Scotch College

Senior School

Location

Situated on a superb 27 hectare campus on the banks of Melbourne's Yarra River, the Scotch College Senior School offers challenging and co-ordinated programmes for boys from Years 7 - 12.

Scotch College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. Every effort is made to develop Christian ideals of citizenship and personal character within a Christian environment for learning.

  

Enrolment

The Senior School enrolment is 1400, including about 160 boarders.

The main entry point is Year 7; some boarders enter at Year 9.

The teaching programme

The teaching staff are highly qualified specialists; many are in the forefront of curriculum development and teaching innovation in Victoria and Australia.

The curriculum, though challenging, is broad and comprehensive until the middle years. Some subject choice is made at Years 8 and 9 but specific choices are postponed for as long as practicable.

LOTE (Languages other than English) form an important part of the curriculum, with one language, either French or German, studied in Year 7 and an additional language, Mandarin Chinese or Indonesian, studied in Year 8. Italian can be studied from Year 9 onwards.

Year 7 subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Music, Drama, Art, Design Technology, Christian Education, Physical Education and either French or German.

Educational support

Highly qualified specialists provide support, guidance and counselling to students with academic, language, social and emotional problems to assist in ensuring that all boys enjoy academic success.

VCE Results (2008)

238 students were granted their VCE (100%).

124 students had an Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) of 90.00 or higher.

29 students received an ENTER of 99.00 or greater and 81 students received an ENTER greater than or equal to 95.00. The median ENTER score was an outstanding 90.58. (National median is 50)

Four students, Timothy Martin, Minh-Quan Nguyen, Matthew Pierri and Andy Wang, achieved the maximum possible ENTER score of 99.95, which is awarded to the top group of about 30 students in Victoria.

Music

There are numerous ensembles, including a full symphony orchestra, symphonic wind ensemble, three string orchestras, chamber orchestra, two show bands and three choirs. Chamber music plays a large part in the life of the Music School. There is a large annual season of concerts, five of which are held in major venues, including the Melbourne Concert Hall. Tours within Australia and overseas are features of the music program.

Instruments can be hired for a nominal fee for the first two years. Lessons are organised so that relatively little time is lost from other subjects.

Music School facilities

• a specialist staff of 60 music educators
• a new, dedicated music centre, the James Forbes Academy, School of Music opened in 2002
• 2 computer equipped music teaching classrooms
• extensive number of musical instruments for student hire
• over 30 piano's in the Music School and a pipe organ in the Memorial Hall
• a 400 seat music auditorium, which is also part of the James Forbes Academy.

Drama and Communication

Many drama productions are staged each year, usually in conjunction with local girls' schools. The plays vary in style and students participate as performers, technicians and craftpersons. Completion of the James Forbes Academy in 2005 has provided a 400 seat theatre purpose built for drama and the spoken word, together with drama and communication classrooms and rehearsal areas.

Art

In the school's four art studios boys have the opportunity to develop their interests in various art media, including photography, ceramics, painting, print making and sculpture.

Pastoral care

Division of the school into small groups involving Heads of Year levels, Heads of Junior and Middle Schools, Heads of Houses and Tutors allows the school to know and deal with boys as individuals and to create a feeling of belonging.

The Tutor, who generally remains with a group for a number of years, monitors a boy's attendance, academic progress and his involvement in sport and services. The Head of Year organises classes, monitors academic progress and takes responsibility for the conduct of each boy in the year level.

The school is further subdivided into Houses, made up of one tutor group from each year level, for the purpose of sporting and cultural competitions. A Peer Support Program encourages cross age mentoring.

The school's Chaplains play a key role in the area of student welfare.

Career guidance

Specialist career counselling is provided, including advice on the selection of VCE subjects and tertiary courses.

Library and Information Centre

Featuring an up-to-date collection of fiction, non-fiction reference books, videos, DVD's, magazines and newspapers; electronic databases and network access; award-winning homepage; three class teaching area's; silent study areas; wide reading areas; audio and video studios; satellite television facility; teaching and literature promotion programs.

Computer Centre

Five computer laboratories - four of 30 networked PC computers with laser printing facilities and another networked lab for lap-top computers.

Language and Culture Centre

Opened in 1995, this building provides for the teaching of LOTE (Languages other than English) and English. The Centre contains flexible classrooms and study areas, seminar rooms and a demonstration kitchen. It is equipped with the latest technology, including a multimedia laboratory, Internet access and audio and video carrels.

Services program

A wide range of activities are conducted on Thursday afternoons, most of which involve an end of term camp or activity. This program fosters such personal qualities as self-reliance, initiative, leadership, self-discipline and community awareness.

Years 7-8
Sports training or Scout Troop or Hiking Programme (Year 8)

Year 9
Most boys are in Cadets with a weekend bivouac and end of year camp under canvas. Others are members of the Scout Troop, Outdoor Expedition Group, Sports First Aid, Military Band or Pipes and Drums.

Year 10

• Cadet and Scout leadership courses
• Venturers (continuation of Scouts)
• Sea Scouts
• Pipe Band
• Military Band
• Outdoor Program (bush-walking, canoeing, cooking, cross-country skiing, sailing, mountain biking, bronze medallion, archery, self-defence, bush first aid, photography, sailboarding, cycling and rock climbing)
• Sports First Aid
• Outdoor Expedition Group
• Duke of Edinburgh Award

Years 11-12
Some boys continue their Year 10 activity or accept a position of school leadership. Others assist with the Social Services programme, caring for the young, the elderly and the handicapped in the local area.

Sport

Summer: cricket, rowing, tennis, swimming, diving, cycling, badminton, squash, table tennis, volleyball, orienteering, golf and lawn bowls.

Winter: football, rugby, hockey, basketball, soccer, cross-country running, gymnastics and tennis.

Spring: athletics, water polo

There is also provision for archery, rock climbing, scuba diving, cross country and downhill skiing and weight lifting.

Sport facilities

Glenn Centre
25 m heated pool, diving pool, 3 squash courts, gymnasium, weight training centre, large sports hall for basketball, badminton, volleyball, table-tennis, etc.

R. L. Montgomery Sportsfield
Synthetic grass hockey field, 12 tennis courts (in summer)

6 ovals/sportsfields
Catering for cricket, football, hockey, rugby, soccer

18 tennis courts

The Cardinal Pavilion (built 1994)
Storage for canoes, sculls, fours and eights, weights and training centre, changing rooms, meeting room and large function centre.

Off campus facilities

In addition to the Hawthorn property, the School has about 80 hectares of forest in the hills at Healesville east of Melbourne and a residential seaside camp at Cowes on Phillip Island. The camp at Cowes is the site of a one week orientation camp for all Year 7 students early in the year. A lodge for the use of boarders has been built near Mansfield, 130 km northeast of Melbourne.

Boarding

Three boarding houses provide accommodation of the highest standard for boys from the country or overseas.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for entry at Year 7 and Year 9 and provide exemption from tuition fees and, in some cases, boarding fees. Some scholarships are means tested and for boys whose parents would not otherwise be able to send their sons to the school.