Galilee School: school done differently

Posted on 16 December, 2022

Not every child fits effortlessly into mainstream education. That’s where Galilee School Senior Secondary College comes in.

Opening its doors in February 2021 as an addition to the Galilee Secondary School, the senior secondary college was established by Communities at Work to help young people who have trouble engaging with mainstream education find a sense of purpose and a new love for learning.

Galilee School is the only independent school in Canberra designed specifically to support vulnerable, disengaged teenagers who may be experiencing domestic violence, drugs, poverty, homelessness or other complex life challenges. Principal Tim McNevin says what makes the school so unique is the priority they place on supporting their young students—addressing the social and emotional challenges that they might be experiencing in their life.

“Those challenges that they have can be unique to each young person,” he says.

“And we emphasise that, and we remember that in our dealings with them. We treat them as individuals, and we respond to their needs as individuals. We don’t try and fit them into a pre-made box. We create a special box around each student.”

Providing everything a young person needs to succeed in school—including textbooks, writing materials, technology, food, and transport to and from the campus—another unique aspect of Galilee School is the variety of subjects on offer.

From staples like maths, English, PE, and science to more unique courses such as jewellery making, a farm skills program, ‘Boss Your Future’ business program, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, there’s something for every student to connect with.

Galilee School senior students learn all aspects of timber construction, from designing their projects through to final construction.

“It just means that all a young person needs to do is attend school and have a go. We don’t need perfection, and we don’t need success necessarily—we just need effort,” says Tim.

“If we’re seeing that effort, if we’re seeing that buy-in, then that gives us something to work with.”

Aiding students to find value in themselves by giving them a safe place to go, many of the recent graduates may have otherwise dropped out, headed down a wrong path, and missed out on opportunities to find success in their lives.

But Tim says that the Galilee School uses an educational model that seeks to maintain a staff-to-student ratio of one to five—an incredibly low number that is rarely seen in schools—allowing the staff to focus on the needs of each individual student.

“That staffing ratio is made up of Teachers, Learning Support Assistants, Youth Workers, a Chaplain, and other support staff,” he says. “Depending on what the need of a young person is, you can determine how that staffing group is mobilised.”

“So, if a young person is facing hardship at home or insecure living arrangements or problems with the youth justice system—or perhaps wrestling with some life choices—the support that they’re going to need is more likely to be delivered via our youth workers and our chaplain. It’s about putting the young person at the centre of the conversation and asking what their needs are right now and how can we support them.”

And while the Senior Secondary College has only been open for two years, the feedback to Tim has been tremendous.

“The families often say ‘Gee, we wish we had found you sooner.’ Together with their young person, they’ve endured years of pain, frustration, disappointments, and challenges. These families are so grateful to then see their young person turn around and start to have hope for the future,” says Tim.

“The young people too are tremendously grateful for what happens here and how the school supports and guides them. But the credit really goes to them. What we say is ‘We can provide the opportunity; we can provide the environment, but it’s up to you to make the most of it’. And they do.”

By inspiring these young people to reach their potential, the school has just celebrated its first batch of Year 12 graduates to finish their education at Galilee School Senior Secondary College—a major milestone for both the school and students.

Principal Tim McNevin celebrate with some of the school’s first ever Year 12 graduates – a major milestone for the school.

Tim believes it was a moral imperative for the school to open in the first place—helping young people engage with education and asking themselves what they want to become in the future.  Prior to 2021, without the option of a senior college at Galilee School, most students, after finishing Year 10, either returned to mainstream colleges or sought work. But none succeeded in gaining a Year 12 Certificate.

Now, for the first time, some are. Spurred on by their success, Tim looks to the coming years and plans to continue to improve and update the facilities while remaining true to the interests of the students.