Bendigo Senior Secondary College (BSSC) is an Australian government-funded co-educational secondary school for Year 11 and Year 12 students located in the centre of Bendigo, Victoria. It is the largest provider of VCE, VCE Vocational Major and VET in the state of Victoria. Bendigo has four government-funded Year 7 to 10 secondary schools: Eaglehawk Secondary College, Bendigo South East College, Crusoe College and Weeroona College Bendigo. Students from these schools transition to BSSC for their final two years of schooling in Years 11 and 12.

History

The Bendigo Continuation School opened on 27 April 1907, with the aim of preparing students for entry into the public service, teacher training, university or other education. In 1912, the school was renamed as Bendigo High School. The school incorporated nearby buildings such as the Sandhurst Corporate High School (later St Andrew's College) and eventually the James King Hall and administration block were built in 1930. The former Bendigo Supreme Court was used to serve as the music rooms when it was obtained in 1959, after the relocation of Bendigo Girls' High School. Other additions include the Alexander Wing (1967) and the Commonwealth Library (1977). The last year Bendigo High School provided the full range of secondary school courses from Years 7 to 12 was in 1975. In 1976, the school became Victoria's first senior high school providing courses in only Year 11 and Year 12. The school phased in this change with the removal of the lower years which was complete in 1979. In 1984, the school was renamed as Bendigo Senior High School. In 1990, the school was renamed as Bendigo Senior Secondary College. In 1991, a building program saw the construction of new buildings, with an overall upgrade all of the facilities starting from 1995. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. In 2025, the school will appoint its first female principal, Kylie Hand. Hand will replace current principal Dale Pearce, the longest-serving principal of the college, who has held the position since 2006.

Notable achievements and projects

In 2001, Bendigo Senior Secondary College was the first government school in the world to be accredited with the Council of International Schools. In 2011, BSSC was bench-marked again and welcomed international scrutiny. NETschool is an extension of BSSC and offers VCE, VCAL and VET. It provides curriculum access for 15–18 year-old students who have been outside mainstream schooling or training. BSSC also runs an online program which they deliver the college program through. It was setup to help students in other schools in Victoria. This program is expected to continue to expand in the future.

Notable alumni

Arts and entertainment Business Politics Sport

Notable buildings

Notable landmarks

Awards and nominations

Australian Training Awards

School Pathways to VET Awards ! Ref. ! scope="row"| 2011 ! scope="row"| 2014 ! scope="row"| 2015 VET in Schools Excellence Awards ! Ref. ! scope="row"| 2012 ! scope="row"| 2016