MELBOURNE — In the suburb of Northcote, the local public high school has been a cornerstone of the community since 1926. This year marks its centenary — a milestone that reaffirms the school's quality and its capacity to look ahead.
“We launched an exchange programme with China 25 years ago,” recalled Jocelyn Hill, Director of Global Learning at Northcote High School, “one of the longest-running in all of Victoria, and something we're very proud of.”
The opportunities the school offers for students to engage with the wider world are among its greatest strengths. Alongside the China programme, there is an exchange with Italy now in its fourth year, and “last year we also introduced the World Challenge, which took 50 students to Borneo for two weeks — an unforgettable experience combining discovery and community service.”
Language teaching remains a top priority for a staff committed to giving students every possible avenue to pursue their passions. “Anything we can do to get students engaged in language learning, we're happy to do,” Hill said, adding that in 2025 the school and its community welcomed 120 international students.
Italian teachers Angela Cappelli and Imogen Lazarus have spent recent weeks organising the latest exchange for their Italian students, welcoming a group of 14 young visitors from Liceo Francesco Vivona in Rome.
“It all started five years ago,” Cappelli recalled, describing how the partnership — which has since enabled reciprocal exchanges with the Roman school — began with a visit from a delegation of Italian staff.
“The important thing is giving students the opportunity to see and experience different parts of the world — to understand how the Italian school system works, what the lifestyle is like, and to encourage them to speak Italian,” she said, also highlighting the tremendous support the programme has received over the years from families and the wider school community. The hope is to keep it going and, if possible, to grow it further. “It’s a great personal satisfaction to see students improve, and that's why we hope to expand the project,” she admitted.
The students who shared their experiences described the exchange as something they couldn't have imagined before they left.
Hazel spent a month in Rome staying with Arianna and her family and remembers it as “extraordinary — better than I ever could have imagined.” Arianna returned the visit by coming to Melbourne, discovering Hazel’s world and experiencing firsthand just how different Australian life is from her own. “School is organised very differently, and the food is much more international,” she observed.
Max described how the exchange changed him — not just by revealing the cultural differences between the two countries, but by inspiring him to approach language learning with renewed motivation. “One thing that really struck me was the relationship Italians have with food. It genuinely means a lot to them.”
Saverio was surprised by the differences in family routines. “One unexpected thing was dinner time — here people eat really early. And when they need to go out, they're ready in no time, whereas at home it takes us much longer.”
Nicla was impressed by the practical focus of the Australian school system, which “teaches you real, useful things for your future.” Thea noticed that young people in Italy are “less shy and a lot more open. It takes us a bit longer to feel comfortable.”
Tilly also found it easy to connect with people her own age during her time in Italy. “Everyone was curious about Australia and had so many questions for me.”
Anthony says he’s genuinely glad to have the chance to interact with the Italian students. “They help me with my accent and my tests,” he noted with a smile.
Many different voices — but one shared chorus of enthusiasm and appreciation for a truly remarkable experience.
