Byford Secondary College

Summary

Byford Secondary College is an Independent Public secondary school in Byford, a suburb 33 kilometres (21 mi) south-east of Perth, Western Australia.

Byford Secondary College
Mead Street entrance to the school in 2023
Address
Map
57 Abernethy Road


Australia
Coordinates32°13′24″S 116°00′09″E / 32.22333°S 116.00250°E / -32.22333; 116.00250
Information
TypeIndependent public co-educational day school
MottoAspire to Excellence
Opened2014; 10 years ago (2014)
Educational authorityWA Department of Education
PrincipalPaul Jones
Years712
Enrolment1,444[1] (2020)
Campus typeSuburban
Colour(s)  
Websitebyfordsc.wa.edu.au

History edit

Stage one of the construction of Byford Secondary College opened in February 2014, and cost $35.2 million.[2][3] Stage two opened in July 2016, and cost $14 million. Facilities included in that stage are an education support facility, arts centre, gymnasium and extension of the technologies building. The third and final stage opened in September 2017, two years ahead of schedule. The third stage included a double storey senior school building for Year 11 and 12 students, a staffroom, student services area, 3 information technology laboratories, 75-seat lecture theatre, 15 general classrooms and 2 educational support classrooms. The final stage cost $15.9 million.[4][5]

Byford Secondary College opened to Year 8 students in 2014. An additional year group was added to the school each year after that, up until Year 12 in 2018. In addition, the school opened to Year 7 students in 2015, alongside most other public secondary schools in Western Australia. By 2018, the school had students from Year 7 to Year 12.[5]

In March 2017, it was revealed that the educational support facility's $700,000 pool had not been used in the 9 months since it had been competed. Staff were not trained and accredited for using the pool until October 2016, and by then, the pool's heating system had to be replaced due to corrosion being detected. After it became usable, there were no students with a disability that required hydrotherapy. The principal stated, however, that students with those needs may enrol in the future now that the pool is operational. The president of the State Schools Teachers Union criticised that money was spent on a pool that is barely being used, when other schools find it hard to get good facilities.[6]

In 2018, the school donated school equipment to 43 children in Cambodia.[7]

In the 2021 Budget it was reported the college would receive an additional classroom block including STEM facilities valued at $21.5 million.[8]

Michelle Barret was named the 2021 WA Education Assistant of the Year.[9]

For the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, Byford Secondary College served as a polling site on 14 October.[10]

In 2023, teacher Lauren Warschauer was awarded the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards in Canberra, being one of only three recipients from Western Australia.[11]

 
Byford Secondary in 2023 showing C-block, which is mainly for science classes, in the background

Facilities edit

The school contains eight blocks. A-block is used for Art classes and contains the school's theatre; B-block is the main design and technology block, and also contains home economic classes; C-block is the science block; D-block is the block utilised by students with disabilities; G-block is used by health classes; H-block is used by English classes; I-block is used by mathematic classes; and J-block is used by Humanities and Social Sciences classes, as well as some design and technology classes that are more involved with computers. In addition, the school also contains a library, café, sport change rooms, student services, an indoor gymnasium, sport courts and an oval.[12]

Academic results edit

2018 was the first year that Year 12 students graduated from Byford Secondary College.

Year Rank Median ATAR Eligible students Students with ATAR % Students with ATAR Ref
2021 68.70 174 39 22.41% [13]
2020 116 68.00 153 33 21.57% [14]
2019 139 60.00 134 45 33.58% [15]
2018 130 66.40 109 46 42.20% [16]

Student numbers edit

Year Number[1][5]
2014 169
2015 594
2016 820
2017 1,027
2018 1,188
2019 1,315
2020 1,444
2021 1,506
2022 1,481
2023 1,458

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Byford Secondary College – Student Numbers". Schools Online. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  2. ^ "School goes back with record numbers". Media Statements. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. ^ Hiatt, Bethany. "Students aspire for excellence on iPads". The West Australian. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Final stage of Byford Secondary College officially opened". Media Statements. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Byford Secondary College Annual Report". Trove. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  6. ^ Hiatt, Bethany. "Unused Byford Secondary College pool 'ludicrous': parent". Perth Now. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. ^ "McGowan Government's Budget delivers for WA students". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Top schools and staff announced as education awards finalists". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Where can I vote - 2023 referendum". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Byford teacher is top of her class". Your Local Examiner. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Byford Senior High School – PS Structures". psstructures.com.au. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  13. ^ "How Your School Rates liftout". The West Australian. 11 January 2022.
  14. ^ "WA School Ranking - 2020". Better Education. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  15. ^ "WA School Ranking - 2019". Better Education. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  16. ^ "WA School Ranking - 2018". Better Education. Retrieved 8 January 2021.

External links edit

  • Byford Secondary College website
  • Annual school reports (2014–2018)
  • Department of Education, Schools Online, Byford Secondary College (4193)