Move away from Middle schools

The Department of Education and Training, in collaboration with schools, is on track to delivery key changes from 2026 to support the transition from middle schools to comprehensive schools in urban areas.

Highlights:

School naming

Several Darwin and Palmerston schools will adopt new names from Term 1, 2026 with names selected in close consultation with school communities:

• Nightcliff Middle School will become Nightcliff High School
• Sanderson Middle School will become Sanderson High School
• Dripstone Middle School will become Dripstone Secondary College
• Palmerston College Driver Campus will become Driver Secondary School
• Palmerston College Rosebery Campus will become Rosebery Secondary School
• Darwin Middle and Darwin High Schools will merge to become Darwin High School
• Casuarina Senior College will retain its current name
• In Alice Springs, the Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior College communities will work together in Term 1, 2026 to select a name for their new comprehensive school.

Principal Appointments

To lead the new schools, the following principals have been appointed:

• Ms. Annette Pedersen, current Principal of Darwin Middle School, will lead the new comprehensive Darwin High School
• Ms. Maisie Floyd, current Principal of Palmerston College, will lead the new Driver Secondary School
• Ms. Kristi Beynon, current Head of Campus at Palmerston College’s Rosebery site, will lead the new Rosebery Secondary School
• Ms. Donna O’Brien, current Principal of Gillen Primary School, will lead the new comprehensive high school in Alice Springs.

Continuing in their current roles:

• Ms. Eva Kokkinomagoulos will lead Nightcliff High School
• Ms. Nektaria Pikoulos will lead Dripstone Secondary College
• Mr. Robert McIntosh will lead Sanderson High School
• Mr. Glenn Dixon will lead Casuarina Senior College.

Professional Learning Planning

• The department continues to work with transitioning schools to develop and deliver tailored professional learning programs to support delivery of the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) and Australian Curriculum.
• Staff from Dripstone, Sanderson and Nightcliff middle schools participated in NTCET-focussed professional learning at the start of Term 4, 2025.
• A tailored professional learning package is being developed for Palmerston College staff.
• Discussions are set to begin with Darwin Middle School, Darwin High School, Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior College to identify specific professional learning needs.
• All schools have access to universal professional learning via eLearn, including NTCET and Australian Curriculum modules. A Term 4 training calendar is available at eLearn calendar.

Other updates

• The department’s Student Attendance and Engagement team is working closely with students that have been identified as being at risk of disengagement to ensure they understand their options for 2026 and to support them to enrol.
• Each of the transitioning schools in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs have had a school counsellor in Term 4, 2025. This support will continue in 2026.
• The department is working closely with schools to ensure that teaching facilities are ready for senior curriculum and VET delivery from Term 1, 2026.

Budgets have been released for 2026:

• Transitioning schools have been funded for 2026 based on the expected enrolment for new year levels calculated in October this year. Through the standard funding process, schools that have more enrolments than expected will receive a funding top-up in term 1.
• For the smaller schools undergoing the transition, the department has provided targeted funding to support delivery of the full range on Year 10 subjects in 2026 and into the future as they grow their senior secondary year levels.
• Schools commencing new year levels have been provided with supplementary funding to assist with the procurement of teaching materials including textbooks, calculators and classroom supplies and where required, larger furniture for older students.
• DCDD has been working closely with Palmerston College to prepare for the establishment of the two new schools, including configuring the schools in various IT systems, separating school held data across the new schools and allocating IT assets.
• DCDD is supporting schools that have changed their name to update their website domains and generic email addresses.

Four comprehensive high schools (years 7 to 12) located on existing sites in:

• Dripstone Middle School
• Nightcliff Middle School
• Sanderson Middle School
• Darwin Middle and High Schools combined
• One specialist industry, trade and technical college for senior secondary students (years 10 to 12), focussed on high-priority industries. This college will be connected to the comprehensive high school at the current Sanderson Middle School site and established over the next 4 years.
• One higher education-focused college for senior secondary students (years 10 to 12), focussed on pathways and programs to in-demand professions, e.g. education and health. This college will be established by enhancing the pathways offered through the current Casuarina Senior College.

In Palmerston, there will be 2 full comprehensive high schools (years 7 to 12) on existing Palmerston College sites in Driver and Rosebery.

In Alice Springs, there will be one full comprehensive high school (years 7 to 12) on the existing site at Centralian Middle School with a connected regional industry, trade and flexible education college (years 10 to 12) to be established on the Centralian Senior College site over the next 4 years.

The transition to the new, comprehensive secondary education system will be gradual, sequenced and strategically managed to ensure a smooth rollout, minimise disruption and enable students to continue their education journey at their current school.

Throughout semester 2 2025, school planning and system preparation will continue for all schools to ensure students, staff, school communities and the department are prepared for the transition.

For Darwin schools:

• Changes will begin from term 1, 2026 for Dripstone, Nightcliff, Sanderson and Casuarina schools. Students currently attending Dripstone, Nightcliff and Sanderson schools who will be entering year 10 in 2026 may opt to remain at their current school which will be commencing as a comprehensive school, or enrol at another senior school program, such as that offered by Casuarina Senior College.
• For Darwin Middle and Darwin High schools, following the appointment of the new transitional principal, these 2 schools will work during 2026 to transition to a single comprehensive year 7 to 12 school. This includes consulting and finalising the recommendations of a new school name, amalgamation of the governance committees, planning and development for staff and shared use of facilities. The new single comprehensive school will formally start operating from term 1, 2027.

For Palmerston schools:

• Palmerston school (Driver site): from term 1 2026, year 7 students will begin at the Palmerston school located at the Driver site. The school will operate as a year 7 and year 10 to 12 school.
• Palmerston school (Rosebery site): from term 1 2026, the Palmerston school located on the Rosebery site will commence operating as a comprehensive school through the addition of year 10. Therefore, students currently in year 9 at Rosebery may opt to remain at their current school or move to the Driver school if they live in the priority enrolment area.

For Alice Springs:

• For Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior College, following the appointment of the new transitional principal, these 2 schools will work during 2026 to transition to a single comprehensive year 7 to 12 school. This includes consulting and finalising the recommendations of a new school name, amalgamation of the governance committees, planning and development for staff and shared use of facilities. From the start of 2027 students in year 10 will stay at the emerging comprehensive school at the Centralian Middle School site, and the comprehensive school will start offering year 11 and 12 from 2028.

The later start in Alice Springs and Darwin Middle and Darwin High schools reflects local community feedback and allows for additional planning and preparation. The full implementation across all urban government secondary schools will be completed by end of 2028.

The department will work closely with schools, parents, teachers, and students over the next 6 months to implement these changes, with a focus on:

• Ensuring that families and communities are kept well-informed about the changes and have confidence in the new structure for secondary education.
• Recruiting and training new leadership for the new schools, supporting employee wellbeing, and providing professional development for teachers.
• Supporting students, especially those with additional needs and vulnerable students, to ensure they stay engaged and supported during the transition process.
• Finalising career and industry programs and pathways.
• Addressing infrastructure, logistics, and technology needs to support the new school structure, including identifying funding and planning for necessary upgrades.
• Updating governance structures, enrolment policies, and priority enrolment areas to align with the new school system.