Margaret River Senior High School
Margaret
River Senior High School (MRSHS) was established as a junior high school
in 1955, a high school in 1962, and a senior high school in 1995. The school
is situated on Bussell Highway, at the top of town, with school bus services
transporting children from towns and rural communities throughout the Cape.
Close to 100 percent of children attending the eight local primary schools,
as profiled on MR Online, continue their education at MRSHS.
MRSHS is a public school that “proudly accepts its egalitarian responsibility to maximise the learning of every student. It seeks to embrace the community in the learning process, viewing the community as partners.” The ethos of the school “means every individual student will feel they are respected and secure and the learning they experience will equip them to survive in the global village of the 21st century.”
MRSHS’s award winning Boys Education Lighthouse Schools Program (BELS) was initially developed to improve the academic performance and emotional wellbeing of boys but has grown into a multi-faceted and federally funded program, aiming to produce engaged and active students throughout the Cape.
In 2005 MRSHS has 724 students enrolled and has a population growth rate of between two and five percent per year. MRSHS’s teaching curriculum offers both TEE and Wholly School Assessed courses (the majority of which feature a vocational component) with approximately 50 percent of upper school students engaged in each.
Students enjoy a marvelous array of extra-curricular activities at MRSHS. Each year the school hosts a Japanese student exchange program, arranges a ski tour to Victoria and conducts a student excursion to Canberra. A large number of students participate in the Cadets unit which is based around SES training and over 100 students travel to Perth each year to participate in the Country Week competitions.
MRSHS specialty teaching areas are surfing and viticulture, a reflection
of the local community’s interests and businesses. The school offers
an outstanding array of electives including photography, dance, furniture
design, outdoor education, financial management and farm practice. The school
has given traditional subjects a contemporary edge by transforming metalwork
into jewellery making and emphasizing the artistic component in woodwork.
MRSHS is a partner in the Margaret River Education Campus and Year 11 and 12 students take part in art, horticulture, business, IT, viticulture, and wine making courses at the Campus. The Campus offers MRSHS students the unique opportunity to gain vocational qualifications prior to finishing school and continue their education at the Campus.
MRSHS enjoys a wonderful relationship with the local community, with parents and community members offering all forms of assistance to the school. A large number of local businesses provide Structured Workplace Learning opportunities for MRSHS students and a successful Mentoring Program operates with 35 adults providing support, encouragement and networking opportunities to MRSHS students.
Every year local businesses and community groups provide MRSHS students with a number of prestigious awards and UWA supplies a Chancellor’s Scholarship for priority placement at the University. The Augusta Margaret River Shire offers a Bursary which provides 12 months employment, focusing on community development, for a student in their “gap” year.
In addition, MRSHS holds a number of hugely popular and locally renowned annual events including a Cabaret Show and School Play at the Cultural Centre, an Art Exhibition showcasing student’s work at the Exhibition Centre, and the School Ball held at Xanadu Winery. MRSHS hosts the Leeuwin Concert for Schools, a premier event showcasing WA student’s musical talents held at Leeuwin Estate Winery.
MRSHS brings together a modern education and a supportive rural community – a combination that ensures excellent academic and social outcomes for its students.
Address: 158 Bussell Highway MARGARET RIVER 6285
Phone: 9757 0700
Fax: 9757 2253
Principal: Ray Harwood
Substitute Principal: Syd Parke
Email: syd.parke@det.wa.edu.au
For more information visit Margaret River Senior High School’s website http://www.mrshs.wa.edu.au
