Frequently Asked Questions

Uniform

1. What is the school uniform?

Uniforms are to be purchased from Bob Stewart Mentone.

The school uniform has two categories; Academic and Sports.

Academic uniform

  • Cheltenham SC tartan dress (length must be worn below the knee)
  • Cheltenham SC tartan skirt (length must be worn below the knee)
  • White business or Cheltenham SC shirt (with peaked collar), long or short sleeves
  • Royal blue Cheltenham SC wool blend jumper (Years 7-10)
  • Red wool blend Cheltenham SC jumper (Years 11-12)
  • Navy blue, grey or black socks (with no visible branding) OR black tights
  • Black polishable hard leather lace-up school shoes with black laces (NO RUNNERS)
  • Long grey tailored trousers OR grey tailored “walk shorts” (purchased from Bob Stewart)
  • Belts must be plain black or grey (leather or vinyl) and not oversized 
  • Cheltenham SC softshell jacket (note: this is the ONLY jacket option for all Year 7-12 students to be worn over the College wool blend school jumper for warmth or directly over the school uniform.).

Sport uniform

  • Cheltenham SC leggings OR black Cheltenham SC shorts (no other leggings or shorts accepted)
  • Cheltenham SC PE polo Years 7-10 (VCE PE polo available)
  • White sports socks or red football socks
  • Lace-up runners or cross-trainers (no skate shoes or volley/dress shoes)
  • Optional - Cheltenham SC Tracksuit Pants (no other tracksuit pants accepted)
  • Cheltenham SC caps or broad-brimmed hats are compulsory for ALL students in PE, PASE, Outdoor Education, Interschool Sport, Camps and excursions in Terms 1 and 4 as per the SunSmart Policy
  • The Cheltenham SC branded softshell jacket is the ONLY option for PE, PASE, Outdoor Education classes and Interschool Sport
  • The College strongly recommends the use of mouth guards fitted by a dentist for high-risk PE and sport/physical activities.

2. Can students wear black runners as part of their academic uniform? No. Students must wear black polishable, hard leather lace-up shoes with all versions of the academic uniform. 

3. Do students wear their PE uniform for the whole school day? No. Students must wear their academic uniform to school each day. They are then required to bring their PE uniform to get changed into.  If their timetabled PE class is in Period 6, they are able to wear their PE uniform home.

4. Are second-hand uniforms available for purchase? Yes. The College has a second-hand uniform shop, which can be found here. Please be mindful that stock is limited, so please be mindful of excess ordering. 

5. Uniform Ordering Uniforms can be ordered and purchased from Bob Stewart Mentone.  The uniform list, fitting appointments and ordering information can be viewed here.

Compass

Cheltenham Secondary College uses Compass for school management, i.e. student timetables, student absences, payments, camp and excursion consent and communications.

1. When will parents/guardians receive their Compass account/login details? All Compass information, including login details and a manual on how to navigate the program, will be sent to parents/guardians towards the end of November.

2. When will students receive their Compass account/login details? Students will receive their Compass login details on the first day of the school year. At this time students will participate in a lesson teaching them how to use the system effectively.

3. Will support be provided to parents/guardians in the use of Compass? Yes. A range of hands-on workshops will be offered to parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year, including how to use Compass effectively.

Form Group Allocations

1. How are form groups created? A range of factors are taken into consideration when creating form groups:

  • Student input
  • Feedback from the primary schools
  • Maintaining connections from primary school
  • EAL 
  • Enhancement Program

2. When will students find out which form group they are in? Students will learn about their form group on Orientation Day held annually at the beginning of December.

3. How many students are in each form group? We aim to have no more than 25 students in each form group to enable quality of teaching and learning in Year 7.

Academic Support

What if my student needs support or has learning difficulties? Cheltenham Secondary College is an inclusive school with programs available to assist students who have additional academic needs.  Please contact Monique Hofman, Director of Junior School at hmn@cheltsec.vic.edu.au to help us understand how to support your student.

Are English and Math classes streamed? No. The curriculum at Cheltenham Secondary College is designed to personalise learning for students and to meet their diverse academic, social and emotional needs regardless of the form group they are placed in. Based on our shared belief that all students can learn and grow, we provide opportunities for each student to be challenged and succeed without the need for streaming.  Cheltenham Secondary College offers two enhancement forms for academically advanced students.

Student Support

1. What programs are in place to assist my child in making friends? All Year 7 students will participate in a number of activities on Orientation Day and across the three-day Transition Program (start of the school year) that are focused on creating, developing and maintaining friendships. In addition, the Year 7 Pastoral Care Program in Term 1 is highly focused on connection: peers, teachers and College values, which will support students in the making of new friends. 

All students at Cheltenham Secondary College are encouraged to get involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities and opportunities available to them in order to connect with like-minded students These include, but are not limited to:

  • Music
  • Interschool sports
  • Productions
  • Student Leadership
  • Lunchtime clubs

2. When do the students get to meet their Peer Buddies/Leaders? Students will be introduced to the Peer Buddies/Leaders on Orientation Day. The Peer Leaders will be there to show students around the College, play a range of games and answer any questions.

3. Who do parents/guardians contact if they have any questions or are in need of support? Parents/guardians first point of contact will be the Junior School Coordination Team: Marie Tsimilas, Emma Allen, Lyndsey Beames. They are contactable via email and by phoning the College (please follow the recorded directions to Junior School).

4. Who do parents/guardians contact if their child needs wellbeing support? Please contact Dave Goldsmith (Acting Director of Wellbeing): goe@cheltsec.vic.edu.au or a member of the Junior School Team.

Orientation Day

1. When is Orientation Day? The statewide Orientation Day takes place on a Tuesday in early December. We ask that students arrive at the Auditorium at the front of the College at 8.40am for an 8.50am start. 

2. What do students need to bring to Orientation Day?

  • Pens
  • Writing book
  • Packed lunch (please note that the canteen will not be open)
  • Water bottle

3. What do students wear to Orientation Day? Students are encouraged to wear their primary school PE uniform where possible. They should also bring along a hat to wear while participating in any outdoor activities.

Bell Times
Start Finish
Warning Bell
8.30am
Warning Bell
8.40am
Period 1
8.50am
9.40am
Period 2
9.40am
10.30am
Recess
10.30am
11.00am
Warning Bell
10.50am
Period 3
11.00am
11.50am
Period 4
11.50am
12.40pm
Lunch
12.40pm
1.30pm
Period 5
1.30pm
2.20pm
Period 6
2.20pm
3.10pm

Respect ~ Responsibility ~ Personal Best ~ Sense of Community

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