Welcome to Helensvale State High School. Our highly successful school seeks to inspire and develop students in a learning environment which has a futures focus.

Helensvale State High School has a vibrant culture of achievement and opportunity. This culture is cherished and enriched by enthusiastic and talented students, professional and supportive staff and a school community supportive of student aspirations and dreams. The energy that draws us together is the pursuit of our vision - Preparing Students for the Future and Providing Futures for our Students.

The trust parents place in any school and its staff to educate their children is of great importance. Your children have the right to learn in a safe, supportive and challenging educational environment. We believe Helensvale State High School provides such an atmosphere.

Education is a people business and we work closely with students and parents, tertiary learning environments and local and international businesses to ensure that we deliver for students those skills and attitudes essential for success in the future.

As an educational community, we are committed to searching for and developing that inner talent or hero that lies within each student. It is through enriching and supportively challenging students’ personal learning experiences that we focus upon the development of skilled, optimistic and socially aware young adults.

Pursuing excellence with integrity underpins learning and teaching in all curriculum and co-curricular endeavours. Learning and teaching at Helensvale State High School is enhanced by its connectedness to the real world, relevant and futures oriented.

The staff of this great school very much look forward to working closely with you to ensure that together we achieve the best possible learning outcomes for your child. We believe all students can achieve to their individual potential, and we work in a highly focussed way to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate excellence, respect, responsibility and integrity.

Individuals: A Focus

Students as Individuals

Our school has an extensive range of programs, which ensure the growth, and development of individuals into accomplished informed citizens.

Strong staff and student engagement in learning experiences such as Personal Enrichment Program (PEP), Leadership and Mentoring programs, Sport, Citizen and Cultural programs, and our Career Development Program are but a sample of the depth and breadth of student learning.

Our school is structured as a community with a range of support and professional staff in place for the benefit of students. The Youth Health Nurse, Specialist Student Support Teachers, Industry Liaison Officer, Indigenous Cultural Advisor, School Chaplain and Guidance Service complement our Year Coordinators, Deputy Principals, class room and PEP teachers.

Career Development Program

This program is a positive strategy to ensure our students explore their talents, career prospects and future employment options in a structured manner. Through this program we are committed to developing in our students that competitive edge as they pursue employment and education goals in a complementary manner.

Student Leadership

Student leadership is fostered and encouraged in our dynamic learning environment. We seek to maximise the opportunities at all year levels, for our students to explore and develop their individual talents. Programs are delivered by our staff, our community and professional consultants to support and enrich student development.

Student Inclusivity

Our Special Education unit is an integral and essential aspect to our learning community. Students and staff within and external to the unit work closely and in a united manner to ensure the best possible outcomes for all students.

Student Success

Student achievement, improvement and success is celebrated generously at our school with classrooms, year level assemblies and full school assemblies providing the opportunity for recognition.

Community leaders, parents, staff and students all unite to ensure that recognition of student effort and achievement is celebrated.

Opportunities for students to experience success are continually explored and developed. Students are actively encouraged and supported in developing their unique talents and interests.

Programs Of Excellence

Academic Program

In preparing students for the future, the focus on academic achievement is developed through a comprehensive Foundation Curriculum in the Middle School. The Senior School Futures Curriculum provides students with a breadth of study options for the diverse interests and talents of individuals.

The ACE (Academic Curriculum Enhancement) program is a key strategy ensuring focus, achievement and support for those students who are energised by the pursuit of academic excellence.

Achievement is not left to chance but rather planned through a coordinated, supportive, partnership developed with students, staff and the home. Scholarships, tutorials, competitions, university and business links, Headstart Programs, mentors, extended library hours and additional resources all complement the efforts of students, professionalism of staff and encouragement of the family.

Sports

Helensvale is regarded as a high performing benchmark against which other schools and individuals compare their performances. Our success lies in the professional, experienced and supportive staff who lead our programs, the infectious enthusiasm that this generates in students, the commitment and talents of our students and the quality and range of facilities.

Our Sports Excellence program has nurtured and provided focus for many state, national and international sporting students. The broad range of sporting activities on offer at our school provides all students with opportunities for involvement, improvement, recognition and success.

The Arts

An energetic and professional Arts staff ensure a range of exciting, high quality opportunities and futures orientated curriculum programs to positively engage students in the pursuit of their dreams in the Performing and Visual Arts. Our programs have a very high profile in the Gold Coast community. An exceptional and extensive Instrumental Music Program supports our range of bands and their public performances. Visions, our annual exhibition of student and staff art work in a community gallery, typifies the pride, talent and partnerships between staff and students in this area.

Developing Business Leaders

Futures

The Gold Coast is an environment where the overwhelming employment focus is in the small business sector. Helensvale SHS is responding with a deliberate strategy to develop the business leaders of tomorrow. To support such a strategy we focus upon:
- Career Development
- Personal values
- Technological skills
- Industry Partnerships
- Ethical behaviour
- Enterprise Education

Technology

Technology is a passion in our school with technological processes, computer literacy, materials and systems extensively integrated throughout our curriculum.

Approximately 500 student computers, all linked to the global community, support and enrich the learning environment we offer. We consider it ideal that computers are utilised as devices or tools, to help us work more quickly, more expansively, creatively and with broader communication across multiple disciplines.

Specialised areas of study in the middle and senior school curriculum allow students to be critical users of technology, competent and enterprising in business pursuits.

Partnerships