Pods are a way of organising students into learning groups. At Herberton State School Secondary Department this means small groups of students supported by two teachers and a teacher's aide.

In other words, Pods are students, teachers and support staff travelling together on a learning journey.

At present there are three Pods at Herberton Secondary Department. Each Pod has approximately 20 students. The Pods focus on unit based curriculum covering the the main Key Learning Areas of Science, SOSE, HPE, English, Maths and Information Communication Technology. Arts and Technology are also incorporated into units as appropriate.

In addition to the work in the Pods, students undertake learning in specialist areas during afternoon sessions. Pods are a way of ensuring that the instruction given to students is appropriate for their learning needs with both subject support and extension work easily accessed.

Pods are not primary school classes. They adhere to a Middle schooling philosophy and are aimed at engaging student in learning during the time when many students tend to disengage.