first select-entry high school for the state since Melbourne High School and MacRobertson Girls High School officially split in 1934.

Prospective students for all three schools must sit a select-entry exam before being offered a place.

Mr Page said the school was attracting students from across Melbourne.

“We had some students and parents leave at 6 in the morning (on Monday) coming from Braybrook and Epping. The majority come on train, some are driving and some are making arrangements to car pool and share travel arrangements,” he said.

Australian research biologist Sir Gustav Nossal, the school’s namesake, will visit the school on 16 February for a foundation ceremony.