Geelong Grammar School

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

PRIN CIPAL \ REBECCA CODY

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 with us at our Bostock House or Toorak Campus. As our children enter early adolescence, their learning continues into Middle School at the Corio Campus, followed by a transformational year at Timbertop. With enlivened spirit and tenacity, our students return to our Corio Campus to complete Senior School.

We are Australia’s largest coeducational 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 which 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.

ENQUIRIES + 61 3 5273 9200 ggs.vic.edu.au admissions@ggs.vic.edu.au

YEARS ELC – Year 12

DENOMINATION Anglican

GENDER Co-educational

FEES POA

BOARDING \ Yes SCHOLARSHIPS \ Yes

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL Joining the School in early 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.

ADVENTURE ED POSITIVE ED

Our Timbertop campus provides learners with a transformational year of Adventure Education: experiential learning through and with nature helps to develop competence in practical ways and promotes independence and self-efficacy. 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 BOARDING

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 fastchanging world. With ample open space and extraordinary facilities, GGS uniquely satisfies a student’s desire for space and play, underpinned by a well-established House System that provides the structure and support for young learners to thrive.

THE LEGACY ISSUE

A bold vision creates the opportunity to build a great school.

BY SARAH MARINOS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HAILEYBURY

LEADING THE WAY

When Haileybury CEO and principal, Derek Scott, joined the school in 2002 it had already started on the road to modernisation. Six years later, when Scott became principal, he continued that journey.

Since then, it has grown to become a school of 4,500 students within Australia, has seen a 20 per cent improvement in academic performance, and has become the biggest provider of Australian secondary education in China and the rest of Asia.

The Haileybury International School in Beijing has 800 boarders and, more recently, Scott oversaw the establishment of the Meisha Academy by Haileybury in Guangzhou. Haileybury also offers nine other VCE programs in China and provides VCE education in Timor-Leste and the Philippines.

In early 2018, a day school for students in Darwin, the Haileybury Rendall School, opened its doors and is one of the largest Indigenous boarding schools in the country.

Haileybury is also the first independent school in Melbourne to introduce a vertical school in the CBD. “We have a bold vision to be recognised as a great world school – to be outward-looking, global and entrepreneurial and for that to become part of our DNA. The notion of academic excellence underpins all of that,” says Scott.

Haileybury’s educational philosophy is gaining attention. In the past two years, the school has won six prestigious Australian Education Awards,

including Australian School of the Year, Principal of the Year and Best Professional Learning Program.

The school’s teaching models are integral to its success. An Explicit Teaching Model in primary years has been designed to deliver strong outcomes in literacy and numeracy, and the Parallel Education Model supports students from years five and onwards. “In year 5, our students enter into single-gender classes. It takes the best of academic outcomes that come from single-sex classes, and the very strong social outcomes from the co-education environment,” explains Scott.

National testing results show the school has reversed national and

international trends where boys traditionally do better in maths and girls perform better in reading and comprehension.

Through the Haileybury Institute, the school is sharing its learnings to help other schools improve educational outcomes.

“We have been working with more than 100 schools to help them improve their literacy and numeracy standards with great success,” says Scott.

“Our deputy principal visits schools and trains the leadership of those schools in remote parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Four times a year, up to four of our teaching staff travel with him and work with teachers to help them understand the Explicit Teaching Model.

“We have a fundamental belief that we want every student in Australia to have a great education. If we have something that we think is an area of expertise, we want to work with other schools to share it.”

Haileybury also emphasises the importance of creativity, analytical skills, passion and curiosity – all encouraged through the school’s extracurricular program.

Scott and his colleagues have forged partnerships to expose students to diverse and unique experiences while they learn.

For the past two years, a partnership with Swinburne University and NASA has seen students design an experiment for the International Space Station. “This year’s experiment tested the notion of the impact of weightlessness on tooth decay. Our primary school students who lost a tooth brought it to school, and one tooth was sent into space. We’re now looking at the data,” says Scott.

As Haileybury evolves, Scott hopes he is contributing to a legacy for current and future students.

“Eventually, I hope to leave behind an institution that will continue to change rapidly and efficiently to meet the needs of each generation of students,” he says.

“Education can get caught in a time warp. We want Haileybury to continue to keep pace with society and with the needs of our students so they can succeed in that society.”

“I hope to leave

behind an

institution that will

continue to change

rapidly and

efficiently to meet

the needs of each

generation of

students.”

DEREK SCOTT