Distance Education Enrolment

The VLC caters for students in Prep-Year 11 who reside in Queensland. It is a full-time Distance Education schooling offering. Year 12 will commence in 2025.

Mirroring the organisational structure of the Hillcrest Christian College Home Campus, the Virtual Learning Community is arranged in three smaller communities:

Junior VLC (Prep-Year 4)
Middle VLC (Years 5-8)
Senior VLC (Years 9-12).

Year 12 will commence in 2025. Please submit a Register your Interest form to stay up-to-date with information about future VLC offerings.

The VLC offers the full-time equivalent of the Australian Curriculum (Prep-Year 10) and includes all compulsory subject areas: Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS), Health and Physical Education (HPE), Languages (French), Arts and Technologies. 

Students in Years 11-12 can choose five subjects from the following: English (compulsory), General Mathematics or Maths Methods (compulsory), Modern History, Biology, Psychology and Business. VET and other courses are also availabl e in ATAR and non-ATAR pathways. As the VLC continues to grow, further options are available. Please contact our enrolments team if you have any questions.

From Year 5, students also build a portfolio of SECRET Skills (Self-Manager, Effective Participator, Creative Thinker, Reflective Learner, Enquirer, Team Worker) as a key component of Hillcrest’s mission to develop the whole child. As a Christian College, all students participate in Christian Living lessons.

Students participate in live, daily online sessions with their teacher between 1-2 hours in total, depending on the year level. If they can’t attend the online sessions, students will be expected to watch these back in their own time throughout the week.

They will also have individual learning activities to complete each week in their own time. Students and families can structure the learning week to suit their circumstances. In general, students can expect their weekly workload to be a lot faster compared to a mainstream schooling setting.

Regular assessment will take place through the Virtual Learning platform to assess how students are progressing and inform the teacher of how to best support your child. 

However, in the Junior and Middle years, these rarely take the form of long assignments or exams. We design learning around real-world, meaningful tasks that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in a purposeful and real-life context. 

NAPLAN testing is compulsory for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia, whether in a mainstream or Distance Education setting. However, parents may withdraw their child because of philosophical or religious reasons.

NAPLAN testing takes place in Term 1 each year. More information will be sent to parents about the testing (and process for withdrawals, if applicable) at the beginning of each school year. If you cannot arrange for your child to attend the Hillcrest Christian College Home Campus (Reedy Creek), arrangements can be made with your local school to complete the testing.

Students receive a formal school report twice a year, at the end of each semester. These will be uploaded to the Parent Lounge, and parents may print their copy at home if required. Ongoing feedback on assessment and progress is given to students throughout each term via Progressive Reporting feedback.

At Hillcrest, we recognise that each student is unique and has different needs. An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a document that allows the teacher, student and parents to work together to look at a student’s strengths, aspirations, challenges and competencies to tailor an appropriate educational program.

This may include having extra time to consolidate core concepts, working at an alternate year level in a particular subject area or concept, working on accelerated content, or, in the case of students with diagnosed needs, having adjustments in place to assist in the completion of class-work and assessments. ILPs are reviewed by all parties every six months.

Unlike traditional Distance Education programs, the VLC aims to develop the whole child, meaning there is a focus on not only intellectual achievement but also development in the emotional, wellbeing, global and spiritual domains. Each child participates in Life Group lessons with their core class throughout the week, which are dedicated opportunities to build relationships and ‘do life’ with others.

The VLC offers frequent opportunities for students who live near our Hillcrest Christian College Home Campus (Reedy Creek) to attend on-campus events. This includes social catch-ups and enrichment days, where they can use College facilities to further explore the learning they are doing in the Virtual Learning platform.

These days are optional but provide an excellent opportunity for students and parents to meet and develop friendships they have made in the virtual space.

VLC students who live near our Hillcrest Christian College home campus (Reedy Creek) are most welcome to join our on-campus, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. They currently include opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, outreach activities, Choral Program, Instrumental Program, Dance Program (CAPA), local sporting clubs (including AFL, Basketball, Futsal and Netball) and after-school clubs. Please note, some of these activities may incur an extra cost. 

The VLC Term Dates mirror the Hillcrest Christian College Home Campus Term Dates. Queensland gazetted Public Holidays (including the Gold Coast Show Holiday) are observed, and online classes will not operate on these days.

If your family plans an extended trip away during the term, please advise your child’s teacher and the Head of Virtual Learning Community. In some cases, arrangements can be made for students to complete their learning while they are away or at an alternate time, depending on your circumstances.

No, we provide each student with a device from Prep to Year 12 to ensure a seamless learning experience. The device will have a camera and video capabilities to submit work samples and assessment items, and participate in live Virtual Learning activities. 

The device will come with a protective cover and stylus.  Limited insurance is included; we recommend families also organise their own insurance for these devices. 

In 2024 students receive:

• Prep-6: Microsoft Surface Go
• Years 7-9 Microsoft Surface Pro
• Years 10-12 Microsoft Surface Studio
  

Devices come pre-loaded with the Office 365 Suite, as well as with necessary software for core learning activities.

From time to time, your child’s teacher may ask you to download relevant apps/programs to use in the Virtual Learning program. 

No. The one2one device program is a compulsory part of the VLC program, and forms part of the fee structure. It is designed for teachers to be able to create learning programs for all students, consistent with the hardware and software provided, as well as allow our IT team to be able to support all students with a common device and platform. 

You will need a reliable, consistent internet connection to participate in the Virtual Learning program. Ideally, we recommend a minimum of NBN^TM25 (i.e. up to 25Mbps Down and 4Mbps Up) or similar.

If others are likely to be using the connection at the same time, this may need to be higher. Some 4G/5G mobile data services may be suitable if signal strength and speeds are good at your location. However, families will need to ensure they have a high mobile data allowance to avoid excess charges. The VLC is not responsible for internet fees or excess charges.

IT support is available during operational hours.

Yes. A school uniform, whether working from home or virtually, instils a sense of pride in, and belonging to, a student’s school community. A uniform also provides a sense of security to both teachers and students, ensuring a standard of dress appropriate to online learning activities.

Students are required to wear the VLC sport shirt and sport shorts when participating in online classes and optional on-campus activities. The VLC hat is also to be worn to on-campus activities. A tracksuit jacket and optional tracksuit pants are available for the cooler months if required.

Yes. All teachers are qualified and registered teachers, trained specifically in Virtual Education practices. All of our teachers are excited to get to know and work alongside your family.

No. Hillcrest Christian College is registered and approved to teach a Distance Education program, which we call our Virtual Learning Community. Unlike homeschooling, all curriculum, assessment and reporting is coordinated and delivered by the College, so you don’t have to worry.

Yes. It is important for children to have a parent (or other responsible adult, such as a grandparent, uncle, tutor or nanny) at home to help them access their learning, provide active supervision and assist where needed.

Teachers are available during school hours to assist your child online, but parents are important partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each child. Some students may need extra assistance with their learning, which will require parents to be more hands-on during the learning sessions. Generally, as students grow older, less assistance is needed. You will be best placed to ascertain how much parental assistance your child needs. If you have any concerns, please speak to their teacher.

A child is not expected to engage in online learning if they are ill. Please advise us if your child will be sick for the day. In cases of extended illness, students may be able to negotiate workload and timelines with their teacher.

Books/Resource lists will be sent to families in Term 4 in the previous year or prior to commencement. Families can source stationery requirements from their preferred supplier.

All students in Years 5 and above attend a yearly camp. Camp enriches the virtual curriculum, and provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop their social and team-work skills, resilience, courage and perseverance. Camp fees are billed separately, once location and dates have been confirmed.

As a Christian College, Christian Living and Gathering are an important and valued part of our core offering, and all students are required to participate. Our College values of Integrity, Respect, Courage, Service, Humility, Diligence and Discernment are often outworked during these sessions.

While we have a mixture of church-going and non-church-going families in our College community, we ask that you support our ethos and values-based education by supporting your child to participate in our full program.

Yes. Hillcrest Christian College is well-known for its exceptional gifted and talented programs. All students have their own Individual Learning Plan, allowing teachers to tailor a program for children’s specific areas of giftedness.
Gifted students can also apply for our Lumos Gifted & Talented Program.

At this stage, the VLC does not offer scholarships.