Berengarra School

Our Origins

Berengarra School: a trauma-informed specialist secondary school in Melbourne.

Berengarra School was established when the founders of the Currajong Primary School decided that a specialist secondary school for students with social and emotional challenges was needed. On 7 January 1977, Berengarra School was opened in Kew and a School Board was established with Rev. Kenneth Jago as the founding Chairperson.

‘Berengarra’ is an aboriginal word for the ‘land around Kew’ and references the original location of the school. Berengarra School acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which our school operates and pays respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Berengarra School is a specialist independent secondary school for students in Years 7-12. The school is non-denominational and co-educational for students with social and emotional complexities.

Berengarra School may be the right fit for students who:

• Are capable learners with significant emotional or behavioural needs
• Are neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism) or experience anxiety, trauma, depression or social withdrawal
• Need a calm, smaller environment to rebuild confidence
• Have disengaged from school or are experiencing “school can’t”
• Require a therapeutic learning environment with predictable routines, flexible supports, and a relational approach to learning

The school currently has two campuses in Box Hill and Chadstone. The Box Hill Campus caters for students in Years 7-10 and the Chadstone Campus is a senior campus catering for students Years 10-12. Our highly experienced staff deliver the Victorian Curriculum, the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC), VCE Vocational Major (VM) and Vocational Education and Training Certificates (VET) and School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs).

All Berengarra School students require specialist support to meet their diverse social and emotional challenges. Students commonly present with a variety of mental health issues and/or learning challenges. Students who enrol at Berengarra School have all had challenges finding success in mainstream education. The school aims to offer the very best learning environment, curriculum and processes to meet the needs of our students.

Alongside an individually adjusted curriculum, our programs reflect school-wide strategies aimed at reducing stress and anxiety for students. This is achieved by removing some of the barriers students commonly encounter in other school settings. For example, Berengarra School students are not required to wear a uniform or complete homework. The school day at Berengarra School is shorter, running from 9.30 am to 2.40 pm, allowing students to travel outside peak times creating more relaxed transitions at either end of the school day.

At the core of Berengarra School’s model is fostering a sense of belonging within our school community and nurturing students’ strengths and abilities to improve educational outcomes. Berengarra School offers hope for success and a path to future engagement in education and employment.

Want to Learn More?

• Looking for an alternative setting for Years 7–10? Explore the Box Hill Campus.
• Looking for a flexible and supported learning option for Years 10–12? Discover the Chadstone Campus.
• See how students learn real-world skills in a working café. Learn more about CafEducation.