Wyndham College is a government senior secondary school located at Quakers Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1999, its intake of students comes from three surrounding high schools, namely Quakers Hill High School, Riverstone High School, and Seven Hills High School. They, with Wyndham College, make the Nirimba Collegiate Group of Schools. The Collegiate group operates in such a way that each school maintains its independence yet they are closely related through the collaborative leadership of the four principals involved and through sharing at all levels including staffing and resources.
The College is situated on the Nirimba Education Precinct co-located with: the University of Western Sydney, Blacktown; Western Sydney Institute of TAFE-Nirimba College and St John Paul II Catholic College, Senior Campus. Set in a bushland environment, Wyndham College has native award-winning gardens and a tributary of Eastern Creek flows through the campus. The College provides an academic and vocational subject offering for students with a range of learning experiences. Students have the opportunity to access courses offered by the College, University and TAFE. The HSC Life Skills Program is provided for support students identified with mild or moderate disabilities. Visual artworks completed by students from the college are regularly nominated and featured in Art Express.
History
Wyndham College was named after the previous NSW Director General of Education, Harold Wyndham who was visionary in implementing the HSC for Year 12 students and the School Certificate for Year 10 students. Wyndham College is built on the former site of the naval training base, and the campus derives its name, "Nirimba Education Precinct", from this historical connection.
School Crest
Wyndham College's crest was designed by the school's founding principal, Ian Wing, in 1998. The crest features Wyndhams's motto of "Working Together to Widen Horizons", with a representation of a book. Traditionally the book is associated with learning and the motto refers to the broad curriculum that the students have access to through the school's links with the precinct partners - TAFE, Western Sydney University and St John Paul II Catholic College.
Admissions and Enrolment
Students who attend the Collegiate Year 7-10 schools of Riverstone High School, Quakers Hill High School, and Seven Hills High School have automatic right of entry into Wyndham College for their senior years of schooling. As such, the College serves a large and diverse community from established areas in Seven Hills and Kings Langley, newly developed urban areas in Quakers Hill, Acacia Gardens, Stanhope Gardens, Rouse Hill and Schofields to the more semi-rural communities of Riverstone and Marsden Park. Outside of the collegiate schools, acceptance to Wyndham College is highly competitive with many students applying for limited enrolment places each year. The school's enrolment committee conducts interviews with prospective students and their parents when making their decisions about entry for applicants.
Curriculum
The large number of HSC students means that nearly the full range of HSC subjects, as well as a number of other courses designed to meet students' special needs and interests are provided. Wyndham College is registered and accredited with the New South WalesBoard of Studies, and follows the mandated curriculum for Years 11 and 12. Over 58 courses are offered onsite to Year 12 students alone including Board developed or endorsed courses, life skills courses and 6 industry curriculum frameworks in the areas of: Hospitality; Retail; Business Services; Construction; Information Technology; and Engineering/Metal. The College timetable is structured to allow students to access TAFE delivered VET courses and University subjects without interrupting other studies. With this flexibility students can complete the HSC year with multiple accreditations. One free line is also incorporated into student timetables to allow for group study work and access to teaching staff for individual consultation.
