Involvement, empowerment, discovery and independence are key themes in a Cornish College secondary education.

Deep, transferrable learning continues throughout the secondary years at Cornish, with a curriculum design that focuses on concepts beyond the topics. This, combined with an emphasis on building the skills for inquiry, ensures students apply their knowledge and skills across disciplines, including core subjects such as English, mathematics, languages and science, along with electives spanning the arts, design and technology.

Years 7, 8 and 9

The first three years of secondary school are an exciting time of discovery and exploration, in which our students build on the experiences and learning of their primary years. Students like to be challenged by their learning environment and are inspired by the world in which they live.

We have worked consistently to meet these challenges and develop approaches that are attuned to the characteristics and needs of young adolescents. We adopt the following strategies:

  • Student involvement in classroom decision-making about curriculum, including the ways learning is organised, monitored and assessed
  • Learning that connects with and is relevant to students’ personal and social concerns and their out-of-school experience and culture
  • Active learning experiences
  • Engagement in complex, higher-order and critical thinking to develop deep rather than surface learning, and cooperative as well as independent learning

Find out more about Years 7, 8 and 9 at Cornish.

Years 10, 11 and 12

We offer an exciting and academically rigorous program for Years 10 to 12 students. Our passionate teaching team supports students to achieve their academic goals by developing rich understanding and creative thinking skills.

Senior students have access to a three-year Victorian Certificate of Education program that strikes a balance between academic enhancement, breadth and consolidation of skills and knowledge. The program also provides flexibility for students’ career pathways and creates space for wellbeing and cocurricular opportunities. Cornish College also provides access to Vocational Education and Training in Schools, Virtual Schools Victoria and the Victorian School of Languages amongst other opportunities.

Leadership and service-learning programs, outdoor education camps and international study tours are additional ways that we grow and develop our young people. Proactive programs such as REACH, RoadSmart, Elevate Education and Pathways Planning, together with mock interviews and work experience, are just some of the opportunities we provide our students with to prepare them for life beyond Cornish College.

Our graduates are agile, adaptive learners, capable of taking on future challenges because they know how to seek understanding and to apply their learning skills in any situation.

Find out more about Years 10, 11 and 12 at Cornish.