Our Purpose

The John Berne School exists to fill a gap in the education system: the education of young people in Years 7 to 10 who find themselves excluded from mainstream education.

Our co-educational 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 would not achieve their Year 10 RoSA 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 up to 45 enrolled students and employs highly-trained, professional staff. This low student-to-staff ratio is essential to the success of the program.