Bentleigh Secondary College

"Nice office workers and the school lookes so good it will probably look way better after renovations"

"many of the teachers are very good at both teaching and making the lessons interesting, while many of the substitute teachers don't teach well and often times yell for no reason. Many of the uniform rules are ineffective and harsh with 45 minute detentions given out for the wrong coloured socks, and the blazer looks and feels horrible, as well as being overpriced. There is very little student or teacher voice, with seemingly no chance to get a proper voice at all. I will say though the music programs and extracurriculars are absolutely incredible as well as how accepting the school faculty are of LQBTQIA+ people, although I couldn't say the same about the children. The policies around bullying are very good with easy access to those who can support you both digitally and physically, they also do very well at accommodating for students who need special provisions, things like ADHD, anxiety, autism, as well as physical disabilities, giving them help such as extra time on tests, or breaks throughout them, as well as giving them proper facilities and faculty to help them through learning. all around the school has some goods and bads. TL;DR: the school is both good and bad, would recommend sending your children if your nearby"

"We decided to support the public system as we felt that independent schools are overpriced for the service they provide (as much cost as driving a car over a cliff every year). Our child has had a great experience in grade 7 this year, with many opportunities that he might not have offered at a larger school like McKinnon (e.g. sports academy, gifted and talented program, music bands). His teachers are professional and knowledgeable (he has no complaints) and he is happy to go to school everyday. The principal listens to our feedback, follows departmental regulations, is adept at winning funding for the school, and keen to adopt evidence based teaching practice. Having seen the opposite at our primary school, this is definitely a refreshing change. We want our child to grow up in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse environment to learn tolerance and respect diversity and so far, the school has provided this, as they have made many new friends from all walks of life. I understand not all kids may have the same experience, but ours has been great."

"First and foremost the school only cares about superficial things only caring about how it looks to prospective students and parents, its 'state of the art facilities', giving students 45 minute detentions for wearing wrong coloured socks (I mean come on seriously? but sadly yes they care more about if you have 'wrong' coloured socks than students' education, health/wellbeing and learning) not to mention how they always waste people's time boasting about their 'amazing' programs/pathways, particularly the sports academy program and the list goes on but in a nutshell this is all the school cares about, looking good to the public eye while trying to cover how bad it really is and not admitting it or when told just hides behind unthinkable excuses and/or denies it. And above all they truly and clearly have demonstrated on a daily basis how little education and teaching, learning and health/wellbeing means, they literally only care about how the school looks, people's coloured socks and not at all students. Teachers and staff here just lie to your face. The emphasis put on the 'state of the art facilities' and 'amazing' programs and 'pathways' in comparison to a student's wellbeing which goes hand in hand in learning and education could not be any more but utterly apalling! Please do you and your child a favor by not sending them here! Don't even think about coming here, it will drain out your soul and all your energy.... School doesn't care one bit if your child happens to have ADD and depression they will tell your child to get over it or to get out of their school. School also doesn't care about every student like they may say, they only care about ones who are athletic or ones who are academically gifted, they do not care about everyone as they leave behind students who don't meet whatever it is their pathetic standards are and send them to vcal and not provide other options and fails massively to provide adequate support in getting through vce. This is a problem. They care and spend way too much time nit picking on students for the tiniest of unimportant reasons mainly in regards to if they wear the 'wrong' coloured socks amongst other things compared to learning, students' education or cleaning up their way of teaching. The teaching standards severely lack quality and dedication as well and that goes without saying. The school is also incredibly misogynistic towards its female students, the way they're treated is beyond abhorrent and apalling, if you have a daughter(s) please do not send them to this tragic place they will get belittled and torn apart nonstop here. This alone should tell you that everything they do and say are just lies upon lies! If you have any question(s) about the school they respond with nothing but blatant lies. School is awfully outdated with its said values, idealogies and its terrible teaching and its delivery of the curriculum. and dare I say that the male and female ratio in its classes is devastatingly apalling! And they claim they're co-ed? There's also been boys only classes from year 7s and 8s the past few years, might as well send your son to a boys only school. If somehow after everything I said you still send your kid(s) here, be prepared for the constant blatant lying the school will give you. And lastly, to any prospective parents that may come across this, if you truly care about your child's education and wellbeing and want your child to recieve an actual education in high school don't even bother considering public high schools, if you have the financial means please send them to Wesley College or another private school. I rest my case"

"School has a bad reputation for no reason. Great teachers make lessons engaging Lots of opportunities because there is not 100000 people Canteen is a bit overpriced though"