Great Lakes College Forster Campus

Great Lakes College Forster Campus is one of a three member collegiate. It is also part of the nine member Great Lakes Learning Community. It caters for approximately 680 students from Year 7 through to Year 10. Eight % of students are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Descent. The college and school values developed by the whole school community include striving for personal best, respect, responsibility, cooperation and fairness. These values underpin all aspects of school life and students and their parents receive three-weekly feedback in relation to progress against these values. The Regular Assessment Program (RAP) measures student progress in these areas and results are mailed home to parents. The school received an Education Week Award for Excellence in Education. For students in Years 7 and 8 there is a talented students' class and a literacy-based class and the remaining classes are of a mixed-ability structure. For students in Years 9 and 10 classes are blocked into subject areas and various class structures apply. The school offers a diverse curriculum with Stage 5 VET courses and a wide range of academic and performing arts subjects. Drama, public speaking, debating, music and bi-annual college musicals, together with a high order performing arts program, encourage student creativity. The school is renowned for its strong success in Volleyball, Swimming, Canoeing and Athletics. A wide range of sports is on offer. A Special Education unit is based at the school comprising of classes for students with Moderate Intellectual Disability, Emotional Disturbance and Behavioural Disturbance. A large number of special needs students are integrated within mainstream settings. The school receives special funding under the Norta Norta Program for Indigenous students. It also receives additional funding for ATSI students as part of the Schools in Partnership Program. Four special programs are worthy of note. These are: 1. Chill Out Breakfast Program, providing a free nutritious breakfast for two mornings each week. This is served by volunteers from local churches. 2. Premiers Volunteering Program - students provide a wide range of service to both the school and local community and this is acknowledged by the Premier's Department. 3. Peer Tutoring - students with low reading skills are tutored by TAFE trained Year 10 students. 4. Positive Behaviour for Learning - students are explicitly taught playground and classroom behaviours to support their learning.