Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 
Zoe McWhinney. Yr 8 NHS State Athlete, 2008

1. Please give me a "snapshot" of Northcote High School and its community. 

Northcote has a student population of about 1370 students. An enrolment ceiling was placed on the school in 2001, with the main change since then being a steady 1% per annum growth in the proportion of girls in the school.  At Year 7 level, the school generally enrols about 225 students each year (8 or 9 classes). About 85% of students entering the school at Year 7 live in areas that are closest to the school or have a sibling here already. This includes parts of the suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury, East Brunswick, North Fitzroy, Fairfield and Preston. Another 15% live in nearby areas and gain access through curriculum claims. 

Northcote's student demographic closely reflects the surrounding area in almost every way. Enrolment levels from surrounding primary schools are very strong; in several primary schools half to three quarters of families choose to send children to Northcote. However, there is always strong interest in Northcote from other suburbs. In 2006, Grade 6 Students applied for enrolment in Year 7 at Northcote from more than 40 different primary schools. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to live locally to apply for Northcote, but if you don’t, you need to apply under one of the catagories for enrolment.

Two surveys of parents with children at Northcote found that in 2002 and 2006 a large proportion worked in health services, education, office and managerial positions, media/arts and food services. Steady proportions were self employed, worked in skilled trades, the IT industry and emergency services. The area of significant change in the two surveys was a 50% decline in a parent nominating home duties as their occupation.

Some of the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne have undergone significant demographic changes over the last 15 years. Of course this is also reflected in schools in the area including ours. In 2007, Northcote High School was in the DEECD's Like School Grouping 6. (This means low to medium levels of families speaking a language other than English at home and low to medium levels of EMA recipients). A new school profile system has now been developed by DEECD. This catagorises a school against two measurements - Student Family Occupation (SFO) density and Language background other than English (LBOTE). Northcote's SFO is 38, while the LBOTE is 27, each on a 100% scale.

2. Do any of the staff have their own children at the school?

Yes - 20 sons and daughters of our own staff currently come to Northcote as students or have done so in the last few years. As noted, a significant portion of the parent body work in secondary schools, tertiary education, or other education related areas. In 2009, the children of three more staffmembers joined us in Year 7.

The Teenage friends scene. "Rhyme & Reason" 2007. Photo Peter Weaving

3. Single sex education versus coeducation? What’s best for my child?

There is a wealth of research available in libraries and on the web that shows coeducation is now regarded as the most desirable way to educate and socialise young people. Research done in the 1970s supporting single sex schools as good for girls (but not for boys!) has now been discredited. Again, however, we know this is a decision some parents make long before they even visit local schools, often for cultural reasons. Over the last six years there has been a steadily increasing number of girls enrolling at Northcote. For 2009 and 2010 the gender balance at Year 7 is roughly equal. The gender balance has been equal at VCE level for some time, due to a trend of girls enrolling at VCE level from other schools, including single sex schools.

NHS boys and girls playing basketball, 2 March, 2009

4. A small or large secondary school?

Although a population of 1370 sounds like a lot of students to some primary school parents, by Australian and International standards Northcote is an average sized secondary school (of similar size to many of our neighbours, including Kew, Strathmore and University High Schools). Private schools are generally larger than this. You can find more information about comparative school sizes on the web at:
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/SchoolsOnline

You can also read some of the most recent Australian research on the issue of success and school size at:
http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/4670/

There is sometimes a parent perception that "my child will be lost" in secondary school. Actually, this can happen anywhere and for reasons not just to do with the size of the school. We only find this a rare experience at Northcote. The purpose of the core/elective curriculum structure, the pastoral care and transition programs, is to smooth the process of transition, quickly establish significant relationships and develop resilience.

One obvious advantage of selecting a school of Northcote's size is that your child will be able to continually develop relationships throughout their schooling, beyond what otherwise might be a frustratingly small friendship group. Many parents comment that their grade 6 child is already showing a desire to extend their friendship circle. Indeed, the smallness of some friendship circles can become a source of tension for some adolescents.

Fortunately, parents in the inner Melbourne metropolitan area have a good range of schools to choose from. The final decision about the size of the school your child needs to be in is really one for the individual family, with the best external advice coming from your child's Primary School teachers.

5. Why does Northcote have a uniform ?

Northcote High School has a uniform for three reasons. First, most of our parents want one. Our parents consistently tell us that school uniforms reduce the ongoing cost of clothing students for school, although there is the initial "start up" cost to bear. A second and equally important reason is that having all students in a uniform is a means to ensuring their security while at school. Outsiders are immediately identifiable. Finally, the traditional reason for having a uniform still remains – it helps to foster a collegiate spirit, and emphasize the feeling of connectedness with peers.

It is sometimes claimed that having to wear a uniform inhibits a young person’s individuality. We don’t believe this, and there isn’t the slightest bit of educational research to support the idea. In fact, most Victorian Government Secondary Schools have a uniform.

Sean Bolger. NHS Year 8 State athlete, 2008

6. What homework support is available at Northcote?

English: Wednesday After School English Homework Club
The after school English homework club is run each Wednesday in Room 14 from 3.20 until 4.15. Students from all levels are welcome to attend to receive assistance with English tasks and the written work from any subject. 

Yr 7: Lunchtime Homework Club
Yr 7 students wanting help with any homework can come to C.2 on Tuesdays (Maths) and Thursdays (English). Mr Hoban and Ms Delahunty  help students with homework for any subject, for the first half of lunchtime.

Maths VCE Tuesday Homework help
The Mathematics Faculty is running homework help for VCE students in the VCE centre on Tuesday afternoon from 3.20pm. All VCE students are most welcome to attend.

Maths Tuesday Yr 7-10 help
Year 7 to 10 maths homework help will be on Tuesday afternoon in B12 from 3.20pm . All 7-10 students are welcome to attend.

Students don't need to book or ask permission… just roll up!

7. Northcote High School; A School that works