Alta-1 Great Southern
Alta-1 College Great Southern started in 2011 with a senior school campus in Albany. Two years later a middle school campus began. Growth since has been steady according to local needs. In 2018, the Great Southern school has grown to over 100 students. Enrolments are spread across five programmes including Middle and senior school campuses, ConnectEd, the Targeted Engagement Programme (TEP) and Marine Vocational Education and Training (MVET).
Our programmes are designed to support the at-risk young person to re-engage in education. Our approach is holistic and flexible with an intentional relationship focus. Our therapeutic recovery model helps a young person with their social, emotional and psychological issues within a positive Alta-1 community setting. In this mission, Alta-1 works closely with a range of local allied agencies, community groups and partnership churches to restore hope and purpose "changing lives one at a time". Our focus is not "what a young person can or can't do" but rather "who they are".
While most programmes are based in Albany there are options to help young people that reach across the Great Southern.
Principal's Welcome
My name is Steve and I’ve lived in Albany most of my life. My 35 year career in education has been largely within the government sector with time as a teacher and senior administrator at several senior high schools. Since 2014 I have led Alta-1 here in Albany.
From 1988-2010 I was at NASHS with the last five years as Deputy Principal. These were fantastic years however late 2010 life took a dramatic and unexpected 180 degree turn. Following a diagnosis of advanced end-stage cardiomyopathy I found myself at the serious end of the medical system and needed urgent open heart surgery and an titanium LVAD heart pump "plumbed" into my heart for life support. The hope was that this pump would keep me alive long enough to make it to a heart transplant. After a 3-year wild medical journey, a stroke, second open heart surgery and a miraculous heart recovery, amazingly I returned to Albany late 2014 with a few scars but with my own heart still in place thank God!
I wanted to get back to work and was fortunate to be offered a position with Alta-1 College leading the Great Southern School. Much has happened in the years since and taking this role with Alta-1 has gifted me a new personal purpose driven future. My staff are wonderful people. As a team they're passionate and committed to helping the recovery and restoration of at-risk young people in our community.
Want to find out more? You will likely have seen our office at the top end of Lockyer Avenue. Please feel free to call in for a chat if you have a young person who may need our help. We make a good coffee:)
Steve Sharp
Principal - Great Southern
M. Ed
Main Office: Unit 1 / 57 Lockyer Avenue Albany WA 6330
Enquiries: 9841 7839 or 0487 231 161
Programs
Alta-1 Great Southern has five programmes designed to provide flexible re-engagement entry points for a young person into education.
Senior Campus
The senior campus is currently based at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre (ALAC) where the weekday physical facilities and a supportive community are provided. The senior campus has between 30 and 40 young people aged between 15 and 19. Students have opportunity to study towards a WA Certificate of Education with WA Curriculum Council approved courses at both Foundation and General level. Later in 2018 the senior campus will move to the new Oceans Church on Lower King Road.
Middle Campus
The Middle campus is located in the new Church of Christ community centre located at the corner of Mercer Road and Talyuberlup Way. Middle school students study a rich thematic curriculum with targeted literacy and numeracy strategies. The new centre is surrounded by peaceful bushland and has a indoor basketball court and a range of excellent facilities.
Marine VET
Marine VET (Vocational Education and Training) is an exciting and innovative VET based engagement programme for the young person who is at risk of giving up on school and needs a fresh start. Marine VET uses the spectacular environment of Albany as the back drop to the delivery of nationally recognized certificates in Business and Fishing Operations (2018 Cert II / 2019 Cert III). Marine VET is 5 days/full time.