Thriving culture of learning and aspiration continues to evolve school

KINDNESS, SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY... are the key principles at the heart of the robust and thriving school culture at Shepparton ACE College. The college not only nurtures an adaptive and supporting learning environment but maintains class sizes no larger than 15 students to ensure the school's core values and educational philosophy continues to flourishes. Pictured from left is Cooper, Lauren, Tom, Harper, Casey, Georgia, Lilly, Kalais and Lily. Photo: Emma Harrop

Enrolments strong at CBD school

Having diligently established a robust school culture grounded in kindness and safety within its close-knit learning community, Shepparton ACE Secondary College has expanded its ethos to include responsibility as a key cornerstone. This addition not only reinforces the school’s commitment to a nurturing, adaptive and supportive environment, but is modelled daily by staff, whose example empowers students to take up the mantle.

Now at enrollment capacity with just under 90 students, principal Bronwyn Rose acknowledges that the size of the school’s infrastructure is purposeful as it aligns perfectly with the college’s teaching and learning philosophy. With class sizes no larger than 15 and as small as eight in some instances, the student to teacher ratio is instrumental in enabling the school’s core values to flourish, as she said,

KINDNESS, SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY… are the key principles at the heart of the robust and thriving school culture at Shepparton ACE College. The college not only nurtures an adaptive and supporting learning environment but maintains class sizes no larger than 15 students to ensure the school’s core values and educational philosophy continues to flourishes. Pictured from left is Cooper, Lauren, Tom, Harper, Casey, Georgia, Lilly, Kalais and Lily. Photo: Emma Harrop

“I’d rather do something small and do it well, if we tried to change it, it would completely change the way the school operates. What we have at our college is a warm, sense of community but it has firm boundaries around it.”

Walking the talk to value student voice at the college it is perhaps only fitting that Year 10 student Miles Hoffman has the final word on what Shepparton ACE College has achieved to date:

“When I first came to ACE, I was sceptical. Due to only having experienced big schools, the idea of a small high school made me uncertain and doubtful. Plus, since the fees were so low I kind of assumed that the education wouldn’t be the best. Oh, how wrong I was… As of 2024, I would argue that ACE is one of, if not the best, school in Victoria.”