One College
Two Campuses

Our Pakenham and Berwick campuses offer high quality education to students from Early Years to Year 12. Pakenham is also home to our International programs including a specialised English Language Program and residential facilities.

Beaconhills College offers an holistic education that inspires excellence and nurtures confident, independent learners. Our mission is to give students opportunities to let their light shine and be a beacon in the lives of others. Our vision is to be a leader in personalised holistic education.

The Learning That Matters at Beaconhills centres around our three core values of Integrity, Compassion and Respect. In turn these values underpin our six Key Pillars below.

Environment and sustainability

We aim for students to develop a deep understanding of sustainability issues and become responsible stewards of our planet.

Learning mindset

We inspire our students to continually improve their approach to learning throughout their lives by being adaptive, collaborative, focused, responsible, knowledgeable and reflective learners.

Values and character

The College values of Respect, Compassion and Integrity guide students to develop their character and identity.

Wellbeing

Students are actively supported to build a healthy body, mind and strong sense of personal wellbeing.

Code of Conduct

Our global community

We strive for a more inclusive world, by promoting cultural diversity and acknowledging the significance of Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Enrolling your preschool child at Little Beacons gives them the strongest and most seamless start to their schooling. Little Beacons children are well prepared for Prep as confident and independent learners.

Little Beacons’ beautiful, purpose-built centre is a spacious and peaceful place of learning. The centre has excellent in its government assessment by earning the highest possible rating under the National Quality Standards – exceeding standards in all seven areas.

Natural materials used throughout the centre
Freshest produce and nutritious meals by our in-house food services team
A collaborative, community approach to each child’s care and education
Sharing Journals with educator’s observations, notes, photos, artwork and stories to communicate between the Centre and home
Highly qualified staff with lower than standard group sizes
Specialist support from individual learning teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapist, behavioural optometrist and pediatricians
In-house café called ‘the nest’ where children learn good social and eating habits
Before/after school and vacation care

Junior School lays the firm foundations in English, Maths and fundamental skills, along with developing a positive attitude and healthy social skills.

Science, Humanities, Health, Computer Studies and Technology subjects are integrated into topic-based study units. Special subjects include Physical Education (Human Movement), French, Japanese, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Library and Religion and Values Education.

Three Physical Education classes each week led by specialist teachers, with an extra 90 minutes of class sport each fortnight for Years 3 and 4
Inter-school sport competitions
Extensive Performing Arts program including choirs, instrumental program, dance groups, drama club, musical productions and interstate tours
Outdoor Education beginning with camp crafts and progressing to short camps includes swimming, raft building, orienteering and horse riding

The exciting and broad Middle School curriculum encourages students to develop autonomy, problem-solving skills and the ability to work co-operatively with others.

Middle School is an exciting and vibrant place with exhibitions and celebrations of learning a regular feature. Students take part in the Relay for Life to raise money for cancer research, a Variety Night, Performing Arts Festival and Middle School Expo – a creative showcase of student projects and performances.

Double lesson of Physical Education plus extra Health classes focusing on healthy life choices
Outdoor Education include week-long Canberra camp focusing on Australia’s history and democracy, base camp experiences including challenging and specialised Year 8 program with surfing, bushwalking and camping
Performing Arts including drama, dance and music, instrumental music program, theatre games and school production
Visual Arts
Product Design and Technology, Textiles and Food and Technology
Fundraising for community charities such as the local 4Cs Food Bank

Beaconhills was the first school in Victoria to launch an on-campus Year 9 program. The College has purpose-built Year 9 centres staffed by teachers with special skills in teaching Year 9s.

Key learning areas include English/Humanities, Maths/Science, Languages other than English and Personal Development. The week is broken into four academic days and one experiential day.

Focus on Experiential Learning
‘Personal Best’. Students spend a term creating a major project that is their personal passion – everything from restoring a boat to creating an intricate fashion garment
‘City Experience’ is a time to discover Melbourne’s history, geography and art. Regular city visits include spending time with charity groups such as Urban Seed and the Salvation Army
Year 9 students can tour Vietnam working in schools and an orphanage, help rebuild our sister school in East Timor or do a nine-day ‘Outward Bound’ trek in the Snowy River region with rafting, abseiling and climbing
‘Common Good’ is a chance for students to extend their awareness and become responsibly global citizens. They may raise funds for our sister school in East Timor and Bangladesh, support a charity of their choice, work in a soup kitchen or volunteer in a variety of ways
Students meet each morning in House groups with a staff tutor. Counsellors, chaplains and nurses form part of a strong student welfare support network

With 42 VCE units and a possible 400 course combinations, our Senior School offers Year 11 and 12 offers students an exciting and diverse range of subject choices

Year 10 students have a choice of elective subjects and VCE units. The Year 10 program ensures future pathways in Years 11 and 12 stay open until students have a clearer idea of their career aspirations

Beaconhills has an excellent history of high academic results, with students receiving Premier’s Awards in English, Chemistry, Economics, Accounting, Theatre Studies, Systems Engineering and Visual Communication Design. Many students have also earned VCE Season of Excellence awards in Top Arts, Top Class, Top Screen and Top Designs, placing them amongst the State’s best.

Career guidance starting in Year 9, with strong relationships established with Careers Counsellor
Skilled teachers, a number who develop curriculum and exam assessment at state level
High achievers can join the ‘Lux Luceat Society’, which holds regular dinners featuring guest speakers
Inter-House sporting carnivals with team sports such as softball, basketball, netball, volleyball and football. Inter-school competition in team sports plus swimming and athletics

Join us for a tour

Come along and see for yourself what Beaconhills College has to offer your child in a guided campus tour.

Middle School

Years 5 to 8

Inquiry-based approach Community service Intellectual challenge Personal growth Outdoor Education

Middle School, Years 5 to 8 is designed to meet the unique needs of students in those crucial adolescent years between primary and secondary schooling. Students in these years are helped to develop autonomy, problem-solving skills and the ability to work co-operatively with others in a range of settings.

Middle School is an exciting and vibrant place with many opportunities in and out of the classroom for students to develop their skills and knowledge in a variety of areas such as:

Relay For Life
Performing Arts Festival
camps and overseas trips
leadership positions
huge range of co-curricular opportunities such as sport, music, coding and book clubs.

Years 5 and 6 students have one core teacher who takes English, Mathematics, RAVE (Religious And Values Education), Compass and Units of Inquiry. Years 7 and 8 students work with specialist teachers Maths, Science, English and Humanities, to help prepare them for Year 9 and Senior School. Students can also study a range of subjects in the areas of visual and performing arts, LOTE (Languages Other Than English), physical education and technology.

Middle School Subject Guide

Year 9

Experiential Learning Personal Best Experiencing Melbourne Out of the comfort zone Common Good Student Welfare

Our College recognised many years ago that Year 9 was a critical time where teenagers can lose interest in school. It is a time where they also begin to explore their world view and question their place in it.

So we designed a unique Year 9 program which we deliver from our purpose-built Year 9 Centres at both campuses.

They are multimedia-rich places of learning, staffed by teachers with special skills in teaching Year 9s. The focus is not only about learning through experience but providing challenges and fostering independence, decision-making, team-building and character development in our young people.

At Year 9 students have the opportunity to select from a broad range of electives and choose their academic pathway to the Senior School. As part of the core program students complete units in Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities, Personal Development, Physical Education and a choice of French or Japanese.

Year 9 Information Booklet

Senior School

Years 10 to 12

Wide choice Year 10 VCE Season of Excellence Lux Luceat Society Careers advice

Choosing the right academic path is essential in Senior School and Beaconhills College has the crucial ingredients – diversity of choice and the right senior teachers.

Huge choice in VCE years with 42 VCE units and a possible 400 course combinations
Excellent history of high academic results, including many students receiving Premier's Awards and VCE Season of Excellence awards, putting them at the top of the state in their subjects
Lux Luceat Society dinners throughout the year for high achievers, featuring inspiring guest speakers

A number of our Senior School teachers are involved in curriculum development and exam assessment at a state level. We encourage our students to develop a strong relationship with our Careers Counsellor. Career guidance starts in Year 9 and also involves Heads of Senior School, Heads of Senior Learning, Heads of Senior Students and Heads of House.

Senior School Information Booklet

Senior School Subject Guide

VCE Handbook