As a P-12 school we believe a great strength is our ability to provide a seamless transition between primary and secondary schooling as we have an extensive knowledge of every students' learning and social needs. There many things that I believe make our school an inclusive and vibrant learning community. This is made up of the broad selection of programs and learning opportunities for our students to engage in. Our school has a focus on continuous improvement in every aspect of school life.  We aim to maximise each student’s potential so that all will experience success.  Our school goals focus on improving our students’ levels of achievement in all domains of the curriculum.   Our school has three distinct learning teams to develop and deliver curriculum at the different stages of learning, acknowledging age - appropriate needs. The physical layout of the school reflects the sub school groupings with areas for P-6 and 7-12.

We operate a ‘vertical curriculum’ for Years 7-12 which broadens the range of subject choices for students and provides a structure for students to work at a level more suited to their needs. Our house system is an important aspect of school life with all students aligned to one of the houses.  The house names reflect the school’s philosophy:  

Inspire, Endeavour, Succeed.

Our school provides students with the opportunity to excel in a range of ‘enrichment’ programs:  performing arts (which includes production and festival performances); public speaking; instrumental music; sporting teams and camps and excursions at all year levels, including tours of New Zealand.  We combine the best of a traditional approach to teaching with innovative and exciting programs at all levels. Schools are dynamic places and good relationships underpin the foundations of our school. Every day I genuinely walk into our school with a real sense of optimism and enthusiasm. I just love the energy that exists in a school environment.

There is a strong partnership between parents and staff with a high level of participation in classroom programs such as 'Classroom Helpers' and also in broad school activities and programs such as the school productions. We have an active Parents’ Association who support the school in many ways including through fundraising activities. 

Mortlake College is proud of its achievements in student learning. We have a strong focus on literacy and numeracy at all levels and we support students with strong literacy and numeracy intervention programs. Individual Learning Plans strengthen our results by addressing the needs of individual students.

One of the great strengths of our school has been our excellent VCE results over a long period of time. In 2020 and 2021, our school was listed in the top 10 VCE performers in regional Victoria.  The VCAL certificate was also introduced in 2020 to broaden our pathway options to students. Our staff is committed to giving students the best possible chances to maximise their results through smaller class sizes and knowledge of individual student learning.

In the Attitudes to School Survey, our student responses are above the state average.  This indicates that students at both the primary and secondary levels have a strong sense of belonging and an enjoyment of school. Positive Education and Respectful Relationship principles are designed to provide students with an understanding of what factors assist in creating a sense of wellbeing. We use the Restorative Practices model of behaviour management. Each student is aware that they will be held accountable for their behaviour and will be dealt with fairly and consistently.  

Mortlake P-12 College has a real sense of community because it is filled with people who care and want to see success. We look forward to achieving success together.

Michael Castersen - Acting Principal