Alia College, Hawthorn East 学校评价

Alia College, Hawthorn East

学校评价

By Parent - 22 Mar 2024, 评价: 优秀

I cannot speak highly enough about Alia College. My daughter feels safe, heard and accented here and now loves going to school. I have such appreciation and gratitude towards the amazing team of staff at Alia and particularly the principal Bob Morgan for creating such an incredible and vital learning space.

By Alumnus - 02 Mar 2024, 评价: 很差

Went for a trial for a week back in 2008, yes long time ago but remember it so well, writing this after thinking about it and seeing it still exists and that creep of a principle is still there. I would of been 14 turning 15, I was severely bullied at the previous school because of my anxiety and lack of talking, so my mother found this school aswell as another school to do a trial at both back to back. First we got the tour with both my parents and was pretty intrigued and interested by the smallness and lack of uniform and the fact you could leave the premises for lunch, wow, it wasn't until I was brought in alone into the office with Bob who looked like the doctor in the Halloween movie, that I became uncomfortable, he starts asking me standard get to know you questions, and me being nervous I think he didn't like me, but the stand out question was if I smoked and I said no, which I didn't, then he started going on about how he finds the students who smoke are more interesting in character and more interesting to
talk to... okay... pretty much encouraging it, being 14 was weird hearing an adult let alone a principle encouraging smoking. Then he wanted to do some Latin, I have never learnt or know Latin, so for 10 minutes he was trying to teach me Latin and was putting me down like I was a moron for not being able to speak and write a sentence fluently in 10 minutes? We then went out to speak to my parents and he was saying I was behind with intelligence because I couldn't learn Latin in the reasonable 10 minutes for the first time in my life, wtf. So anyway... I did a weeks trial, I honestly found the students dismissive and not caring at all about anyone new, so was a lonely odd week, was walking on lunch break around the block which when I think now is pretty strange considering my age and being a girl it's dangerous I reckon. Kids messed around in classes, some of the clothes the girls wore showed G-strings and bellies, well mainly 1 girl, 14 15 years old. I ended up choosing the other school I trialed at even if you couldn't leave the school on break the kids at the school I ended up going to were much nicer and more accepting. Unlike alia. Also in hindsight, I never had an interest in smoking, but after dealing with him and all that I suddenly begun smoking not that long after, cause shy little me being told people who smoke are more interesting, I don't know seems like that got into my 14 year old brain. I would really do your homework on this school. Wouldn't know what it is like now, but I doubt it's any different to all the negative reviews about this place

By Student - 03 Mar 2023, 评价: 优秀

Alia actually made me want to come to school and has significantly decreased the creeping sense of dread I aquire shortly after waking up!
The class environment and relationship with the teachers is a lot less stressful and infuriating than other schools,
and when they are concerned about my participation in class it feels like it's from a place of genuine care rather than an angry authoritative figure wanting me to be more productive.
I love all the friends I've made here, and generally have a positive relationship with most of the staff.
This place has been good for me

By Alumnus - 06 Oct 2021, 评价: 很差

I was lucky to have gotten out of this school after a year. Highly questionable ethics. The whole school camp on the first week of year 7 was more traumatising than it was “character building”. I agree with the review below. More concerned with their reputation than holding their teachers accountable for their lack of boundaries with students. Would love to know if it’s the same potential predator they’re referring to

By Parent - 10 Feb 2021, 评价: 很差

If someone who is "in charge" at Alia meets certain criteria of a potential predator, would you send your child there? If that same person mocks kids starting on their first day by creating "nicknames" for them based on very common genetic disorders, would you send your child there? If an official travel document you received from that same person was literally incoherent, inaccurate, and appeared to be written by a person drunk or high on drugs, would you send your child there? If you realised they appear to target marginalised kids as "a good fit" would you wonder why they do? If you learned that there were only three, now two, kids total in Year 7 would you stay? If you knew the main teaching methodology was literally and repeatedly paper based worksheets, over and over, frequently used in a way to "trick" kids and intentionally embarrass them, would you even register? Would you report what you know? What would you do?

By Parent - 19 Dec 2019, 评价: 很差

Funny how a whole lot of “students” left positive reviews in Sept 2018. Maybe trying to “up” the rating after the several truthful and real reviews from traumatised parents and students. This school is a disgrace. Bob is an ego tripping narcissist and a dangerous person.

By Parent - 23 Oct 2018, 评价: 优秀

Could not speak more highly of Alia and Bob. My child has thrived. It has been hard at times. I've struggled, my child struggled, Bob and the rest of the teachers struggled. If you want to grow a caring, thinking, well rounded, responsible human, this is the school for you. Sure there are easier paths but i will be forever grateful to Bob for the significant role he and Alia played in shaping my wonderful young person.

By Parent - 29 Sep 2018, 评价: 优秀

Excellent for gifted kid. I am a parent and Bob is the most experienced teacher i have met in my academic life. His approached was extraordinary specific with confidence and sometimes you just have to believe, that years of experience and idealism of his should be recognized praised as there is no reason one could stand against time if it was not for real good deed....

By Alumnus - 25 Sep 2018, 评价: 优秀

Alia College was my saving grace. I came from an all girls private school and was awfully bullied throughout my entire schooling there. When I came to Alia I was extremely shy and a broken version of myself. It took two months before I was speaking up in meetings, raising my hand in classrooms and succeeding academically as well as socially like I never had before. Bob Morgan saw something in me right from the beginning which he nurtured and encouraged and soon enough I was in full bloom. The teachers care and put in all the effort they can to help you succeed in whatever endeavours you wish to pursue. I can happily say I loved my Alia experience and if I hadn't come to Alia, I really don't know where I would be today. Thank you Alia, Bob and staff!

By Alumnus - 12 Sep 2018, 评价: 优秀

I thrived more at Alia than I did in most Australian private schools. My education thrived more in small classes, had a better relationship with the teachers and I knew every single person in the school by name and grade. I’m not saying Alia is for everyone and they don’t make themselves out to be but for the students who do thrive, they thrive not only in education but are taught practical and interpersonal skills that most schools don’t teach.

By Alumnus - 11 Sep 2018, 评价: 优秀

After moving to Alia from the mainstreme system, I was able to rediscover my love of learning. At Alia my teachers were more like mentors, you knew that they always had your best interest at heart. The small classroom environment really suited me, and I overcame social anxieties that I had developed due to the rigimented structure of my previous school. I thrived at Alia, and did very well in my VCE as I was encouraged to focus on myself and my own achievements, not compare myself to others.

By Student - 11 Sep 2018, 评价: 优秀

Without coming to Alia I wouldn’t have completed my studies. Because vce classes are so small I am able to learn more and have better relationships with my teachers. Reviews are sometimes are good way to get a feel of a school. But the best way is to go in to tour the school. Alia makes this easy where you can call up and book to have a morning tour of the school, and even sit in on classes. This is a great way to experience the school that many other schools don’t offer, and can help indicate whether Alia College is the right school for you. Currently in year 12 there are students wanting to achieve the best possible score. But there are some students who just want to complete year 12 with a pass, due to many different circumstances. Alia gives students the freedom to decide on their path, as teachers know what we are aiming for and can help us all individually to complete our goals. Without Alia quite a few students in my year level (and the school) would not be at school, or enjoy being at schools. Alia gives me the chance to be who I am and have support that I did not receive at my previous mainstream school.

By Student - 25 Aug 2018, 评价: 很差

everyone in my class gets away with everything, you can't learn anything because god forbid any discipline is used

By Parent - 13 Jul 2018, 评价: 很差

Alia College thrives by pretending it is something that it is not.
The school website lies when it claims academic excellence among it's VCE cohort. The average study score for VCE subjects is 24/50, the school ranks in the bottom 10% of all Victorian schools in terms of academic performance, despite being one of the most expensive private schools in Melbourne.
Bob Morgan (principal/founder) claims he has solved bullying. All situations are dealt with using students meetings. This consist of 40+ kids and have little guidance from teachers,In the meetings kids who are shy are shouted down by older kids.
The culture fostered by these school meetings shuts down individuality and fosters intellectually lazy group-think.
The stories about drug-use petty-theft and self-harm being prevalent are all true according to my child (who has since left the school).
With the exception of the language teachers, the teaching quality is terrible. Bullying at Alia is worse than you would find at a typical public school.
Save your money, give your kid a future: don't send them to Alia.

By Parent - 16 May 2018, 评价: 很差

My child is an ex student of this school. Bob Morgan was very friendly and helpful prior to and during the enrolment process and went to a great effort to “sell” the school and it’s philosophy. However once my child was enrolled he was impossible to contact. He avoids any discussion about anything that does not support his ridiculously narrow minded views about children. He believes that children are little adults and should be allowed to do anything they want to do. There is definitely a culture of drug taking amongst the students, self harm is seen as being a form of expression. Younger children are influenced by older more worldly teenagers. Many very rich people who throw money at their kids and leave them to their own devices support Alia. This is a school where your child does not even have to attend school, they can be missing for weeks and parents are not informed. Many school refusers fly under the radar of authorities at Alia - as long as Bob gets his fees nobody is concerned. Many great teachers left due to being unable to ethically and morally deal with working at such a dangerously flawed institution. My child will never get back the years spent learning nothing and doing no school work whatsoever and is still recovering from the social influences and trauma associated with the culture of the student body.

By Parent - 30 Jan 2018, 评价: 优秀

A great alternative to mainstream education!
Not at all the institution that I have experienced at other schools. Students really are more than just a number & are encouraged according to individual strengths.
Bob Morgan is upfront & honest. Not at all interested in pussy footing around or wasting time. He works tirelessly in an ever-changing world, his door is always open to students and parents alike.

By Student - 08 Jan 2017, 评价: 良好

I learnt so much in this school. Bob did get angry with me once when i was trying to roll a smoke and he said i was doing it wrong and he helped me roll it. You learn about other life stuff, i got shoved into the staircase by another student and i hit my head bad as the kid laughed and Bob saw it happen and came and helped me up and said to deal with it and not cry and told me to stop being so weak. He teaches you how to deal with other life issues

By Student - 19 Nov 2016, 评价: 优秀

Alia College is not for everyone. I am not here to sell the school to you but in fact be blunt. Bob Morgan is a brilliant man and fantastic teacher. The decisions he has made have always been for the school and the student body. To those claiming that Bob discriminates against autism and similar diognosis, that is not at all true. At Alia, the philosophy is that education should be about knowledge, not about boundaries. Bob believes that although a child with autism may need extra help, a diognosis should not be the defining feature of an individual. As the previous comment stated, a student did take LSD in an isolated insidant. However, he was not expelled because Alia is not about maintaining an image. It is about helping the individual. Alia is a safe haven. I don't think I'd be here without Alia, let alone have successfully compleated my VCE and made applications to top Australian university as my previous school had suggested to 'give up' when I was 14. Some students do exploit the freedom Alia gives, however the reality is they may not last long as the school is about self motivation for learning. Don't give Alia hate if you don't understand it, because for those who have flourished there, the opportunities will never be forgotten.

By Parent - 09 Mar 2016, 评价: 一般

I am trying to find out the fees... Very shady and no real answer....

By Alumnus - 25 Feb 2016, 评价: 很差

Absolutely shocking, the school is poorly organised and the environment is toxic, so much so that many good teachers have left. At first the school was fantastic but began to drop off as the principal, Bob Morgan began pushing his own ideology onto everyone else. He believes autism spectrum disorders are fictional, and discriminates against children if he is aware they have a diagnosis, and picks on them to such an extent that they end up leaving the school. If all else fails he will just expel them. Bob Morgan fails also in the handling of bullying, he seems to pick out children with severe behavioural issues and lets them get away with anything, expecting other students to deal with it. If any student stands up to these problem children, they are expelled.
Drug abuse is common at Alai, with Bob Morgan even encouraging it, yes ENCOURAGING it!!! Drug addicted students do not attend classes but still loiter in the building, stealing from lockers, vandalising school and private property, and disrupting classes.
Bob also has his priorities mixed up: $1000+ stolen from students over the course of a few months, nothing. Windows smashed by students tripping on LSD, nothing. Faeces smeared on the toilet walls, nothing. What happens if someone disagrees with Bob's political views? A three hour lecture on how "kids these days just don't have enough respect". Bob Morgan a joke of a principal and should not even be allowed to teach let alone run a school. It is a shame too, because the school used to be a great place, a safe haven , but now literally any other school is better than Alia Collge. Even most of the teachers who taught at the school since it was founded couldn't stand Bob's mismanagement and have left, taking a lot of talent from the school.
Alia College is not a safe haven from bullying, it is a breeding ground for it. Alia College will not give you a decent education, the disorganisation and chaos there is huge.
In short if you don't want to get bullied, stolen from, assaulted and just want a safe place in which you can learn, do not attend this school, I cannot stress that enough.

By Parent - 04 Dec 2015, 评价: 很差

I was feeling so aligned and positive about the school's philosophy based on their website, but am now left devastated when my first contact with the school principal, Bob Morgan, resulted being told to look elsewhere, when he found out my son had a recent diagnosis of high functioning autism. I was bluntly told that they don't usually accept kids with "so called diagnosis", and "certainly don't offer any accommodations because of this" (Hello Discrimination). Totally different to the progressive, warm, caring, respectful approach cited on the website. The principal told me that having not enough "academically minded" kids would negatively affect the school (showing a negatively biased view of what kids with Autism are like - for all he knew my some was academically gifted). This showed a very negative, biased and ill-informed view. When asked what the fees were, The principal told me "around $30,000 per year". I am not sure if this is true or just a ploy to deter me from further inquiries. As far as I'm aware, even the elite Private Schools charge less than this. I'm very sad my son has been discriminated against (since he's been recently diagnosed, well regarded at his current school, I've not faced this type of reaction before), but thought other parents should be aware that this is the attitude of the principal.

By Parent - 19 Feb 2015, 评价: 很差

This school has the potential to fill a real niche for students who do not fit in to the mainstream. Unfortunately due to severe shortcomings in leadership, dangerous lack of accountability and complete lack of understanding of the very neurodevelopmental differences that the school purportedly specializes in, it falls well short. My child started out at the school absolutely loving it, but left it devastated and traumatized. Avoid at all costs.

By Parent - 23 Oct 2013, 评价: 优秀

extremely satisfied with the experience for both my children. They grew as young adults and discovered their respective passions. They both enjoyed their secondary experience.

By Parent - 04 Oct 2013, 评价: 优秀

was a fantastic school, my child had a great education, grew as an individual and really discovered what he was good at and what he wanted to do. My child like to go about things differently and this school was what he needed rather than a normal type of education.

By Parent - 23 Aug 2012, 评价: 较差

Very disappointed with the educational experience provided at this school.