Our Toorak Campus is one of the finest primary grammar schools in Melbourne, designed specially to provide an exceptional environment for students in their primary years from ELC to Year 6. We focus on supporting our young learners to become critically minded, confident and compassionate young people who are competent and connected to the world around them. The moment you set foot on our stunning campus, you’ll begin to understand why Toorak Campus is one of the stand out schools in Toorak.
We provide a rich array of experiences for students which gives them the opportunity to experiment and engage with different areas, and ultimately to find what they love and their passions.
Our Toorak Campus reflects our holistic student-centred philosophy, where individualised support and multifarious opportunities allow every child to grow in confidence and explore their unique talents and interests. We want our students to enjoy positive learning experiences and early learning outcomes that engage and challenge in ways that extend beyond core academics. This ensures that they are well prepared — socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually — for future learning.
Toorak Campus was one of the first schools in Toorak, and wider Victoria, to introduce the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) at all year levels. We believe in the powerful ways in which it connects our students to the vibrant world of learning; supporting them to deeply investigate their world, encouraging critical and creative thinking and promoting active citizenship with global perspectives. The PYP provides the learning framework that guides us in delivering the Australian curriculum to our students. In the Early Learning Centre, we are also influenced by the Reggio Emilia Approach and the Australian Early Years Learning Framework in combination with the PYP.
The Toorak Primary School campus has been designed specially to support young learners’ needs as they grow.
Formal learning occurs in open, flexible and light-filled spaces, catering to whole group learning, small group collaboration, quiet reflective tasks and pastoral care purposes. Kitchens and art studios within classrooms facilitate science, art or cooking in daily learning.
As part of our proactive approach to wellbeing, the purpose-built Toorak Wellbeing Centre (TWC) allows healthy living and positive wellbeing to be a daily focus. Students can participate in swimming as part of the physical education curriculum, cook in the children’s kitchen within the Muir Family Nutrition Centre using fresh produce grown in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden, and immerse themselves in meditation, yoga, dance and other positive education experiences in the beautiful, light-filled rooms.
The Science, Physical Education, Art, Music, Drama and Dance learning opportunities available to students provides a constant source of energy and inspiration. Students are encouraged to find what makes them sing.
At the heart of our School culture and fundamental to providing an Exceptional Education is our commitment to nurturing student wellbeing. Positive Education, one of the three educational pillars at Geelong Grammar, aims to support students with the skills, attitudes and mindset to proactively manage their wellbeing.
We teach students that failure is a way to success and that alternative pathways just need to be explored. On a daily basis, through explicit and implicit teaching, we strive to foster confidence, self-knowledge, kindness, resilience and optimism. We have Mindfulness experts who visit each term to work with students on bringing Mindfulness into their daily lives.
Students enjoy a dynamic and holistic programme of positive learning experiences across the core and specialist curriculum. Our specialist programme brings rich learning opportunities and ensures all aspects of our young learners’ growth are supported, nurtured and developed.
The vibrant performing arts programme develops students artistic and creative abilities, as well as nurturing positive relationships, teamwork and self-awareness. All students take part in our annual or biennial productions: Prep-Year 2 Production, Year 3-5 Production and Year 6 Commedia dell’Arte Performance.
Music ignites all areas of development including intellectual, social-emotional and cultural dimensions, motor, language and overall literacy. All students in Prep to Year 6 participate in weekly music lessons exploring voice and musical instruments to develop concepts about sound and musical awareness. Students from Year 1 to Year 5 participate in weekly group instrumental lessons, and individual music tuition is also offered to students during the school day. There are a variety of choral, string and other ensembles for students to be involved with.
The Visual Art programme encompasses arts practice and appreciation with the goal to develop creativity and harness imagination. Students develop knowledge and skills in a broad range of art forms including drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, three-dimensional construction, digital art and textiles. Students can participate in Art Club, community projects, art excursions and our Artist-in-Residence programmes.
Students learn about technology as well as learn through technology and have access to devices such as iPads (Prep to Year 2) and personal computers (Year 3 to Year 6). Promoting responsible and ethical digital citizenship is a fundamental part of the students’ learning.
Additional language learning is a fundamental part of the PYP curriculum allowing students to develop the love of an additional language and to build cultural understandings associated with the study of the Chinese culture and lifestyle.
Our Library programme is a central component of the PYP allowing students to develop information skills, strategies and an appreciation of language and literature that will assist them to become informed decision makers and lifelong learners. Our Coulter Library has an extensive collection of books and resources available to both students and parents.
Through Physical Education, students work to increase their knowledge and skills and to develop positive beliefs, attitudes and values about physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. All students participate in fundamental motor skill sessions and activities on a weekly basis. Students in Year 5 and Year 6 compete in Associated Public Schools (APS) interschool sports competition each week. All students participate in annual sporting events such as swimming lessons, swimming carnivals, junior and senior athletics days, House sport events, cross country events and the whole School Athletics Day.
Christian values and concepts such as love, honesty, friendship and sharing are incorporated into all aspects of our daily life. Students attend regular services at St John’s Anglican Church, Toorak including the annual Easter service and Carol service.
Students can participate in a range of co-curricular experiences at all year levels, provided by teaching staff as well as private providers. These change with the seasons and can include Tennis, Junior Engineers Club, Chess Club, Hip Hop Dance, Green Team, Soccer, Running club, Swimming and Snowsports.
Leadership experiences start in the ELC with all students, across all year levels, provided with opportunities to assume roles of responsibility. These can include in assembly, in the classroom, in the buddy programme and in sport, music, drama and other daily activities. Through this, students begin to develop a deeper understanding of GGS’s core values of courage, compassion and curiosity, and develop confidence in their ability to manage challenges and contribute within the School community.
As a School, we recognise our responsibility in educating our children about Australia’s cultural heritage and Indigenous perspective. At Toorak Campus, we draw on the expertise of Murrundindi, the ngurungaeta or ‘head man’ of the Wurundjeri people, to help us embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander perspectives into student learning experiences. This can be through a combination of classroom learning, projects, incursions, excursions and co-curricular activities.
Our Early Learning Centre, The Pottery is a nurturing and inspiring environment that offers a full day programme for children aged three to five years. Guided by the Reggio Emilia Approach and PYP framework, our dedicated educators support each child in harnessing their natural curiosity and stimulating a love of learning. Students enjoy a vibrant Specialist Programme which includes Art, Library, Perceptual Motor Programme (Physical Education for young learners) and Performing Arts and Music.
Our Melbourne early learning centre and Primary School campus, Toorak offers an inspiring learning environment for students to thrive.
We encourage a positive transition for students moving from Toorak Campus to Middle School at Corio Campus through a well-developed orientation programme, including several Corio Campus visits in the year, an action-packed immersion day, and various on and off-campus initiatives to drive connectedness and familiarisation. Families may choose for their child to continue to Corio Campus as a day student (daily bus provided) or as a boarder.
Busy parents are supported with our Outside School Hours Care programme, available to students attending the Early Learning Centre and Primary Campus, run by Camp Australia.
Before School Hours Care from 7 am until 9 am
After School Hours Care from 3.15 pm until 6 pm