Student Enrolment Journey

Enrolment Eligibility

Initial enrolment enquiries can be received to Hester Hornbrook Academy in many ways, such as phone enquiries, direct email enquiries, walk in, through the enquiry management system or enrolment inbox.

A brief discussion on suitability is important.

Age – HHA support young people who are 15 and have completed year through to 25 years of age
Eligibility for Enrolment - refer general information on eligibility for enrolment
Potential program and campus options

It is important here that conversations are kept brief to ensure a trauma informed approach and a young person is not re-telling their story. A reminder to our admin staff that you are not youth worker you should not be listening to sensitive wellbeing information, this will assist with avoiding vicarious trauma.

Head of Student Services will provide all direction and insights on current capacities across all our campuses.

Communications are through Enrolment chat on teams. (Note LL, this will need to be set up, it was previous admin team)

General Information and Eligibility for Enrolment:

As a Specialist Assistance School (SAS) Hester Hornbrook Academy is focused on supporting young people who have experienced education and/or social challenge and disengagement from school. These young people require more than traditional educational systems currently offer.

Our enrolment team considers the individual needs of each student. We aim to create a diverse and inclusive community where every student can thrive.

Whilst we endeavour to place each young person at their campus and program of choice, an enrolment may be offered at any campus dependant on program capacity, academic abilities, pathway options and social and emotional capacity of the young person.

Hester Hornbrook Academy is NOT a registered SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL therefore we are unable to support young people with intellectual disabilities.

Enrolment Process: refer to enrolment journey appendix.

What do students’ study?

Hester Hornbrook Academy delivers Secondary School qualifications.

VPC - is a FOUNDATION Secondary qualification.

VPC – Victorian Pathways Certificate: (IS NOT A YEAR 10) Enrolments are for younger years cohort and for young people who need time to develop their literacy and numeracy skills.
The VPC certificate is a pathway certificate into the VCE – V/M alternatively young people can graduate with a VPC certificate that aligns with a Certificate 1 qualification. Pathways here are entry level TAFE and employment with the support of HHA’s CAPE team to develop a pathway plan.
Should they hold prior units of VCE or VCAL this can be contributed to this certificate.
Minimum 1 year to complete however we allow additional to complete in our self-paced learning environment.

VCE - V/M is a SENIOR Secondary qualification.

Young person must be 16 years of age to enrol in VCE-VM
VCE – V/M – This is a vocational and applied learning program within the VCE. It is designed the be completed over a minimum of 2 years however we allow additional to complete in our self-paced learning environment. This certificate prepares students to move into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training such TAFE and University via no ATAR pathways and employment.
The certificate requires 16 units including VET.
Without any prior VCE or VCAL units (Intermediate or Senior only) they must start at the VCE – V/M 1-2.

HOPE Hybrid:

This class has been designed with careful consideration for supporting the wellbeing of young people who would benefit from having a balance of on-line and in-person learning opportunities, through enriching differentiated curriculum options (specifically the Victorian Pathways Certificate) and engagement activities, encompassing all the elements of our Healing Oriented Program of Education. HOPE Hybrid includes:

2 days on site at City Campus,
1 day on site for Propel Program – multi campus options,
2 days on-line learning.

NOTE: An online supervisor will be required to be in attendance and contactable for the online days of learning (10 am to 3pm). A declaration will need to be signed to confirm this commitment.

ENGAGE YOUTH (EY):

This program is generally for young people who may have had minimal school attendance /engagement before seeking enrolment at HHA. Its support young people to address their wellbeing and educational needs through outreach education, case management support and co-ordination, small group/individual literacy and numeracy tutorial support and classroom educational workshops and will prepare them to transition to an internal fulltime senior secondary program when ready.

2 days a week on site, offerings an outreach only option also should a young person’s barriers impact ability to attend campus at all.

YOUNG PARENTS PROGRAM:

Young Parents’(YP) Classrooms run out of our Prahran and Sunshine campuses. They are classrooms specifically for young people who are parents or expecting parents. As earlier parenthood can often be a barrier to accessing and staying engaged in education, these classrooms are spaces where young parents are welcomed and supported. Our students are welcome to bring their children into the classroom space. After a child of a student turns 1 year of age, we encourage and support them to find childcare arrangements.

2024 VET OPTIONS:

Sunshine

Music,
Visual Arts,
Hospitality,
Community Services,
Project Ready,
Sport and Recreation
PROPEL PROGRAM for VPC students

City

Business,
Graphic Design
Trade Ready

Prahran

Community Services- Early Childhood

South Melbourne

Music
Visual Arts,
Digital Tech,
PROPEL PROGRAM for VPC students

Werribee - opening 2025

Trade Ready
Business
Music and Visual Arts
Sport and Recreation
Community Services

Hester Hornbrook Academy Campuses:

Sunshine – 131 Harvester Road Sunshine
City CBD – Level 8, 601 Bourke Street
Prahran – Corner Hish Street and Chapel Street Windsor
South Melbourne – 24 Tope Street South Melbourne
New Werribee Campus in 2025 – 23 Roth Street Werribee

Note: not all programs are offered across all of our campuses.

Financial Information:

Hester Hornbrook is fee free Independent school.
We provide all learning equipment, food, and a Myki to allow for travel to school.

School hours:

Class run from 10am through to 3pm. As we are aware young adolescents may have poor sleep hygiene and enjoy a sleep in. We also do have young people commute from all over Melbourne to access out campuses.

Classroom staffing structure and capacities for classes and campuses:

Class teams are made up a multi-disciplinary team, this includes a Teacher, Youth Worker and Education Support Officer.
They work collaboratively to provide educational intervention, deliver personalised, applied curriculum, including the wellbeing supports that empower up to 22 young people young people to take an active role in making positive change in their lives.
Sunshine and Werribee are larger campuses – up to 210 students across 10 programs.
South Melbourne – 100 students
City – 90 students and Prahran 70 students
As our school does support a diverse community, we generally would not have a full 22 students in a class on any given day