School Community
WERRIBEE SECONDARY COLLEGE | Live Worthily
Werribee Secondary College is a welcoming, diverse and supportive community. Students, parents, carers, and staff work together to build a positive culture and support strong learning outcomes. We value respect and believe everyone belongs. Our community regularly partakes in events and activities that enhance learning, strengthen social connections, and enrich the college environment.
School Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPBS)
What is SWPBS?
School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is a globally recognised, evidence-based framework that helps schools create safe, positive, and inclusive environments where students and staff can thrive. SWPBS supports the Education State priorities and the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 by helping schools build consistent, whole-school systems that promote positive behaviour, wellbeing, and inclusion—creating the right conditions for effective teaching, learning, and leadership across the school.
SWPBS at Werribee Secondary College
At Werribee Secondary College, the SWPBS Matrix forms the foundation of all SWPBS work. It incorporates 30 positive behaviours across a range of contexts aligned with the college values of respect and responsibility. Students are explicitly taught these behaviours via our Homegroup program. The Matrix is an ongoing reference point when staff manage student behaviour.
Werribee Secondary College SWPBS Matrix
SWPBS helps schools to:
- increase respectful and positive behaviour
- strengthen social and emotional wellbeing
- reduce classroom disruptions and increase learning time
- build positive, respectful relationships between students and staff
- create safe, orderly, and supportive school environments.
Schools implementing SWPBS:
- use data to monitor progress and improve practices.
- use inclusive, evidence-based strategies to support all students
- form teams to guide implementation and maintain momentum
- provide ongoing training and coaching to staff
- partner with students, families, and communities to ensure fairness and consistency
SWPBS is built around four key elements
- Outcomes: Clear goals related to behaviour, wellbeing, academic success, and school climate
- Data: Evidence collected to monitor progress, identify needs, and guide decisions
- Practices: Teaching strategies and interventions to encourage positive behaviour
- Systems: Structures and processes that support consistent implementation, such as leadership teams and professional development
These elements are delivered through a multi-tiered system of support
- Tier 1: Universal Support – for all students, staff, and settings
- Tier 2: Targeted Support – for students at risk of behavioural challenges
- Tier 3: Intensive Support – for students with complex and individualised needs
Students’ positive behaviours are routinely acknowledged by staff via the following process:
Staff follow the below processes when discouraging inappropriate behaviours. Behaviours have been defined at the minor and major level, with the response determined by the nature of the behaviour/incident.
SWPBS Silver Award 2025
Werribee Secondary College was awarded a Silver level of acknowledgement for 2025 for School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) implementation. Silver level of acknowledgement recognises that the school has established SWPBS tier 1 implementation, has actively supported staff in embedding the Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS), and achieved key fidelity measures in 2025.
Student Support & Wellbeing
Student Support
At Werribee Secondary College, we do our best to ensure students are supported at all stages of their education.
We have a wide range of supports and programs that we offer to accommodate students’ individual needs.
We know that school and life can provide challenges at times and thus take a holistic approach with regards to the wellbeing support of our students.
Student Wellbeing Services
Werribee Secondary College’s Student Wellbeing Services primary responsibility is to promote the academic, personal, and social development of all our students. The college works with the school community as well as other services and agencies to support our students in being responsible and productive citizens. We pride ourselves on having a positive and supportive learning environment which focuses on the holistic development of the student. Student Wellbeing Services has a dual focus, addressing both educational support as well as therapeutic needs. Student Wellbeing Services are provided by professional staff with qualifications and expertise specific to the area of wellbeing. Services may include a range of group based and individual support, provided by Werribee Secondary staff, Student Support Services and external agencies. Access to Student Wellbeing is a free service and the information provided is kept private and confidential.
The Student Wellbeing Team is a multidisciplinary team that consists of:
- Director of Wellbeing
- Mental Health Practitioner
- Student Wellbeing & Inclusion Practitioners
- Student Engagement Coordinators/ Youth workers
With formal qualifications in mental health and wellbeing support, our wellbeing staff work closely with our leadership teams & provide individual and group support, parent support and consultation, and linkage to community services. Individual work includes counselling, anger management, social skills development, conflict resolution, physical and mental health support, school attendance and referrals to external agencies. Group programs may include social skills groups, conflict resolution, anger management, grief and loss and specific sub school programs.
The college partners with the Secondary School Nurses Program with the aim to focus on the prevention of ill health and problem behaviours by coordinating the link between the school and community-based health and support services. The SSNP also supports the school community in addressing contemporary health and social issues facing young people and their families.
Students can be referred to wellbeing via parents, staff or self-referrals. Parents can do this by contacting a member of the sub-school team or a wellbeing team member and discussing their concerns. Staff can refer a student when they have concerns about the social and emotional wellbeing of a student. Students can self-refer to wellbeing via dropping into the wellbeing hub located in the front office building, sending an email to a member of the wellbeing team or speaking to any staff member about a referral.
Referrals are triaged by the wellbeing team and follow up action is taken dependant on the need of the referral.
Urgent Support
If you need urgent support, or someone to talk to outside of school hours, we recommend you access a crisis service.
Many crisis services offer phone support, as well as online chat options.
If you or someone around you is in an emergency situation, please call 000.
Disability Inclusion
Disability Inclusion In Schools
Inclusive schools have better outcomes in learning, engagement and wellbeing for all students. Disability Inclusion is helping our school better understand what our students need to help them learn, through:
- more training and coaching for teachers and school staff about the best ways to support student learning.
- a new funding and support model with more investment
- a new strength-based process called the Disability Inclusion Profile to help identify the student’s needs and required adjustments
A New Funding and Support Model With More Investment
The new funding and support model provides additional investment that our school can use to support students with disability and diverse learners, including autistic students and students with learning difficulties. This additional investment will provide more support for students with disability, including students who haven’t been eligible for individual funding through the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) in the past. Our school can use this funding for a range of activities including:
- more training and professional development for teachers and school staff
- getting expert advice about disability
- hiring teachers or other staff to help plan and deliver educational adjustments for students
- equipment and resources to support learning.
The Disability Inclusion Profile
The Disability Inclusion Profile will help us find out more about your child’s strengths and needs. It may inform personalised funding allocations, help us plan student learning and any adjustments a student may need to participate in activities on the same basis as their peers. People who know your child will be involved in the meeting, along with an independent, trained facilitator who will help our school and families complete the profile. If a profile meeting is requested for your child, we will work with you to find the most suitable time for the meeting. During the meeting, the representatives discuss the supports in place for your child across a range of activities within the following domain table:
At Werribee Secondary College, we undertake the following process when we have identified a student would benefit from tier 3 (extensive) supports:
Students selected for a DIP will be assessed for eligibility through substantial or extensive adjustments across the listed domains. Students who do not meet DIP eligibility, even with a diagnosis, will continue to receive support through reasonable adjustments.
Multi Cultural & Mentor Programs
As a proud International School, we recognise we have large cohorts of students from a range of cultural backgrounds. We have therefore invested resources to ensure that students from some of our most-represented cultural backgrounds are engaged and well supported at school.
Multicultural Education Aide
Our Multicultural Education Aide supports our Karenni students and families. Our MEA is in regular contact with families who may need support accessing key school information or documentation. Our MEA also works one on one with some of our EAL students who may be requiring additional support with their learning.
On top of this, we also invite Karen and Karenni families on site regularly for community-based sessions presented by external services addressing important matters around school, healthcare and more.
Multicultural Youth Worker
Our Multicultural Youth Worker works with our African-background students in a range of ways. Regular opt-in workshops are run that focus on culture, history and leadership, all framed within the importance of engaging in a successful education. Our Multicultural Youth Worker also supports students one-on-one basis as needed, meeting with and contacting families to discuss available supports and ways to improve engagement at school. Our Youth Worker has a large range of local connections, allowing for several opportunities for our African-background students to engage in highly valuable excursions and incursions that complement their schooling.
Employment Opportunities
Looking For A New Opportunity?
Werribee Secondary College is located in Duncans Road, Werribee, a 30-minute drive from the Melbourne and Geelong central business districts. Ample free staff parking is provided on site. The Werribee Railway Station is located just 10 minutes away by foot.
Our College currently employs approximately 150 staff including Principals, Leading Teachers, Learning Specialists, Classroom Teachers and Education Support. Our dedicated and diverse team work together to develop well-rounded, lifelong learners, equipped with knowledge, resilience and skills to achieve future success.
For further information about Werribee Secondary College, including our results, Annual Report, Strategic Plan and Annual Improvement Report (AIP), please refer to the Our College page of this website.
Werribee Secondary College is compliant with all Department of Education recruitment policies and guidelines, including selection processes and merit and equity principles. Comprehensive information regarding school jobs and policies are available from the Department website.
How To Apply
Potential applicants seeking employment at Werribee Secondary College can view the available opportunities and relevant selection criteria on Recruitment Online (below). For any further information, please feel welcome to contact us.
Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our school actively promotes the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment in accordance with their legal obligations including the Child Safe Standards. The College’s Child Safety Policy and Code of Conduct are available on this website.
