The original Coburg High School was one of the first high schools in Melbourne and we have a long and proud history. Between 2007 and 2014 the school was known as Coburg Senior High School with an enrolment of students in Years 10-12. In 2015 Coburg High School was re-established as a Years 7 to 12 school with the inaugural group of Year 7 students. In 2023 there are over 1250 students enrolled at CHS and in 2024 we expect this to grow to around 1300 students. Attendance rates are above state average and student connection to the school is strong. The SFOE is 0.22 in 2023, indicating low levels of disadvantage overall.
Through the involvement of staff and students, in recent years a set of four core values have been established¿Excellence, Integrity, Curiosity and Community¿and these values underpin expected behaviours, policies, practices, communication and decision-making at the school.
Coburg High School is structured around year level teams with the Student Support Team responsible for the engagement and wellbeing of all students. The dedicated Wellbeing team has two counsellors, a Mental Health Practitioner, School Nurse and Youth Worker. Coburg High School is a School¿Wide Positive Behaviours School, Respectful Relationships lead school and adheres to the tenets of restorative justice. The school has undertaken significant work in establishing an online curriculum management system called Coburg Online Google Sites (COGS). Alongside the development of the COGS to establish a guaranteed and viable curriculum, the school has adopted an instructional model with the acronym GANAG. This model has the key components of goal setting (G), accessing prior knowledge (A), introducing new information (N), applying the new information (A) and finally reviewing the goal (G). Our challenge is to continue to embed the application of High-Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) within the instructional model paradigm, underpinned by a comprehensive program of professional learning to ensure that strategies are implemented with rigour and fidelity.
As outlined in the School Strategic Plan, the school¿s central purpose is to foster voice and agency and equip students them with skills for lifelong learning. We empower students to thrive in a complex and changing global society. To this end, Coburg High School offers a broad range of subjects, courses and programs for the Victorian Curriculum and the VCE. We are currently running 28 different VCE subjects and are offering the VCE Vocational Major for the first time in 2023.
We offer students a wide range of co-curricular programs including inter-school sport, music, drama, dance, student leadership, debating and public-speaking, science talent searches and fairs, mathematics competitions, art exhibitions, community service, camps, tours and a range of interest-based clubs.
Coburg High School aims to be an interconnected community hub that serves the diverse needs of our students. The school is situated on expansive grounds with an oval and four recently upgraded netball/basketball courts. The four main buildings incorporate generously sized classrooms and specialist spaces (including a theatrette, performing arts space, gymnasium as well as art studios and laboratories). There are a number of sustainability features including a 99.9kW solar array, several large water storage tanks and a thriving greenhouse for horticulture. The school is located in proximity to Merri Creek, Coburg Olympic Pool and Coburg Athletics Track. As part of the 2023 State Budget, the school received $17.8m for a new Technology Building and the school is currently in the planning stages for this exciting new facility, which will encompass Materials, Design and Food Technology subjects and is projected to be the base for Year 8 students from 2026.