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St Columba's College
Secondary · Catholic · Essendon
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school is trash don't go here
There’s a lot to improve on, but they don’t even try
This school is just bad. I don’t enjoy going here. Of course, experiences will be different for everyone, but others I know who go here have similar opinions.
Education and learning:
The way some of these subjects are taught can put students to sleep. Subjects, especially humanities, are taught in such a disengaging way that it’s extremely difficult to retain the information you learn. Teachers read information off of slides, students answer questions in booklets, repeat. I’ve found it extremely difficult to keep up in some of these classes due to how little I remember. Some classes are taught in an engaging way, but this really only applies to certain electives, and ONLY when it reaches student led lessons (such as cooking in food classes).
The workloads can get very unreasonable. I had about 6 assessments all due within 3-4 days of my exams beginning. I’ve had tests after only one proper lesson of learning information. It’s unreasonable to expect students to keep on top of this while maintaining good grades. The majority of assessments will give you one or two lessons of class time and then just throw it into your pile of homework to do. The first half of the term is bearable, but it becomes way too much when you approach the end of the term. You’re expected to study for your exams 5 days a week while submitting assignments every other day.
Staff and teachers:
Some teachers are nice, while others seem to thrive on handing out restoratives like candy, to the point that students are scared to even pass by them in the hallways for fear of being pulled aside for some uniform rule they didn’t even know was in effect. A lot of students will say that some teachers are bad and that you’re doomed if you get them, but sometimes it’s actually just a teacher who calls them out when they disrupt the class.
Safety and security:
The school is pretty secure and people can’t exactly just walk in. However when it comes to how safe students FEEL, that’s a completely different story. A lot of the fear within the school is fear of other students. If you’re not a stereotypical TikTok popular girl, people can and will judge you for it. If you have ANY sort of “weird” interests (“Weird” meaning almost anything that isn’t Love Island or Love Island adjacent) students are not afraid to talk bad about you to their friends while sitting across from you.
Indoor environment:
I honestly don’t have too much to say about this. A lot of students sit inside during breaks however some places just have completely broken heating. You’re also pretty limited as to where you can go during lunchtime and can get in trouble for going to your locker early. Some classrooms and lockers are on opposite sides of the school so your only hope of getting there on time is to get your books early.
Outdoor environment:
Nothing to do. There’s a singular basketball court that almost nobody really uses. If you have a look at St Bernard’s, they’ve got a massive oval that looks like the size of half of our school. We don’t have that, or anything that comes even close. There aren’t many benches outside so a lot of people sit on the grass or inside.
Food and meals:
The canteen food is cold. I ordered hot chips and I got slightly warm chips. They were cold by the time I sat down and started eating. I ordered a hashbrown and got a slightly warm hashbrown. Once again, cold when I sat down to eat.
School information:
The communication at this school is genuinely some of the worst I’ve ever seen. It feels like they’re intentionally trying to screw over their students and then get them in trouble for it. One issue is with the subject selection handbooks. They intentionally leave out key parts of information that could be dealbreakers for people and keep the description of subjects intentionally vague. Here’s a comparison of what the year 9 music subject looks like in the handbook compared to the actual thing:
Handbook:
- Compose, rehearse, and perform music in an ‘ensemble context’
- Learn about music
- Recommended to enrol in private instrumental lessons
- No mention of solo performances
Actual subject:
- Solo performances - a genuine dealbreaker for myself and many others
- Concerts - another dealbreaker
- Weekly performances to a combined class of year 9 and 10 music students
- Required enrolment in private instrumental lessons (which cost money)
- Required cocurricular ensemble participation with a 90% attendance rate required (not every student has time for these)
In year 8 music, we used GarageBand loops to put music on top of videos and played 1-2 short (about 8 bars) piano pieces per term. In year 9, students suddenly became expected to perform music in front of audiences at concerts, do private lessons, and join ensembles. We were never taught how to properly play an instrument well, except for about half of year 7. The instruments we learnt in year 7 were never revisited.
Do you see how this could cause extreme distress and mental health problems for students who had no idea what they were ACTUALLY going to have to do? The school did not properly inform students of potentially deal breaking aspects of subjects. They also very poorly communicated exam rooms. Students with special provisions or students that were in classes such as advanced mathematics either had their rooms changed MINUTES before the exams with no notice, or were not given their exam rooms until the day of their exams, while others got theirs days before.
Activities:
There are very little to no student led clubs. If you have a look at nearby schools, you’ll notice that they have a plethora of clubs listed that suit the interests of a wide range of students. The best we have here are clubs that just dump extra workloads as if it’s an extra school subject onto students and often require students to go to events outside of school hours, such as the debate club, which not everyone can do.
Extra:
This school is very bad at noticing when people are struggling. If you don’t have a diagnosis for a learning disability, the school won’t even bother to try and help you, especially if you’re getting decent grades. I, personally, have gotten super overwhelmed with classwork and have submitted things late or very close to deadlines. My grades have been slowly dropping, but since I still average above 80% on most subjects the school hasn’t offered any clear ways to ask for support, even when it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain these scores. Another note is that the wellbeing staff are also the staff that students are most scared of, since they seem to care about blazers and uniform more than wellbeing. Even then, a lot of teachers don’t take PLPs (Personal learning plans) into account or don’t do much with them. Teachers will stand at the gates every morning, not to say good morning or hello, but to hand out restoratives to students not wearing the blazer that does absolutely nothing. You can remove your blazer after taking a singular step into the school, but taking a step into the school or even just approaching it without a blazer is enough to warrant a teacher yelling at you.
The school presents itself as a sustainable and inclusive place, with posters around the school that are inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. This is just a facade to make them look good. There are sites blocked purely for the reasons “Gay, lesbian, or bisexual”. AI use runs rampant in the school. Teachers cannot be bothered to throw a few Canva elements together to make a poster and instead ask their best buddy ChatGPT to produce slop that destroys the environment. AI use is ENCOURAGED in some classes.
Overall: There are much better schools. Do your research and find another place.
Education and learning:
The way some of these subjects are taught can put students to sleep. Subjects, especially humanities, are taught in such a disengaging way that it’s extremely difficult to retain the information you learn. Teachers read information off of slides, students answer questions in booklets, repeat. I’ve found it extremely difficult to keep up in some of these classes due to how little I remember. Some classes are taught in an engaging way, but this really only applies to certain electives, and ONLY when it reaches student led lessons (such as cooking in food classes).
The workloads can get very unreasonable. I had about 6 assessments all due within 3-4 days of my exams beginning. I’ve had tests after only one proper lesson of learning information. It’s unreasonable to expect students to keep on top of this while maintaining good grades. The majority of assessments will give you one or two lessons of class time and then just throw it into your pile of homework to do. The first half of the term is bearable, but it becomes way too much when you approach the end of the term. You’re expected to study for your exams 5 days a week while submitting assignments every other day.
Staff and teachers:
Some teachers are nice, while others seem to thrive on handing out restoratives like candy, to the point that students are scared to even pass by them in the hallways for fear of being pulled aside for some uniform rule they didn’t even know was in effect. A lot of students will say that some teachers are bad and that you’re doomed if you get them, but sometimes it’s actually just a teacher who calls them out when they disrupt the class.
Safety and security:
The school is pretty secure and people can’t exactly just walk in. However when it comes to how safe students FEEL, that’s a completely different story. A lot of the fear within the school is fear of other students. If you’re not a stereotypical TikTok popular girl, people can and will judge you for it. If you have ANY sort of “weird” interests (“Weird” meaning almost anything that isn’t Love Island or Love Island adjacent) students are not afraid to talk bad about you to their friends while sitting across from you.
Indoor environment:
I honestly don’t have too much to say about this. A lot of students sit inside during breaks however some places just have completely broken heating. You’re also pretty limited as to where you can go during lunchtime and can get in trouble for going to your locker early. Some classrooms and lockers are on opposite sides of the school so your only hope of getting there on time is to get your books early.
Outdoor environment:
Nothing to do. There’s a singular basketball court that almost nobody really uses. If you have a look at St Bernard’s, they’ve got a massive oval that looks like the size of half of our school. We don’t have that, or anything that comes even close. There aren’t many benches outside so a lot of people sit on the grass or inside.
Food and meals:
The canteen food is cold. I ordered hot chips and I got slightly warm chips. They were cold by the time I sat down and started eating. I ordered a hashbrown and got a slightly warm hashbrown. Once again, cold when I sat down to eat.
School information:
The communication at this school is genuinely some of the worst I’ve ever seen. It feels like they’re intentionally trying to screw over their students and then get them in trouble for it. One issue is with the subject selection handbooks. They intentionally leave out key parts of information that could be dealbreakers for people and keep the description of subjects intentionally vague. Here’s a comparison of what the year 9 music subject looks like in the handbook compared to the actual thing:
Handbook:
- Compose, rehearse, and perform music in an ‘ensemble context’
- Learn about music
- Recommended to enrol in private instrumental lessons
- No mention of solo performances
Actual subject:
- Solo performances - a genuine dealbreaker for myself and many others
- Concerts - another dealbreaker
- Weekly performances to a combined class of year 9 and 10 music students
- Required enrolment in private instrumental lessons (which cost money)
- Required cocurricular ensemble participation with a 90% attendance rate required (not every student has time for these)
In year 8 music, we used GarageBand loops to put music on top of videos and played 1-2 short (about 8 bars) piano pieces per term. In year 9, students suddenly became expected to perform music in front of audiences at concerts, do private lessons, and join ensembles. We were never taught how to properly play an instrument well, except for about half of year 7. The instruments we learnt in year 7 were never revisited.
Do you see how this could cause extreme distress and mental health problems for students who had no idea what they were ACTUALLY going to have to do? The school did not properly inform students of potentially deal breaking aspects of subjects. They also very poorly communicated exam rooms. Students with special provisions or students that were in classes such as advanced mathematics either had their rooms changed MINUTES before the exams with no notice, or were not given their exam rooms until the day of their exams, while others got theirs days before.
Activities:
There are very little to no student led clubs. If you have a look at nearby schools, you’ll notice that they have a plethora of clubs listed that suit the interests of a wide range of students. The best we have here are clubs that just dump extra workloads as if it’s an extra school subject onto students and often require students to go to events outside of school hours, such as the debate club, which not everyone can do.
Extra:
This school is very bad at noticing when people are struggling. If you don’t have a diagnosis for a learning disability, the school won’t even bother to try and help you, especially if you’re getting decent grades. I, personally, have gotten super overwhelmed with classwork and have submitted things late or very close to deadlines. My grades have been slowly dropping, but since I still average above 80% on most subjects the school hasn’t offered any clear ways to ask for support, even when it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain these scores. Another note is that the wellbeing staff are also the staff that students are most scared of, since they seem to care about blazers and uniform more than wellbeing. Even then, a lot of teachers don’t take PLPs (Personal learning plans) into account or don’t do much with them. Teachers will stand at the gates every morning, not to say good morning or hello, but to hand out restoratives to students not wearing the blazer that does absolutely nothing. You can remove your blazer after taking a singular step into the school, but taking a step into the school or even just approaching it without a blazer is enough to warrant a teacher yelling at you.
The school presents itself as a sustainable and inclusive place, with posters around the school that are inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. This is just a facade to make them look good. There are sites blocked purely for the reasons “Gay, lesbian, or bisexual”. AI use runs rampant in the school. Teachers cannot be bothered to throw a few Canva elements together to make a poster and instead ask their best buddy ChatGPT to produce slop that destroys the environment. AI use is ENCOURAGED in some classes.
Overall: There are much better schools. Do your research and find another place.
This school is in very poor form.
This school isn't ideal. It's not the worst school, but send your kids here at your own discretion. I will be justifying each of my claims about specific categories here.
Education and Learning: 2/5
I am in contact with friends I had at a public school. They have told me that the material I am learning is a year ahead of theirs. This is not bad, it shows that we progress at a faster rate here, however this school is not particularly considerate to those with learning struggles unless you have a diagnosed disability. I am on the path to potentially receiving a diagnosis for a learning disability, but since I'm getting decent grades, the school does not provide any additional learning supports for me. I want to warn you that this does not just apply to children struggling in primary school. I was considered a 'gifted kid', and I am now falling behind in a very miserable manner in terms of my grades, with little I can do about it. Do not pin this to me, as I have studied hard and long hours for various tests and turned out with a 70%. When you are sick, you are expected to use the teacher's notes on our school app, Seqta, to teach yourself. I cannot learn online when I am sick, I need a teacher, and I don't think it is fair that while I am ill I should be expected to manage my own learning. Teachers believe that they should not have to catch you up and that you are liable for how you keep up on sick days. Additionally, exams are not spaced far enough away from assignments. Just before the exams start in year 9, I have had 5 different assignments to complete. This is not the week for assignments to be due. This is the week to study for the upcoming exams. I think this is very inappropriate timing. You cannot simultaneously engage in what this school likes to call "spaced learning" and "retrieval practice" (other words for studying consistently, and not just cramming) when each assignment takes a whole night to finish.
Staff and Teachers: 3/5
Many teachers here are quite nice, and the school is certainly better funded than that of a public school. However, it seems that teachers get the curriculum and instead form their teaching however they want to. This has resulted in some extremely poor forms of teaching. In english, the book is read to us, we highlight, annotate, and that is the entire lesson. There is nothing that makes it engaging. You may think that it's training us for the future, however this is a demographic of young teenagers. They cannot learn this way. The grades of many students here can stand testimony to that. Additionally, one of my teachers has expected us to do the actual learning outside of school as homework. That is not a way to learn. Your job is to teach us, I'm afraid.
Safety and Security: 3/5
I give this a 3 because in terms of actually physical safety, it is a very secure school with very little violence or threat of intruders, however it is not a safe space for students that to not adhere to social norms. Your children should want to feel free to express themselves, but this school has a very suffocating environment in which being outside of the typical "tiktok girl" formula will leave you socially ostracised. Last year, I did not have any friends in my class. That was ok to me, however there was this particular group of girls that liked to giggle at me when I talked and would often come up to me and talk to me as if I was a preschooler, or less capable than them. All because I was a quiet kid. This made my classroom feel like a very unsafe environment, and that stunted my learning in various cases because I was too panicked to contribute to class discussion due to this poor treatment. Eventually, this led to me getting sent to the wellbeing/support councillors. This would not be an issue if it weren't without my permission, and because I was apparently "demonstrating rude and antisocial behaviour toward my classmates." I had no friends, and I was naturally anxious around people that made me feel insecure. This was not a fair verdict. Also, a group that often sits near me will constantly whisper rude things to me and my friends, as if we cannot hear them, and will say inappropriate slurs that they do not have any right to say, as they are not part of the said minority group that the slur oppresses.
Indoor environment: 3.5/5
There is little to be said about this. The classrooms are good, just a bit cold in the winter. Additionally, we are not allowed to wear scarfs indoors, even though teachers are allowed to wear various different scarfs and puffer jackets. I find the uniform items too warm, so I often have to sit bare-armed in these cold classrooms.
Outdoor environment: 1/5
Very bare-bones amenities. There are drinking fountains, but most people tend to sit inside, as there is no oval, there are very limited opportunities for playing sports, and there are very limited good places to sit outside. If you have a child that loves sport, do not send them here.
Food and Meals: 2/5
The lines at the canteen are very long, and the food comes out slightly warm but instantly cools down and becomes unappetising within 30 seconds. I found a mosquito in my chicken burger once, and I haven't ordered one since.
School Information: 2/5
I'm not sure what to say about this, the school just seems very vague on various policies and things about it until you actually go here. It wants to put itself on a pedestal when really it does not deserve to do that.
Activities: 2/5
Various clubs, though none are student led, meaning many students don't feel too inclined to participate. Limited in-campus sport opportunities.
Education and Learning: 2/5
I am in contact with friends I had at a public school. They have told me that the material I am learning is a year ahead of theirs. This is not bad, it shows that we progress at a faster rate here, however this school is not particularly considerate to those with learning struggles unless you have a diagnosed disability. I am on the path to potentially receiving a diagnosis for a learning disability, but since I'm getting decent grades, the school does not provide any additional learning supports for me. I want to warn you that this does not just apply to children struggling in primary school. I was considered a 'gifted kid', and I am now falling behind in a very miserable manner in terms of my grades, with little I can do about it. Do not pin this to me, as I have studied hard and long hours for various tests and turned out with a 70%. When you are sick, you are expected to use the teacher's notes on our school app, Seqta, to teach yourself. I cannot learn online when I am sick, I need a teacher, and I don't think it is fair that while I am ill I should be expected to manage my own learning. Teachers believe that they should not have to catch you up and that you are liable for how you keep up on sick days. Additionally, exams are not spaced far enough away from assignments. Just before the exams start in year 9, I have had 5 different assignments to complete. This is not the week for assignments to be due. This is the week to study for the upcoming exams. I think this is very inappropriate timing. You cannot simultaneously engage in what this school likes to call "spaced learning" and "retrieval practice" (other words for studying consistently, and not just cramming) when each assignment takes a whole night to finish.
Staff and Teachers: 3/5
Many teachers here are quite nice, and the school is certainly better funded than that of a public school. However, it seems that teachers get the curriculum and instead form their teaching however they want to. This has resulted in some extremely poor forms of teaching. In english, the book is read to us, we highlight, annotate, and that is the entire lesson. There is nothing that makes it engaging. You may think that it's training us for the future, however this is a demographic of young teenagers. They cannot learn this way. The grades of many students here can stand testimony to that. Additionally, one of my teachers has expected us to do the actual learning outside of school as homework. That is not a way to learn. Your job is to teach us, I'm afraid.
Safety and Security: 3/5
I give this a 3 because in terms of actually physical safety, it is a very secure school with very little violence or threat of intruders, however it is not a safe space for students that to not adhere to social norms. Your children should want to feel free to express themselves, but this school has a very suffocating environment in which being outside of the typical "tiktok girl" formula will leave you socially ostracised. Last year, I did not have any friends in my class. That was ok to me, however there was this particular group of girls that liked to giggle at me when I talked and would often come up to me and talk to me as if I was a preschooler, or less capable than them. All because I was a quiet kid. This made my classroom feel like a very unsafe environment, and that stunted my learning in various cases because I was too panicked to contribute to class discussion due to this poor treatment. Eventually, this led to me getting sent to the wellbeing/support councillors. This would not be an issue if it weren't without my permission, and because I was apparently "demonstrating rude and antisocial behaviour toward my classmates." I had no friends, and I was naturally anxious around people that made me feel insecure. This was not a fair verdict. Also, a group that often sits near me will constantly whisper rude things to me and my friends, as if we cannot hear them, and will say inappropriate slurs that they do not have any right to say, as they are not part of the said minority group that the slur oppresses.
Indoor environment: 3.5/5
There is little to be said about this. The classrooms are good, just a bit cold in the winter. Additionally, we are not allowed to wear scarfs indoors, even though teachers are allowed to wear various different scarfs and puffer jackets. I find the uniform items too warm, so I often have to sit bare-armed in these cold classrooms.
Outdoor environment: 1/5
Very bare-bones amenities. There are drinking fountains, but most people tend to sit inside, as there is no oval, there are very limited opportunities for playing sports, and there are very limited good places to sit outside. If you have a child that loves sport, do not send them here.
Food and Meals: 2/5
The lines at the canteen are very long, and the food comes out slightly warm but instantly cools down and becomes unappetising within 30 seconds. I found a mosquito in my chicken burger once, and I haven't ordered one since.
School Information: 2/5
I'm not sure what to say about this, the school just seems very vague on various policies and things about it until you actually go here. It wants to put itself on a pedestal when really it does not deserve to do that.
Activities: 2/5
Various clubs, though none are student led, meaning many students don't feel too inclined to participate. Limited in-campus sport opportunities.
Poor leadership
Awful school. Staff talk badly about students behind their backs, leadership refuse to listen to a single word students have to say and crush ANY form of protest, principal doesn't even do anything, and staff will willingly let a student's mental health or home situation decline, as their only priorities are scarves and blazers.
Students exclude, judge and bully those who are different in any way, and I know multiple students who cite this school as the cause of severe mental health issues (me included)
If you're a parent, please DO NOT send your kids here, especially if they stand out in any way!!!!
Students exclude, judge and bully those who are different in any way, and I know multiple students who cite this school as the cause of severe mental health issues (me included)
If you're a parent, please DO NOT send your kids here, especially if they stand out in any way!!!!
2 Leslie Road, 3040, Essendon
Rita Grima
03 9337 5311
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leadership sucks and workload is insane, canteen food is overpriced and cold and i would not recommend going here especially if you don't fit into the basic Aussie girl stereotype because the school will make no effort to stop bulling .