FOUR secondary schools across the Shepparton and Mooroopna region will unite as one under a new Shepparton Education Plan.
SEMZ were engaged by the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to provide initial due diligence analysis to assist the VSBA with the site selection. This analysis contributed to the selection of the current Shepparton High School site due to its central location and proximity to transport and facilities.
More recently, SEMZ are pleased to have been appointed to Project Manage and Superintend the construction of this brand new school.
Shepparton High School, McGuire College, Mooroopna Secondary College and Wanganui Park Secondary College will become one state-of-the-art, new school, divided into about nine smaller schools of approximately 300 students, known as ‘houses’.
The house model has been chosen to provide the students with a sense of community and support associated with a smaller school, while allowing a far greater breadth and depth of secondary programs, which historically has been difficult to enable in regional locations.
The Greater Shepparton region has a substantial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, as well as an increasingly significant multi-cultural community. Over 15% of the region’s residing community identify as being born in a country other than Australia. The Greater Shepparton City Council’s commitment to the continual promotion of the region’s cultural diversity is supported by the One School, One Campus’ design to provide staff and students from all backgrounds with the opportunity to create and strengthen multi-cultural ties.
The VSBA and the project team has been undertaking substantial consultation within the Shepperton community to help inform the design -developed in consultation with Melbourne University, educational pedagogy spatial expert Dr Ben Cleveland.
The initial masterplan concept for the School by Architects Gray Puksand include New teaching buildings, Sport and Recreation facilities, a Well-Being hub and capacity to provide support to all students (including high achieving and those with complex learning needs).