Cade Lucas
A host of new schools have opened in Wyndham in 2024 and Werribee Community College is one of them.
However, whereas others have new names and new buildings, the school located in Synnott Street, Werribee has a bit more history behind it.
Werribee Community College is born out of the Wyndham Community and Education Centre (CEC) which is this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Wyndham CEC has also been offering year 11 and 12 classes as a non-school senior secondary provider since 2005, in a program established by Wyndham CEC CEO and now Wyndham mayor, Jennie Barrera.
The classes helped thousands of students over the years, who’d become disengaged
or not experienced success in mainstream schools.
But after nearly 20 years of providing school classes, in 2023 Wyndham CEC applied to be formally registered as one too.
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) approved their registration on December 22, 2023, bringing Werribee Community College into being.
“It was wonderful to see the doors open as a newly registered school for the
beginning of the 2024 school year,” said John Sheen, Director of Education.
“It was a lot of work to get the school registered, but it was certainly worth it.”
Along with offering year 11 and 12 classes, the VRQA also approved the
school’s application to deliver senior secondary Victorian Certificate of Education
(VCE) Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).
School board president, Jeffrey Lai said having the new school starting in the same year as their golden jubilee, was extra special.
“It’s incredibly exciting for Wyndham CEC to have been able to register Werribee Community College as an independent school
in operation in Victoria in its anniversary year,” he said.
“Every student deserves an equal education, and all students are capable of succeeding, some just need more support and encouragement to do so.”
Like its parent organisation, Werribee Community College caters for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, migrant, refugee and emerging communities and anyone else not suited to traditional educational settings.
