BDC Horizon Online: Expanding the Way We Learn at BDC
By Craig Verbruggen, Head of BDC Horizon Online
At Bishop Druitt College, relationships come first.
Whether a student is sitting in a classroom on the Coffs Coast or learning through Horizon Online, the heartbeat is the same: care, connection, high expectations and a strong Anglican foundation.
BDC Horizon Online has grown steadily over the past year, not as something separate from the College, but as an extension of who we already are. It reflects a simple belief. Every learner is different, and schools of the future must be able to respond to that diversity thoughtfully and responsibly.
Learning That Builds Independence
All learners process information differently.
Some thrive in the energy of classroom discussion. Others benefit from being able to pause, rewind, reflect and revisit complex concepts at their own pace. Some need flexibility around elite sport, performance commitments, health circumstances or family travel. Others develop confidence when they are given structured independence.
Horizon Online is designed around these realities.
Students engage with:
- Structured, teacher-led pre-recorded lesson videos
- Regular live Zoom tutorials
- Ongoing feedback and communication through Schoolbox
- Clear daily routines that support executive functioning
- Chaplaincy and Anglican formation through the Horizon Hub
The goal is not simply flexibility. It is formation. We are helping young people develop self regulation, responsibility, time management and academic maturity.
Importantly, Horizon students remain fully connected to the BDC community, with access to carnivals, camps, Science Prac Days and, in the near future, practical residential experiences at Farnworth Farm.
Building a Deep Digital Resource Library
Over the past year, we have created hundreds and hundreds of professionally designed learning videos across our senior courses.
This growing digital library is becoming a significant asset for the College. It supports:
- Revision and differentiated instruction
- Additional explanation for students who need reinforcement
- Future blended learning opportunities
- Resource sharing across faculties
In the coming year, this structured video library will progressively extend into Years 7 to 10 as Horizon expands into lower stages.
This is long term capacity building for BDC.
Who Horizon Helps Us Serve
Horizon Online strengthens BDC’s ability to serve:
- Rural and remote families seeking Anglican education
- High performance athletes and performers balancing demanding schedules
- Families travelling for extended period
- Students requiring temporary flexibility due to health or personal circumstances
- Learners who benefit from structured independent study
It also opens future possibilities for flexible arrangements for existing BDC families when life circumstances require it, including potential blended learning models. More on that in time.
Our Current Stage 6 Offering
BDC Horizon Online is currently delivering the following Stage 6 courses:
- English Advanced
- Mathematics Advanced
- Mathematics Extension 1
- Biology
- Agriculture
- Geography
- Health and Movement Science
Additional subjects, including further English and Mathematics levels, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Languages and other electives, are being planned for future rollout, subject to enrolment numbers and staffing capacity.
Positioning BDC for the Future
Education is changing.
Families are seeking flexibility. Technology is reshaping how knowledge is delivered. Students are preparing for a world that values independence, adaptability and digital fluency.
The addition of BDC Horizon Online positions Bishop Druitt College as a hub for innovation. We are not abandoning tradition. We are strengthening it with thoughtful digital pedagogy.
I strongly believe the school of the future will include:
- A significant portion of students learning face to face
- Some learners participating in blended models, on campus part of the week and online for the remainder
- A portion of students fully online
Horizon Online allows BDC to explore these models carefully and responsibly, in alignment with our values.
It does not change who we are. It expands how we serve.
And that benefits the whole College community.
As we all gather and stand upon Country, may we acknowledge and respect Gumbaynggirr Land and the thousands of years’ worth of both physical and spiritual connection to Country, culture and teachings embedded forever within these Lands.