Port Macquarie's two high schools combine

In a move, touted as a revolutionary step for the sector, the Department of Education and Communities has announced a plan to establish a new college which will see senior students travel freely between Port Macquarie High and Westport High schools from 2015.

The amalgamation aims to provide students with a more specialised and self-tailored schooling experience.

That's the view of the director of public schools in the Hastings Mark Youngblutt, who said the model is the first of its kind.

"From next year, the new college will offer secondary students a much broader choice of subjects," he said.

"The range of courses offered will ensure subject material is directly relevant to students' needs, and will be delivered with an emphasis on the kind of technologies they use in their daily lives."

A name for the proposed year 7-12 college is set to be announced in coming weeks.

Last year, the Port News revealed major structural reform was being considered to stem the flow of public school students to private education providers in the Hastings.

Statistics showed Westport High School had lost almost one in five of its students between 2008 and 2012, while Port Macquarie High School's enrolment declined by 16 per cent in the same period.

At the time, concerns were raised about a "one school option" which, the NSW Teachers Federation believed, would effectively equate to the closure of one of the region's high schools.

Yesterday, the union welcomed the department's announcement.

NSW Teachers Federation regional organiser, Ian Watson, admitted stakeholders had some issues with a number of options tabled last year.

"The great thing is the department has clearly listened to the community's concerns and come up with a solution to better meet the needs of local students.

"It's a really positive step forward for public education in Port Macquarie."

Under the umbrella of a new secondary college, an integrated timetable will allow year 11 and year 12 students to be bussed between the two sites.

The result, Mr Youngblutt said, would mean wider subject choices, more specialised teachers and state-of-the-art equipment.

"It will give students the opportunity to choose from a much more expansive range of HSC courses," he said. "I am confident that the changes will meet the need, identified by local principals, for schools to engage children and teenagers better by offering them more, and offering it through their preferred learning style."

The change, he said, is set to impact the whole Hastings community of schools.

"We want to align the work we do," Mr Youngblutt said. "To see a clear pathway for local students all the way from pre-school to the work place."

Mr Watson said he believed both schools would retain their identities and names under the wider banner of the college.

The department is now seeking applications for the role of executive principal.

This person will oversee not only the senior college, but have a part to play in the governance of the six local public schools.

Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams has labelled the plan as a "fantastic step in the right direction."

"We needed to take another look at how we were delivering education in the Hastings," Mrs Williams said.

"I'm confident this will be a great step for the future of public education in the area."

The college is set to operate from the start of the 2015 school year.

In 2012, a Board of Management consulted stakeholders including school delegates, and community leaders. Nearly 700 people took part in the process spanning some 140 meetings. Operational details are now set to be determined through consultation between stakeholders, led by the principals and executive principal, through the course of the year.