Imagine sharing your teachers, resources and classrooms with more than 300 other students.
This is the reality for all year seven students at Byford Secondary College as the school has recorded its highest year cohort in its five-year history.
Principal Trevor Hunter said the college’s enrolments had grown from 1198 students last year to 1355 students and growing this year.
“We had always anticipated a steady growth in numbers as the area continues to grow but 2019 saw a sharp spike in enrolments from not only students from our partner primary schools but also as an increase in families who continue to move into their new homes in the area,” he said.
Mr Hunter said the increase, particularly in the year seven cohort of 312 students meant the college needed to increase the number of classes and appoint more staff across a number of different learning areas.
“The number of students is within the resources of our college and as we grow greater resources are provided by the Western Australian Department of Education,” he said.
“This funding is designed to provide the school with resources to address the needs of students as we grow, these being the employment of a greater number of learning area teachers, pastoral care as well as other support staff such as school officers and education assistants.
“We anticipate cohort sizes of 300 plus to become the norm as Byford and its surrounding suburbs continue to grow and we expect college total enrolments to reach 1800 in a few years time.”
