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The Footscray High School community is proud to congratulate the Class of 2025 on their exceptional Year 12 results. These achievements reflect the hard work, determination, and resilience shown by our students, as well as the dedication of their teachers and the unwavering support of their families.
While VCE scores are just one measure of success, we are delighted to share the following highlights from this year’s results:
These results highlight the strength of our learning community, one where every student, regardless of their interests or aspirations, is supported to grow, succeed, and strive for excellence.
I am aware of feedback the school community has given that you value having school dates particularly in relation to student free days well in advance. At the last meeting of School Council, the following student free days were endorsed.
As always, this year has brought both challenges and joys. I extend my sincere thanks to the entire Footscray High School community for its ongoing support and for the many ways you contribute to the success of our school.
I wish all students, staff, and families a restful and well-deserved summer break.
Jillian English
Principal
We are pleased to congratulate Francis White on achieving an exceptional ATAR of 99.55 in his VCE, placing him among the top students in the state. Francis’s remarkable result reflects his dedication, discipline, and passion for learning across a diverse range of subjects.
Throughout his VCE journey, Francis consistently demonstrated perseverance, curiosity, and a commitment to academic excellence. His hard work, time management, and resilience in the face of challenges have been truly inspiring. Beyond his impressive grades, Francis has been a positive influence on his peers, embodying the FHS pillars of unity and endeavour.
Francis’s achievement is a proud moment for our school community and sets a shining example of what can be accomplished through focus, effort, and a love for learning. We congratulate him on this outstanding success and look forward to seeing his future accomplishments.
Congratulations to Year 12 Graduate Aedan Campbell who was successful in securing the position of Hospitality Services Operator with the Royal Australian Navy. Aedan will commence his appointment in June 2026. Aedan studied subjects that he enjoys in his VCE including English Language, Business Management, Health & Human Development and Physical Education.
About the Role
As a Hospitality Services Operator, Aedan will be part of a hands-on team ensuring the smooth day-to-day hospitality, and retail services onboard Navy ships. He’ll specialise in front-of-house, dining room operations hospitality and facilities and hygiene maintenance, and be trained in speciality event management, retail services and service funds accounting and business logistics supporting the welfare of the crew.
As a sailor, he’ll perform additional duties and learn more skills to become highly trained and efficient in supporting the whole ship. This may include ship security, firefighting, flood repair, line handling, first aid, flight deck duties, replenishment at sea, medical emergency team member, ammunitioning or ceremonial duties.
Congratulations to Riley Webb for being accepted into the QANTAS Apprenticeships program. Riley completed his Year 10 Work Experience with Interair at Essendon Airport in 2023. He developed a passion for all things aviation. As part of his VCE Vocational Major, Riley completed his VET Certificate II in Aeroskills – Aircraft Line Maintenance with Aviation Australia in 2025. Riley commences his training as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Avionics with Qantas in February 2026. Well done, Riley. We are very proud of you!
To our FHS community, just a heads up to save the date for the first Monday back of Term 1, 2nd of Feb. Pencil it in for a great day out at Oak Park Pools. Students and families may have noticed the event pop up on Compass. Please consent and pay prior to 2/2/26 so your child can attend.
No classes are running, all students and staff will be in attendance to partake in the festivities of 50m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and relay events. You can enter the events on the day, house points are up for grabs, dress in your house colours or sports uniform. Waterslide, novelty events, canteen and good vibes running all day. More details on the compass event, or shoot your questions my way.
Have a great break to our FHS community and stay safe around water over the holidays, be safe and merry. See you in 2026.
– Ryan
On the 5th of December, our year 9s arrived in style to celebrate graduating from the Junior campus’. For their starry night, we saw sparkly dresses, suits and ties, some very high heels, and even some matching couple outfits. We celebrated and awarded all our year 9s and there were some very chuffed individuals. Students then enjoyed mountains of pizza and fruit, played some lawn games in the quadrangle, took photos at the photobooth, and had a boogie in the gym.
There were huge smiles all around and this was made possible by a huge team of people.
A massive thank you to the graduation committee for planning, advertising, making decorations, cutting up all the fruit, making the playlist, pushing out surveys, sending emails, and of course, decorating the beautiful gym. Thanks also to the maintenance team, music team, and all the staff who volunteered and were so invaluable on the night.
– Cynthia and Ann
On Thursday, the 11th of December, the ELC class held a graduation ceremony and party in their classroom. The students gave heartfelt speeches and received their graduation certificates. They shared memories of their time together and sincerely thanked their teachers and classmates for their support. To celebrate, everyone enjoyed a delicious feast of pies, sausage rolls, Pepsi, and various other treats! – By Nina W
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are pleased to invite you to our Community Breakfast on Tuesday, 10 February. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet our staff and connect with other families.
Each campus will host its own event from 9:00am to 9:40am, with classes commencing at 9:50am for Session 2. The Campus Principal’s welcome address will take place at 9:15am.
A selection of egg and bacon rolls, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, will be available. There is no cost for families to attend this event.
We understand that many parents and carers may be working or have other commitments during this time. Please be assured that there will be other opportunities to visit the school throughout the year.
Students whose families are unable to attend are asked to arrive at school at 9:40am, ready for the beginning of Session 2. The remainder of the school day will run as normal.
To help minimise traffic congestion in the local area, we encourage families to walk or ride where possible, as there is no onsite school parking available.
The breakfast will be held at the following locations:
Kinnear Campus: The Cafeteria
Pilgrim Campus: The Hub
Barkly Campus: The Quadrangle
Please RSVP by Thursday, 29 January via the Compass Tix link below.
Barkly – https://compasstix.com/e/1mj3380ds3
Kinnear – https://compasstix.com/e/ueo17z8nqg
Pilgrim – https://compasstix.com/e/py8ui1jwrh
We hope to see you there!
– FHS Principal Team
End of Year Activities week was bigger and better than ever as Year 7, 8 & 9 students went from Footscray High School to Melbourne and beyond, venturing as far as Whittlesea and The You Yangs, to celebrate the end of the academic year. Local experiences included science experiments, DnD, karaoke, laser cutting, baking and a Colour Run around the Maribyrnong. Students also travelled to the CBD to visit the Aquarium, Victorian Pride Centre, Escape Rooms and the Zoo.
Thank you to all staff and students for marking the end of the year in FHS style. A true show of unity, creativity, respect and endeavour.
All school policies are available on our website via forms & policies page.
At the School Council meeting held on Tuesday 9 December, the following policy updates were endorsed.
The following school policies have recently been updated.
The junior and senior price lists have been updated to reflect small increases to some uniform items. Please refer to the Uniform webpage on the school website for the latest pricing information.
The Barkly and Pilgrim Community Bands have been busy at the end of term 4. Having visited four primary schools in four weeks to perform at their assemblies, the Barkly Community Band also squeezed in a gig at the ‘Meet the Homegroup Teacher’ event at Barkly Campus. At the same time, the Pilgrim Community Band played at Pilgrim Campus to a packed Hub. Both audiences were delighted by the music presented to them.
Well done to the students who have been rehearsing regularly, and to the directors, Mark Gusman and Nicholas Costanzo, for their hard work in arranging the music and leading the rehearsals and performances.
A number of our junior singers were featured at a Soiree on December 1 at the Pilgrim Music room. Each singer sang a solo as well as joined with the others for two group songs, demonstrating the progress they have all made with singing teacher Rachel Sztanski this year.
Preparations are underway for next year’s music activities. There will be some new faces in the team as Piri Jakab and Ann-Marie Ng step into the role of voice teachers. A big thanks to Rachel Sztanski for her hard work teaching our singers this year, and we wish her well as she leaves FHS.
If any students have neglected to enrol for the Instrumental Music Program in 2026, here are the links for doing so.
Year 7, 2026
Years 8-12, 2026
Maybe you are wondering why choose to play music? Perhaps you think that taking time away from the standard school curriculum to play music will be a disadvantage, academically?
When students learn music, they analyse patterns, respond to feedback, and lead or follow within teams. They learn to fail well, to make mistakes, recover, and try again with new understanding.
These experiences build resilience, adaptability, leadership, and analytical thinking, while strengthening literacy, numeracy, and social skills, the outcomes every teacher wants to see across the school.
Neuromusical research shows that music learning strengthens networks involved in attention, planning, memory, and flexible thinking, the same neural systems students need to succeed in every learning context.
Learning music is possibly the most challenging cognitive activity the brain can do, and through that challenge, the brain grows to be as efficient and effective as it can be.
There are still places available for the Instrumental Music program for 2026, especially for woodwind, brass and strings. Please use the links above to register and get into some serious brain building activities that will bring benefits for every academic pursuit.
Dear Students and Families,
As we approach the term break, we would like to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication throughout this year. You’ve made it through another busy period, and your efforts are genuinely appreciated.
We encourage everyone to take this opportunity to rest, relax, and focus on your wellbeing. It’s a time to recharge; we hope you use the time to care for yourselves.
Remember, quality sleep, regular exercise, and time spent with loved ones can have a significant impact on your health and happiness. Taking the time to rest and reset is essential for both physical and mental wellbeing, so be sure to prioritise sleep and self-care during this break.
Below is a range of resources for you to utilise over the break if you are needing support or want to reach out to someone about setting up support:
Kidshelpline – 1800 55 1800
A free telephone counselling service for young people aged between 5 and 25 years. You can also access web chat counselling via their website.
Lifeline – 13 11 14
Free, 24/7 crisis support service that anyone can access.
Headspace – 1800 650 890
This is a free mental health support service for young people aged 12-25. It also offers a GP service and a range of youth-focused programs and activities. It is open Monday through Friday, 10am—6pm.
Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service- 1800 888 320
Previously known as Orygen, you can reach out to them for referrals to ongoing and crisis support.
Care In Mind: https://careinmind.com.au/
Free 24/7 online and phone counselling for people living, working or studying in Melbourne’s northern, central and western suburbs.
13 Yarn: https://www.13yarn.org.au/
If you or someone you know is feeling worried or unwell, we encourage you to call 13YARN on 13 92 76 (24 hours/7 days) and talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.
Ask Izzy – Links to Support Services: https://askizzy.org.au/
Ask Izzy is a website that provides families, students, and teachers with links to support services offering assistance in a wide range of areas, including housing, food, health, finances, counselling, and more.
Parentline: – ph: 13 22 89 – Available 8am to midnight, 7 days a week, including public holidays
Parentline is a free phone service for parents and carers of children from birth to 18 years old. They offer confidential and anonymous counselling and support on parenting issues.
Smiling Mind – smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
Smiling Mind is a free mindfulness app developed by educators and psychologists.
The wellbeing team highly recommends this app. For the best results, use it for at least 10 minutes a day.
Look after yourselves and enjoy the break!
Sincerely,
The FHS Wellbeing Team
The 2025 Morrisby program has been completed. Over the last eight years, Morrisby has become one of the strongest parts of our career education work at Footscray High School. This year, the majority of our Year 9 students completed assessments.
Students have reported feeling confident about their subject choices and pathways. Teachers have observed students approaching decisions with more confidence and purpose, confirming the program’s effectiveness.
The most powerful feedback comes directly from the students.
One Year 9 student told us that Morrisby “finally helped me understand why some subjects feel natural, and others feel like I’m pushing uphill.”
Another said the interview helped them “see future jobs I’d never even heard of, but that actually fit me really well.” Comments like these have been common, and they make our community feel proud of the program’s value: students feel seen, guided, and equipped to make decisions rather than simply guessing.
The one-on-one Morrisby interviews have been another highlight. Many students arrived unsure of what to expect and walked out with a tangible plan. As one Year 9 student put it, “It made everything feel less overwhelming. I left with real next steps instead of a vague idea.”
Several students also mentioned that discussing strengths and interests with an advisor helped them “feel more confident speaking about myself,” a skill that carries well beyond school.
Teachers have also noticed a shift in the way students talk about pathways. They’re asking better questions, exploring options with curiosity, and connecting their learning to practical futures.
Families have echoed this, noting that their children are now initiating conversations about apprenticeships, university pathways, and senior school subjects. This progress inspires confidence in our community about students’ futures.
The program continues to strengthen our commitment to meaningful, personalised career development and combined with our 24/7 student AI Career Match advisor, we look forward to seeing even greater student engagement and success again for our 2026 Year 9 students.
Dear Families & Students,
From 1 January 2026, people aged under 18 can travel free on all Victorian public transport services using a new youth myki card. This includes trams, trains, buses and coach services.
To access free travel, they must tap the myki card on and off each time they travel. For areas that do not use myki cards, they must show their myki card to travel free.
More information about the youth myki card can be found on the myki types webpage on the Transport Victoria website.
For more information about other travel options to school and support for eligible students, refer to the Travelling to school webpage on the Victorian Government website.
Last Thursday, the 11th of December, Adam from Western Wells came to the FHS English Language Centre to see the furniture that he donated to us. We surprised him by making the outdoor area as beautiful as possible. We prepared and gave him some gifts. He was very happy. We took a photo together, and we said “ Thank you” to Adam.
– By Chi P
Our recent VCE results demonstrated superb achievements in senior Humanities subjects, with Global Politics, Economics, Business Management, Legal Studies and History (Revolutions) all having students with prestigious 40+ study scores. This is a testament to the hard work across all year levels and the foundations built by our dedicated junior Humanities team. We’re excited to be heading into 2026 with a full team of experienced teachers.
Over the last few months the Humanities team have been working hard to prepare for the new Victorian Curriculum 2.0. With greater access to AI, we are increasing the number of tests as final assessments, and balancing that with interesting hands-on classwork investigations and research tasks.
There will be a focus on homework routines and vocabulary in the junior years. Teachers will give students small, achievable tasks that support classroom learning and help build independent revision skills that improve performance on tests. Students will develop glossaries that build their knowledge of words and enable them to read more complex texts in the senior years.
We have a new textbook, Good Humanities at Years 7-9, which unfortunately can’t be purchased second-hand, but is essential for students. Senior history teams have been developing reading packs, by assembling resources on paper which will reduce distraction and reliance on computers in the classroom. Students will practice highlighting and annotation to develop sophisticated analyses of primary and secondary sources.
The core Humanities subjects will be starting 2026 with the following topics:
Year 7 – Government and Democracy
Year 8 – Laws and Citizens
Year 9 – Biomes, Food Production and Food Security
Year 10 – The Inter-War period: Factors leading to World War II
Our colleague Jacob Camilleri, who arrived at Barkly halfway through the year, has secured a position elsewhere, and we thank him for his enthusiasm and professionalism for his first teaching role. He’ll be missed!
Finally, our team welcomes two new leadership positions: Arthur Mak as Junior Humanities Co-ordinator, and Claire Deane as Senior Humanities Co-ordinator. Arthur is a Geography specialist, based at Barkly, and has experience delivering years 7-9, plus the Year 9 Economics elective. Claire has previously worked at Pilgrim and joined the senior team this year, using her lawyer background to deliver Years 11 and 12 Legal Studies. Being also history trained, Claire will be taking on Modern History at Year 11 in 2026.
– Kate Habgood, Humanities Learning Area Leader
Congratulations to our Western Chances’ newest Scholarship Recipients. This year, 12 students from FHS received Western Chances Scholarships with a combined total of $10,750. This is in addition to the $16,900 worth of scholarships that were renewed to 18 additional students in June. Well done to all of our students who received these scholarships.
Western Chances gives young people in Melbourne’s west and Geelong the chance to fulfil their potential and overcome barriers to success by providing scholarships, opportunity programs and ongoing support. Their scholarships support talented and motivated students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue their educational dreams. Western Chances relies on donations from trusts, foundations, corporations and individuals to provide much needed support to young people in Melbourne’s west and Geelong.