Heatherton Christian College

Fantastic school with fantastic teachers, staff and leadership team. I have been fortunate to have two of my children attend HCC and have been very impressed with the quality of the education they receive, the quality of the teaching staff and the general school environment. It is a place where community" is very important to its success. I have no hesitation in recommending HCC to my family

I went to heatherton from prep to year 3 (2012 to 2015) and did not have a good experience at all. Now I do understand this was a while ago and I hope the school has changed along with some teachers. In prep I really struggled with catching up with my peers academically, but it was pushed aside as dumb". I had my work thrown away and I was constantly asked to restart

Our son has been going to Heatherton Christian College (HCC) since Prep and he is now in Grade 5. We were looking for a school that demonstrated true Christian values that he could take with him throughout his life. It has been a wonderfully nurturing environment, with excellent and truly caring teachers. The Principal has always made himself available for a chat and his leadership, vision and dedication to the school community has seen the school grow considerably in the last few years in both student numbers, resources and educational pathways. What we like about Heatherton Christian College is that it caters for the different needs of the child. There is a robust curriculum that caters for students looking towards university and also provides opportunities for students that desire alternative pathways, for example into hospitality and horticulture. HCC really feels more like a family community with everyone helping each other out. I have not seen an example of bullying at the school which is amazing. It is such a special school in this day and age where everything seems to be about getting ahead of the next person. We highly recommend HCC.

avoid. they talk the talk but cannot deliver on quality education for all students, nor do they deliver well on managing bullying.

Very FundamentalistPros: Friendly staff and students, no issues with bullying, kids made great friendsCons: Deceit/misleading information for new parents, arrogance, teachings of Bible texts as facts, failure to provide any forward curriculum or teach towards AusVELS, failure to teach religious texts as Religion, discouraging attitude towards scientific theories, location (close to waste disposals and it does smell at times).I do acknowledge other reviews of parents stating they liked the Christian teachings as the school stated most parents wouldn’t have an issue with it. If you believe the Bible as truth and hold it as fact, then this is most likely a very nurturing school and you won’t have an issue with the religious teachings in Science or the 14th century dogma. If you’re after something more objective and science based (at least in Science) or aligned with AusVELS then it probably warrants further investigation.Prior to enrolling my two daughters at Heatherton Christian College I asked the Principal what the schools stance on evolution and creation was, to which he replied 'We teach the state curriculum but each teacher has their own opinion on the matter'. Believing that, I enrolled the children, only to find that they have been teaching quite the opposite of the AusVELS curriculum.The first day of the school had the Pastor standing at the front during assembly holding up a flower and stating that it was proof of God's existence and that he couldn’t understand why some people could think it could be caused by “two rocks smashing together”. Given this dreadful view of the Big Bang I called the principal and asked if this was their view of scientific matters, to which he haughtily informed me that the pastor can say what he wants as it was his opinion. I accepted that, hoping that the schools stance on scientific beliefs weren’t as limited, however this has not been the case.In the interim however I chose not to send my son or three step-daughters there.The Grade 5 Earth and Space teachings were on the “facts of our planet and universe” (as they referred to them - they aren’t beliefs but ‘facts’) in that “Students understand that God created the heaven and the Earth and that He holds the universe in His hands” and that the origin of the Earth is “Creation as presented in Genesis Chapter 1”.Questioning the teacher and principal as to why this contradicts the AusVELS objectives of “the theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of living things and is supported by a range of scientific evidence” and “the universe contains features including galaxies, stars and solar systems and the Big Bang theory can be used to explain the origin of the universe” the principal stated “our teachers teach creation to our students from their own perspective without ruling out natural selection or evolution as legitimate viable theory from a scientific perspective”. This is the exact opposite of the state AusVELS curriculum and the opposite of what I was advised.After numerous emails we met with the principal and science co-ordinator to discuss the matter. The science co-ordinator was surprised to hear that the primary curriculum had such out-dated teachings, as this was only her 2nd year in the job and committed along with the principal to updating it by the end of term 1.In term 2 we met with the school to discuss the updated curriculum but only received a lesson planner for term 1 Earth and Space. No updated curriculum and no lesson planner for future classes. The lesson planner refers to the religious texts (ie Genesis 1:1) as objectives and fundamental songs (such as Indescribable by Chris Tomlin) with absolutely no counter scientific teachings or alternate arguments.The Uni attendance rates are less than 40% & they have average or below average NAPLAN results for statistically similar schools (stats from the myschool site) however only 14 students completed yr 12 in the latest NAPLAN tests so the results are statistically insignificant.

Very good school based on great values!

I have 2 children who attend HCC and over the years I am very happy to see the progress they have made academically. I am also pleased that the values that are taught at home are reinforced at school. It has been wonderful to see the care that the teachers have for the students. My children love attending HCC and have made great friends both in their year level and from other grades. I would have no hesitation in recommending the school.

Great school and pleased my daughter enjoys attending. For me the school's emphasis on religion is a positive at a time when everyone seems caught up in a hedonistic lifestyle and celebrity worship. Thankfully both my daughter and I welcome and embrace the schools strong emphasis on supported learning for those who want to excel academically.

I have observed first-hand the care and concern that all teachers and staff show for students. They certainly go the extra mile. Great academic results and development of Christian character. I highly recommend this school.

Moved my boys in term 3 and am so impressed with the amazing care and support of everyone there. Very thankful to be welcomed into this wonderful college!