Revolution School began this week, kicking off a four-part investigation into ways of improving secondary education in Australia.
The series was filmed over an entire school year at Kambrya College, a typical public high school in Melbourne’s outer south east.
Using fixed rig and roving cameras Revolution School is an Australian television first, capturing the challenges, dramas and triumphs of life in an Australian high school in a way not seen before.
With more than 1,100 students from 42 different nationalities, Kambrya is a large school, with high achievers aiming for the stars, along with kids at risk of dropping out and some with serious behavioural difficulties and learning challenges.
In 2008, following Kambrya's ranking in the bottom 10 per cent in the state for Year 12 results, principal Michael Muscat was faced with the challenge of transforming the school.
With support and guidance from Professor John Hattie, an educational statistician and researcher, Muscat decided the best way to lift the school’s performance was to focus on more effective teaching and learning.
What seemed a simple solution became a complex challenge when dealing with emotional teenagers, time-poor staff, anxious parents, social media bullying and the pains of growing up.
Revolution School follows the dramatic story of how Kambrya tries to transform itself and change the lives of the kids involved.
Film Victoria provided support for Revolution School through its Assigned Production Investment program. The four-part series screens Tuesday nights on the ABC.
