Rationale
Williamstown High School’s Girls Only Homegroups is a unique program that offers girls single-sex education within a co-educational setting. As part of the 2001 amalgamation with Point Gellibrand Girls’ Secondary College, the two schools chose to honour the educational setting of a single-sex school that had been running for 75 years.
Each student at Williamstown High School is an individual with unique responses to teaching and learning environments. We have three separate streams to meet the needs of students: Mainstream, Co-Educational, Accelerated Learning and Girls Only Homegroups. The Girls Only Homegroups offer students a chance to learn in a single-sex environment, but with the capacity to interact with the co-educational program.
There is no definitive statement or research to indicate that girls will achieve higher results in a single-sex environment. However, trends in research indicate that many girls may thrive in a single-sex learning environment.
Essentially, the Girls Only Homegroups offers students a chance to learn in a single-sex environment. This program has many holistic benefits for the girls; they will learn and grow together in a caring, supportive and empowering environment.
What Does the Girls Only Homegroup Offer?
The Girls’ classes have a coordinator who works with curriculum leaders to promote and enhance girls’ education through our teaching and learning but more importantly Anne Gaylor is a wonderful role model who works with our young women to promote and encourage excellence and aspiration across the school.
Girls Only Homegroups may be offered at each year level but this is dependent on enrolment demand on a yearly basis. The Girls Only Homegroups program also offers some girls-only subjects in VCE (depending on demand). The Girls’ Coordinator organises specific development opportunities and activities in academic and personal contexts such as guest speakers for special assemblies, self-esteem, leadership and wellbeing workshops. Each year, Williamstown High School celebrates International Women’s Day, with a variety of celebration assemblies and special guest speakers. The Girls’ Coordinator follows the academic needs of students and encourages extra curricular involvement and the opportunity to take on various leadership positions within the school.
How Does the Curriculum Differ from the Mainstream Coeducational Classes?
At Williamstown High School teachers differentiate the learning to best suit the needs of their students.
Our girls learn the same skills and content as the mainstream curriculum but through instructions, activities and coursework that is tailored towards the individual needs of girls’ education.
For example, as part of their English studies, Girls Only Homegroups study novels or films that feature female protagonists, which allows them to learn about women’s lives in the particular social and historical context of the text. Likewise, during Health and Physical Education lessons, a Girls Only Homegroup has the opportunity to deeply explore issues significant to the health and well-being of teenage girls in a Girls Only learning environment.
We are developing our curriculum to ensure that we are focusing more on meeting the needs and interests of the girls-only classes across all subject and curriculum areas.
Enrolment into the Girls Only Homegroups
All female students are eligible to apply to be in a Girls Only Homegroup and there are no entry requirements for the program other than the enrolment criteria outlined by the Department, which is applied for all enrolment positions offered by the school.
Enrolment application forms are available directly from the Principal or Transition Coordinator of your child’s primary school. If you are in a Government School, you should receive these forms around April. Students from Independent or Religious schools need to contact Williamstown High School directly for an enrolment package.
You need to specify on the enrolment form whether your child would like to be in the Girls Only Homegroups.
Enquiries can be made to;
Anne Gaylor, Girls’ Coordinator
Email: gaylor.anne.m@edumail.vic.gov.au Phone: 9399 9228