Denison College

Denison College of Secondary Education is a college of secondary education in Bathurst founded in 2007.Located in Bathurst the college is the largest provider of secondary education in the area with student numbers for 2007 of 1580, a college teaching staff of 130 and support staff of 30.HistoryIn 2005 a tragic fire completely destroyed Kelso High School . In the wake of the destruction the NSW Educataion Department sought community consultation as they began to look at new ways to provide enhanced public education to the Bathurst community. These community collaborations, which involved more than 200 people resulted in consensus around a model that called for the establishment of a collegiate, with two-year 7–12 campuses at Kelso and Bathurst High providing quality education and facilities. A feature of this collegiate model was that each campus would maintain its own identity, but the establishment of shared curriculum and resources would increase opportunities for all students.Denison College was formed to share curriculum, facilities and staff between Bathurst's two public secondary schools, Bathurst High and Kelso High in order to enhance student choice.NamingIn 2006 the College Reference and Management Committees, which had been created to form the new college, sought in earnest to provide the college with a unique and appropriate name. Community consultation and deliberations by the committees lead to the name for the college: "Denison College of Secondary Education."The name for the College came from a prominent Bathurst icon, the Denison Bridge. For one hundred and fifty years the Denison Bridge has linked the communities on both sides of the Macquarie River. In much the same way, Denison College now links the Bathurst district communities by providing students with access to an extensive range of facilities incorporating the latest in emerging and traditional educational technologies.