Geelong Grammar School

Principal Rebecca Cody

Joining the school in 2018, Rebecca’s approach centres on an unwavering commitment to the philosophy and practice of holistic education, and the far-reaching impact this has on shaping a buoyant, more adaptable and enlightened world.

BOSTOCK HOUSE

139 Noble Street, Newtown VIC 3220

CORIO CAMPUS

50 Biddlecombe Avenue, Corio VIC 3214

TIMBERTOP CAMPUS

Private Mail Bag, Mansfield VIC 3722

TOORAK CAMPUS

14 Douglas Street, Toorak VIC 3142

At Geelong Grammar School (GGS) we do things differently; knowing it takes more than theory to make an impact beyond the classroom. Our educational theory is intentional and enduring; we exist to enable wisdom.

Students as young as three years of age can begin their GGS adventure at Bostock House or Toorak Campus. As they enter early adolescence, their learning continues into Middle School at the Corio Campus, followed by a transformative year at Timbertop. With enlivened spirit and tenacity, our students return to Corio Campus to complete Senior School.

We are Australia’s largest co-educational boarding community and celebrate a culturally rich blend of students, from rural to regional, interstate to overseas. We encourage and celebrate diversity and want all our learners to feel a genuine sense of belonging within a caring and inclusive environment.

At GGS, it is our privilege to enable wisdom by providing a holistic education that prioritises learning and academic skills, as well as the values of courage, curiosity and compassion. We offer a unique pathway for growth; an educational experience that is academically challenging and underpinned by three strategic educational pillars; Adventure Education, Positive Education and Creative Education.

ADVENTURE ED

Our unique Timbertop campus provides learners with a transformative year of Adventure Education: experiential learning through and with nature helps to develop competence in practical ways and promotes independence and resilience.

POSITIVE ED

Positive Education places wellbeing at the heart of our learning community. Equipping our learners with the knowledge and skills to nurture their own wellbeing and foster a deeper purpose to contribute to the wellbeing of others.

CREATIVE ED

Our newest Strategic Pillar. Cultivating the skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem posing and problem solving. Prioritising transferable competencies for young people to flourish in a fast-changing world.

THE BASICS

Enquiries

+61 3 5273 9307 ggs.vic.edu.au admissions@ggs.vic.edu.au

Years

ELC – Year 12

Denomination

Anglican

Gender

Co-educational

Fees

Please see our website

Boarding \ Yes

Scholarships \ Yes

ATAR \ Median 81.70*

IB \ Median 35*

* Results are provided by the school, Domain does not warrant their accuracy

BOARDING

With ample open space and exceptional facilities, GGS uniquely satisfies a student’s desire for space and play, underpinned by a wellestablished House System that provides the structure and support for young learners to thrive.

FORGING AHEAD IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE

When the foundations are strong, a school can embrace the challenges that lie ahead.

BY SARAH MARINOS

FROM OBSTACLE TO OPPORTUNITY

For the past 129 years, some elements of Haileybury have remained the same – the outstanding academic results, the calibre of its teachers and the focus on building a strong foundation of literacy and numeracy skills paired with analytical and creative thinking.

But the independent school has never rested on its laurels. Instead, under the leadership of CEO and principal Derek Scott, Haileybury has built a reputation for adapting and innovating to keep pace with an ever-changing educational landscape.

That ability to evolve to stay one step ahead was in evidence last year as the effects of COVID-19 reverberated around the world and schools faced the challenge of online teaching. For Haileybury, the challenge was swiftly converted into an opportunity with the lessons from 2020 being harnessed to strengthen the school’s approach to education further.

“For us, three things came out of the pandemic,” explains Scott.

“Firstly, the absolute importance of strong foundational skills in primary school literacy and numeracy. We were able to deliver that through 2020, and we ran a full virtual school day for our primary school children. Our testing at the end of the year showed that our primary school students learned at the same pace academically as they usually did in the classroom – they missed being in the classroom, but they learned.”

The second lesson from the pandemic was the real importance of people-topeople contact and how much students learn through playing and engaging with each other, says Scott.

“Thirdly, we saw how good educators could be at working in different ways and the great capacity of students to learn in different forms, such as online and in the virtual space.”

Haileybury long ago embraced the potential of technology to enhance the educational experience for teachers and students, and the school continues to forge ahead in the virtual space. Later

this year, based on major international and national research results, Haileybury will launch a new virtual school model.

“The virtual school will benefit our existing students and students outside Haileybury,” says Scott. “We have multiple campuses in Melbourne, and we have students across those campuses doing VCE who attend the same virtual class. We also have some classes running between Melbourne and our Darwin campus. We are looking at using that model in junior and middle school and opening it up to students outside our school.

“There is great potential to open up a range of elective subjects that can be delivered in the virtual space and that space breaks down barriers around progressions of learning. For example, you can have a year 7 student who has a great aptitude for technology and coding, and they can take that subject in the virtual space and be operating at year 11 or 12 levels. They can follow their passion and build skills and fast-track that subject, but progress at the same level as their peers in other subjects, like humanities, for example.

“Differentiated individual learning is a real opportunity, and there have been many other opportunities brought about by the delivery of interesting subject matter and good teaching through the virtual space. Now is the time to take up those opportunities.”

Scott also believes it is time to step away from the concept of virtual and online learning as “remote” learning. He says “remote” has negative connotations, and instead, the virtual school and classroom is forward-looking and promises to add breadth and depth to the educational landscape.

“You have to look at the world young people are heading out into – it’s changing rapidly,” says Scott. “So, what does that mean in terms of core skills for students? Literacy and numeracy are still important, but so is the capacity to think and move quickly and to be flexible in how you approach the future.”

‘Literacy and numeracy are still important, but so is the capacity to think and move quickly and to be flexible in how you approach the future.’

DEREK SCOTT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH