Our Approach

Manea Senior College

Our Approach

Manea Senior College (Manea) is an independent public school in Bunbury, specialising in senior schooling in the South West Region of Western Australia. Our goal is to develop young adults who are ‘capable and connected’ to the world around them.

Manea has an established reputation for offering Year 11 and 12 students an education that enables our young adults to achieve to the best of their ability and to transition into life beyond college. Our students achieve outstanding results through a learning environment built on the foundations of strong relationships, trust, respect, support and individual accountability.

Each year we welcome around 250 new students to Manea Year 11 in particular is a year of opportunity at Manea. It is a chance for students to explore what we have to offer and for students to determine their pathway into Year 12 and beyond.

Our students undertake many different pathways or ‘jobs’ so that they use their final years of senior school to create post school opportunities for themselves. Students at Manea can access ATAR and general courses as well as and nationally recognised training qualifications, and are extended financial support to access these VET qualifications. We have a strong moral purpose to provide students with both quality teaching and learning opportunities, as well as life experiences that enable them to transition into the adult world.

So what makes Manea different? At Manea we are ‘preparing students for life’. Central to our understanding of supporting young people to transition to the adult world is the belief that our students are treated as young adults, and it is this belief that informs each facet of our daily practice.

Our students are coached, encouraged and supported to make pro-active adult choices, take ownership and responsibility for their decision making and how it affects their future.

Our approach is based on a professional workplace culture. All students are regarded as young adults and develop working relationships with staff based on trust and respect. As such, everyone is on a first name basis. Positive and productive behaviours are acknowledged, valued and celebrated.

Students are treated more like employees in that they have access to all parts of the College, its facilities, staff, academic support and equipment such that they too can do their ‘job’. For our students this means being responsible and accountable for their actions in all facets of College life including completing their courses (ATAR and/or VET/Training) to the best of their ability; actively participating in their learning; completing and submitting ALL work/tasks as indicated by their managers (teachers/staff); adhering to our workplace expectations in terms of attendance, dress and conduct; as well as seeking support and assistance when required. Students, like staff, are involved in performance review meetings, goal setting, surveys and professional learning as a part of their ‘job’ at Manea. As a team, staff and students are expected to uphold the corporate image of Manea by wearing our uniform. 

All our staff have an important role or ‘job’ to play; we want to be positive role models and make a difference to the lives of young people. This means knowing our students, individually and collectively; knowing the content and how to teach it; and providing opportunities for all students to grow and learn, academically, socially and emotionally.

Our staff participate in surveys and self-reflective practices to gain feedback on their performance. We value feedback from all members of the College community and recognise that education is a partnership that requires input from parents, the community, as well as students. As such our staff are provided with the resources, support, environment and training to do their job.

Importantly, we seek to balance the increased expectations we have of our young adults with increased quality in the delivery of our services, and increased support to assist students in upholding their end of the bargain. In this way, we hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard to enable our young people to hold themselves to a higher standard. This quality assurance, ‘something for something’ arrangement ensures that it is clear to both students and staff what is expected and required of them, and allows our students to become the young adults they imagine themselves to be.

At Manea, we are ‘preparing students for life’.