Thursday, 4 May 2023

Hester Hornbrook Academy

John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:42): Today I want to talk about how lucky Southern Metro is to have a school like Hester Hornbrook Academy, an alternative school to mainstream education. Recently I visited the Prahran campus and met with principal Sally Lasslett and staff, and I have got to say I was extremely impressed. The school supports young people who have been disengaged from school because of educational and social challenges. They are changing young people’s lives by ensuring they receive an education when they otherwise would not as they are not suited for mainstream school.

The school goes above and beyond by providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, ensuring students’ basic needs are met so they can focus on learning. The school is equipped with in-house youth workers and psychologists in every classroom, along with various programs such as a wellbeing program, a trauma-informed healing program and tutorial support. School rules are replaced with the values of being safe, productive and respectful. The school is unique in that it also has a young parent classroom, which allows mothers to bring their children to school up until the age of one; after this time the child attends child care. The school is having a significant impact on our community in Southern Metro and other districts, with campuses in South Melbourne, the city and Sunshine. With individualised programs and timetables, these young people achieve success in education and establish pathways to employment and further education.