Welcome to Newstead College
EXCELLENCE | OPPORTUNITY | SUCCESS
Newstead College is a senior secondary school for students in Years 11 and 12. Established in 1997, it has modern classrooms, excellent specialist teaching areas and industry standard workshops. The College is a safe, friendly and inclusive learning environment.
Our facilities include an extensive wired and wireless computer network, photography and art suites, gym, outdoor tennis and netball courts and oval, auditorium, recording and dance studios, industrial kitchen, restaurant and licenced bar, fully equipped hair and beauty salon, woodwork facilities, construction workshop, child-care centre, well-equipped science laboratories, simulated hospital ward, eSports lab plus library and study rooms.
Our curriculum covers an extensive range of TASC, VET and UTAS courses. We place emphasis on both academic and vocational pathways and work closely with the University of Tasmania and industry. Many students combine academic subjects with a vocational program.
Our teaching focuses on the individual and all students are expected to strive for excellence. We aim to maximise academic success for every student. The friendly size of the College ensures that our highly skilled teachers form personalised relationships with students.
Our student support program offers a range of support services and has several specialist staff including a social worker, psychologist and nurse. Support Teachers provide pastoral care, monitor student attendance and work progress, and are key contacts for parents.
Newstead College offers:
- academic subjects as a pathway to university study
- subjects providing university accreditation
- foundation subjects
- Vocational Educational & Training (VET) programs
- study support and tutorials
- student support programs
- Academic Extension Program
- Career Education
- sport programs
- Driving for Jobs Program
Newstead College Life
Bus Transport
Buses travel to Newstead College from all major areas in and around Launceston. Metro buses service the inner suburbs such as Kings Meadows, Prospect, Newnham, Rocherlea, Mayfield, Riverside, Ravenswood, Waverley and St Leonards.
There are also buses from the West Tamar (Legana, Exeter and Beauty Point), the East Tamar (Dilston, Hillwood, George Town and Low Head), as well as Deloraine, Westbury, Hagley, Carrick, Hadspen and Evandale, Perth and Longford. Students also travel in to Newstead College from Scottsdale, Cressy, Campbell Town and Ross.
In some instances you may need to change buses in the city centre. However, you will be dropped at the front of the College in good time for the start of the first class of the day.
During the day, buses regularly travel along Elphin Road to and from the city centre or it is only a ten minute stroll to the city centre. There are copies of bus timetables available from the College Office or via www.transport.tas.gov.au
Free Parking
There are easy-to-access, safe and free parking facilities for all Newstead College students on the College campus.
ID Cards
Students will be issued with an ID card which must be carried at all times and is used to borrow resources from the Library. You will receive information about ID cards with your enrolment confirmation mailed to your home address in December.
Is smoking allowed at the College?
It is an offence to smoke or vape on Department for Education, Children and Young People property. Smoking is not permitted on the College grounds or surrounding streets. If students choose to smoke, they must leave the College grounds and streets surrounding the College, no matter what the weather. If you would like assistance to help you give up smoking then please talk to a teacher or one of our Wellbeing Team members.
Our Good Neighbour Policy
Newstead College is situated in a residential area and it is important that we are respectful of our neighbours. Smoking, littering and loitering are not permitted in the streets surrounding Newstead College. It is also important that you use respectful language, are mindful of your noise levels and do not trespass on neighbours’ property, including nature strips, when walking to and from the College.
Breakfast Club
Join the Wellbeing Team for a free breakfast. Students can help themselves to toast and hot drinks in the College Cafeteria, free of charge every day from 8.15 am - 8.45 am. Microwaves and sandwich presses are also avaliable for student use in the Caff at all times.
Tutorial Program
Newstead College is committed to ensuring all students have the opportunity to gain the best possible results and the best chance of success. If you are studying a Level 3 or 4 subject at Newstead College, you will have the opportunity to participate in weekly tutorials. Tutorials are also available for some VET Programs. Tutorials provide students with opportunities for extra explanations of the class work, preparation for exams, homework support and exam revision. Teachers will send reminders to parents if students should be attending tutorials.
Attendance (Every minute counts!)
Student achievement is closely linked with attendance. If you are absent from a class you are missing important subject information which will affect your final results.
It is your responsibility to attend all your classes, including Student Support. Attendance is recorded each lesson and SMS text messages will be sent to your parents following an unexplained absence. Printouts of your attendance records are also sent home each term.
Exemptions for absences, which will be noted as ’authorised’, are granted for specific purposes such as:
- Illness – a medical certificate is required for long term illness
- Bereavement
- Participation in state or national sporting, academic or cultural events.
You may also be able to get exemptions for personal reasons depending on the circumstances. Exemptions will not be granted for excuses such as missing the bus, sleeping in or for appointments that can be made outside class time. These absences will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’.
If absences occur without a valid explanation, your Student Support Teacher or an Assistant Principal will contact your parents to discuss the reasons and aim to put in place measures to improve your attendance.
Natasha, Newstead College’s Engagement Officer, works with students who have prolonged unexplained or unauthorised absences. Natasha can provide individual support and also works with students’ families to discuss the options available for students to engage with learning either at the College or with alternative educational or training providers.
College Programs and Activities
English as an Additional Language (EAL) Program
This program provides additional support to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes for students who are new residents to Australia. The EAL program provides support and offers a range of activities to assist students to feel connected to the College and their studies. Students participate in a specialised English subject, plus three or four other subjects where they are provided with extra teacher assistance.
Learning Support
Newstead College has a strong commitment to equity and the provision of inclusive education for all students. Students with disabilities or additional learning needs who require educational adjustments have the opportunity to study subjects suited to their interests, goals and abilities. All Learning Support students have individualised programs supported by Support Teachers and Teacher Assistants. Their program consists of core subjects and is extended further by access and participation across the broad curriculum offerings of the College.
The College also provides a supported work placement program and the opportunity to meet and hear from a range of people from outside organisations to assist transition to employment and adult life. Through participation in varied applied learning activities students are provided opportunities to explore the wider community and prepare for social and vocational pathways, preparing them for positive futures.
Student Leadership
All students are welcome to be a Student Leader and work with our leadership group to actively represent the student body at College and community events. Our Student Leaders have the opportunity within this group to:
- Build friendships, self-esteem and confidence
- Develop communication and teamwork skills
- Experience opportunities in public speaking and event management
- Demonstrate awareness of youth and global issues
- Organise the College Ball and fundraising events.
Sport at Newstead College
Newstead College teachers are passionate about providing extra-curricular sport for students. We offer a wide range of sporting opportunities to help you stay fit, improve your skills or represent the College in a variety of sports. Newstead College has a strong reputation in Futsal, Netball and AFL. We are the current Year 11/12 Saturday Netball Premiers and have sent a team to the Gold Coast for the World Sport International Netball Tournament since 2017 – the only Tasmanian school to do so. We also have teams that compete in AFL 9’s, basketball, cross-country, Burnie 10 (awarded College Champions multiple times), Launceston Marathon Festival, Schools Knockout Athletics, trout fishing, triathlon, surfing, equestrian and mountain biking.
In the past, Newstead College has offered two extra-curricular interstate trips. Our Sports Management, Athlete Development Program and Sport Science students were offered the opportunity to travel to Melbourne to experience an array of sporting activites, including a tour of the inner sanctum of an AFL Club, a tour of the MCG and the Victorian Institute of Sport, as well as the Maribyrnong Sports Academy.This was balanced out with a trip to the Channel 10 studios to see The Project, and of course, some important shopping time was included. Our netball teams have participated regularly in the World Sport Netball Tournament on the Gold Coast. We look forward to offering these trips to students again in the future.
Each term, the staff in conjunction with our sports teams, run Staff vs Students events and we offer futsal, basketball, badminton and weights at lunchtimes in the College gym. Our outside courts have been resurfaced and along with the oval are also available for student use during the day.
Our extensive Outdoor Education and Outdoor Leadership subjects offer half-day and full-day trips, as well as overnight and two to three day camps with activities ranging from walks, to sea kayaking, mountain biking, volleyball, rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, rafting and much more.
HPE, Sport and Outdoor Education at Newstead College are all great ways to connect with the College community, meet new people and develop leadership and teamwork skills that are highly valued in the workplace.
College Production
Newstead College has staged many outstanding musicals including Cats, Peter Pan, Godspell, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Little Shop of Horrors, The Addams Family and Legally Blonde. Our 2023 production is Heathers: Teen edition.
For those who love working as part of a team and enjoy acting, singing, dancing, being part of a band or undertaking technical theatre work, these subjects are for you. Students who want to be on stage enrol into the Musical Theatre 2 subject which seeks to build social skills, self-confidence and team skills resulting in a major theatrical production on stage in Term 3. Students who would like to be part of the crew enrol in Technical Theatre Production 2.
College Production takes up one line of your timetable and by the time the musical hits the stage you will have completed well in excess of the usual 150 hours of work required. Therefore, when the Production is over you have the option to get involved in some other performing arts projects or you can devote the time to your other studies, which is especially important if you are studying Level 3 or 4 subjects.
You don’t need to have any previous experience in these areas to enrol, you just need to commit to the extra hours required.
International Students
Newstead College has welcomed International Students as a valued part of our diverse and multi-cultural student population. Students from Japan, Sweden, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Thailand.
Teachers and students from international schools have also completed Study Tours at the College.
The College hosts students for several months of the year or some students complete two years of study. Students can enrol into any of our extensive range of Year 11 and 12 subjects or programs. There is a particular focus on improving English skills whilst also completing a number of educational and sightseeing excursions across the state.
These are valuable cultural experiences for both our local students and our visiting students and are particularly beneficial in some of our Arts, Outdoor Education, Foods and English classes. Students often make lifetime friends from across the globe.
If you are an international student, we can provide you with a rich, high quality and enjoyable learning experience in a welcoming, safe, supportive and friendly environment. You can improve your English language skills whilst you focus on your academic pathway. We will provide extra tutorial assistance in English as well as your other subjects. You will also be offered extra-curricular opportunities to view our lovely state and enjoy the social and cultural life offered here at Newstead College and in Tasmania.
Student Accommodation - Newstead Residence
The Newstead Student Residence is located next door to Newstead College. The Residence provides accommodation for students from the East Coast, Flinders Island, North East and Central Tasmania undertaking Year 11 and 12 studies at Newstead College or Launceston College. The Newstead Residence aims to provide students living and studying away from home for the first time, with a safe, supportive and friendly environment. The Residence provides a marvellous opportunity to experience life as an independent young adult. Students are responsible for their own meal preparation and cleaning of the unit, with an emphasis on being a good neighbour.
The Residence has a shared accommodation arrangement and caters for 50 students. It is comprised of 12 self-contained, fully furnished and equipped three, four and five bedroom units which accommodate all male or all female students. Each student has their own bedroom and study with a shared lounge, bathroom and toilet. The lounge is fully furnished and the kitchen is equipped with white goods, cooking equipment, crockery, cutlery etc.
Facilities provided at the Newstead Residence include a study room with networked computers including email and internet access and a common room with recreational facilities. The common room provides students with an area to relax and socialise. A laundry with coin operated washing machines and dryers, as well as a clothes line are provided.
Residents stay for either a five day period, from Sunday night through to and including Thursday night, or a full seven day period for Flinders Island students or in certain individual circumstances.
The Newstead Student Residence is closed during term breaks and also for the following periods:
• 9 March to 12 March inclusive for the Eight Hour Day Public Holiday and Moderation Day/Student Free Day.
• 8 June to 10 June inclusive for the King’s Birthday Public Holiday.
To be eligible for selection students must be:
- A rural or isolated student from the East Coast, North East of Tasmania or Flinders Island. Selection is based on distance from Launceston. Students from these areas will take priority over students from other areas of Tasmania including the North West Coast and Hobart.
- A full-time student enrolled in Year 11 or 12 at Newstead College or Launceston College. Year 11 and 12 students take priority over Year 13 students.
- 16 years to 19 years of age.
- Have independent living skills – capable of cooking, cleaning, attending to personal hygiene, following hostel routines/rules and maintaining appropriate social relationships with other residents.
Newstead College Resident's Handbook 2023
Newstead College Residence Application Form 2023
