Announced this month, from the start of the 2026 school year, the school will offer Years 11 and 12.
Principal Kevin Sourgen was thrilled to share the news.
“(In 2024) we joined the Christian Education Ministries group and rebranded as Australian Christian College, Echuca,” he said.
“One of the benefits of that is leveraging the group.
“So with that comes an incredible opportunity to push the school forward into the next stage that it needs to grow.”
ACC will offer the Victorian Certification of Education and VCE Vocational Major programs to its senior students.
This means students can attend the school from Prep until Year 12.
“Our students now get to continue the educational journey with us,” Mr Sourgen said.
“Whether it’s the academic university pathway or if it is more the vocational pathway, they get to complete both with us.”
Seeing the school achieve certification to offer the VCE and VCE VM programs has been a goal realised for Mr Sourgen, who joined the school as principal in 2022.
“It’s been a dream of the college for years and years and years,” he said.
“It’s been my personal vision to have this come to fruition, and here we are, heading to year four, and it’s going to be a reality.”
Year 10 students Charlotte Attwell and Tilly Metelmann are looking forward to continuing their schooling at ACC.
Previously, students continuing to Year 11 and 12 needed to find a new school to take them to graduation, bringing a change in routine, friendships, opportunities and support networks.
“A lot of kids after they finish Year 10 here, they either just can’t find a school where they fit in because they join in Year 11 and 12, it’s a later time to join,” Tilly said.
“As well as, a lot of them just don’t go through further education.
“So, I think it’s a great chance for us to stay where we know we belong and fit in and continue.”
Like many other ACC students, Charlotte has welcomed the news for herself and for her family.
“A couple of years ago, there was a worry, ‘where’s my child going to go now?’,” she said.
“Then, Mr Sourgen brought the great news that we’re going to have Year 11 and 12, and my parents are like, ‘yes, this is great ... I’d love them to keep staying at this school’.”
Offering the VCE and VCE VM pathways also means Year 10 students will be offered accelerated programs, including subjects such as health, business management and religion and society.
Mr Sourgen is glad to support the students from Prep to the end of high school.
“It’s a huge step to take a college through from Year 10 into Year 11, and I’m very honoured to be part of that journey,” he said.
“It is about offering the community that option.
“(The students) are well known here, they’re well cared for, and they can just continue into those aspirational areas.”
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