When the decision to close Albert Park College – a public high school in Melbourne’s inner-Bayside region – was made at the end of 2006, there were just 15 students enrolled to start in year seven the following year.
Ten years after the school’s reopening in 2011, Albert Park College was named Australian Secondary School of the Year at the Australian Education Awards 2021. Today, enrolments sit at 1600 students.
A lot has happened in between.
Founding (and current) Principal Steven Cook was at the helm of the transformation.
In his new book, From the Ground Up: How a Community with a Vision and a Principal with a Purpose Created a Thriving State School, Mr Cook, who has four decades of experience as a public school teacher and principal, shares his reflections on how this thriving new college succeeded where the previous one had failed – and the core ingredients at the heart of a successful public school.
It was a change that began with new buildings, and new values (Lead, Create and Inspire) and has become a sought-after secondary school experience that incorporates ground-breaking wellbeing programs with innovative technologies.
When it came to his ability to re-launch a new and improved version of the public high school back to the Albert Park neighbourhood, Mr Cook came to the task with proven runs on the board.
He had already led the development of the Bayview Street Campus of Williamstown High School – the first five-star green school built in Victoria and one that featured innovative environmental design, including a 1.8-hectare wetland and Marine Education Centre, as part of its unique offering.
The Bursar asked Mr Cook to share some of his personal experiences of helping to give a community back their high school.
Why was saving Albert Park College so important to you?
I believe in public education. I grew up in a working class regional community and public education gave me a great career and a great life. There’s no greater satisfaction than building a great organisation from the ground up. Young people are the future of the country and building great public schools is a real moral and national duty. We have to prepare young people for the jobs and vocations of the future. After a lifetime of working in public schools, I had an inkling of what would work and having the chance to put my ideas into practice was not to be missed.
What are the hallmarks of a school in trouble?
Poor academic results tend to drive families away. But the ultimate manifestation of a school in trouble is the reluctance of members of its local community to enrol its children. The old Albert Park College attracted only six per cent of the high school-aged children in its catchment zone. Falling student numbers have a ricocheting effect across any failing school — leading to fewer teachers, narrower subject choice, less funds for maintenance and upgrades and so on . . . We have succeeded so strongly that we are soon to start building our sixth campus. Our academic results compare well with the highest profile private schools.
Can every school be turned around?
Yes, but sometimes it involves quite drastic change. Albert Park College, for example, had to be physically knocked down and completely rebuilt and re-booted, including with all new staff. Parents need more than symbolism to convince them the local school is worth sending their children to. Strong leadership is crucial. Appointing a good principal and demanding high performance is essential.
What were the key ingredients in its transformation?
Before we opened, we asked the local community exactly what they wanted from their school. We conducted surveys, held public meetings, liaised with local primary schools and I even moved into the area to find out what made it tick. We listened and designed the college around local families’ preferences, coupled with our own beliefs about what a great school is: pursuit of creativity, use of cutting-edge technology, insistence on academic success, positivity, positivity, positivity! We also put a lot of effort into the look of the college, and making its campuses stand out as modern, beautiful and cared-for places — just like the top private schools do. Parents think this is important. Public school students deserve to learn in beautiful surroundings as much as private school students.
From The Ground Up is published by Black Inc Books.
