About
The John Berne School exists to fill a gap in the education system: the education of young people who find themselves excluded from mainstream education. The school provides a secure, safe, enriching, and challenging educational environment which gives students in difficulty a second chance, outreaching to their families and wider social networks.
Berne is for students who specifically need time out to improve their literacy, numeracy, and social skills in a flexible learning environment. Students are given more individual attention than in mainstream schools and are actively encouraged to move beyond what holds them back.
If not for an opportunity to attend a school like Berne, these students, realistically, would not achieve their Year 10 School Certificate and would find it very difficult to enter the workplace or achieve milestones recognised by the larger community.
The school’s motto—Hope, Always—reflects the fundamental belief that intervention in the lives of troubled people—especially when they are young—is always worthwhile and is very often successful.
The school usually has 40 enrolled students and employs 25 professional staff. This high student-to-staff ratio is essential to the success of the program.
