At the start of the 1956 school year, secondary-aged school students in the Bentleigh area were requested to assemble at the grandstand of the Bentleigh Football Club to be a part of Bentleigh High School. The Headmaster Mr L.A. Cooke's opening words were;

　　"Buildings do not make a school, but the students and the teachers make a school."

　　The first school motto was "Schools are not made of buildings."

　　In 1984 Moorabbin High School closed and Bentleigh High School was amalgamated with Moorabbin Technical School to form Moorabbin City Technical High School. In 1987 the school once again changed its name to Moorabbin City Secondary College.

　　In 1996 School Council undertook to change the school name with overwhelming support to use "Bentleigh" in the college name. Local council boundaries had been redrawn sometime before and the college was now within the Glen Eira Council and there was no longer the Moorabbin Council. By the start of 1997, we had become Bentleigh Secondary College with a new logo and uniform to accompany the new title.

　　Bentleigh High School enjoyed respect and overwhelming community support and Bentleigh Secondary College is now enjoying the same.

　　Our Vision

　　We believe schools must provide opportunities for the development of the skills and capacities young people need to lead creative, satisfying and productive lives.

　　Our key educational priorities is to ensure students have access to curriculum activities which broaden and deepen their experience and values personal effort and excellence.

　　The Bentleigh Secondary College vision is to develop students who:

　　+ Will be engaged in their learning and become lifelong learners who will develop resilience and optimism

　　+ Are independent learners, whose learning styles are extended by teachers who use a wide range of teaching strategies and learning technologies

　　+ Will utilise technology that will provide them with experiences that enable them to develop an international perspective

　　We want our students to acquire the values to become responsible global citizens.

　　Our Values

　　Bentleigh Secondary College demonstrates the following agreed set of values:

　　+ Excellence - being the best you can be

　　+ Responsibility - the right to learn

　　+ Respect - the right to be treated with respect

　　+ Inclusiveness - the right to feel safe

　　Our Goals

　　Bentleigh Secondary undertook the process of establishing a 4 year strategic plan in 2011 with the aim of improving the college.

　　The goals set for this period were;

　　+ To improve student learning outcomes from years 7-12 to reflect cohort abilities

　　+ To improve motivation and learning confidence.

　　+ To improve transitions into, through and from the college.