Brentwood Secondary College
Brentwood Secondary College is a year 7 to 12 co-educational school located in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. The student population is almost 1400 with approximately equal numbers of boys and girls.
The school's vision describes Brentwood College as a vibrant learning community where all students are supported and encouraged to achieve success and to pursue excellence. Brentwood defines a learning community as one in which all members of the community are learning, both individually and together, and where everyone is continually striving to improve. The values that underpin the behaviours of the school's community include courtesy, compassion, diversity, fairness, integrity, learning, leadership, respect, responsibility, tolerance and trust.
Learning is the focus of the college motto which embraces three interconnected themes.
• Learning for Understanding
• Learning for Leadership
• Learning as a Community
Brentwood Secondary College holds the issue of sustainability in high regards, ensuring that all students and staff understand the value of the environment through a ‘think globally, act locally’ attitude. The 'Brentwood Green Team' is a student run action group that aims to increase the environmental sustainability of the College. The aim of the Green Team is to educate students about how their actions can affect the environment. The Green Team keeps active throughout the year by participating in events such as Planet Ark Tree day, biodiversity workshops and enviro-conferences, an environmental fete, a “nude lunch”, implementing a paper recycling system for classrooms, and holding an Annual General Meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to bring together the Brentwood community to discuss a more sustainable future within the school.
At Brentwood staff feel it is important to offer students subjects that allow them to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental issues of our time. The school offers science and humanity units that deal with our changing environment. One popular subject is ‘A Sustainable Future’ which takes a scientific look at the causes, effects and implications of climate change. It also covers issues such as energy, waste, water and biodiversity. The subject allows students to connect with the wider community by taking them out of the school on excursions to Toolangi State Forest and The Sustainable Living Festival.