Education is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Choosing a school for your child shouldn’t be a difficult decision – you need to choose one that will educate them for their future, not our past.
At Kingswood College we know there are 10 reasons why families choose us to educate their daughters and sons, and you can find out more about these here.
At Kingswood College we believe students should learn as they live – as young people together, side by side. Learning together prepares students for a world that has changed beyond imagination. Ready to succeed in a world of work that requires the confidence and skills to communicate, collaborate and problem solve. Plus the self-assurance to bring their own unique perspectives to the table, regardless of gender or cultural experience.
Learning together is an approach championed by our teachers, who see themselves as mentors helping each student grow and achieve their personal best in a safe environment. Learning together celebrates difference and nurtures students so they become well-rounded individuals who contribute as equals wherever they find themselves. Kingswood College is a welcoming and inclusive community where every student belongs and where potential soars.
Our Year 12 students, year on year, tell me that what they most value about being at Kingswood College is the sense of belonging to a small community, where they know others and are known. Our students experience a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves, and have every opportunity to contribute their unique gifts and talents. So too with parents. The benefits of participating in our community events offer families a sense of connectedness, and the opportunity to get to know other families with whom their children will be associated through school and in all likelihood, throughout life.
As a community of about 620 students we have every opportunity to get to know each other well, over the longer term. Because we know our students and their unique mix of talents, we can work with them more effectively to help them be their best selves, to value their strengths, and to support them to thrive in a world of constant change. This is at the heart of belonging in our community.
While many schools focus only on the academic scores attained during formal schooling, Kingswood College takes the long view – that learning needs to be a lifelong pursuit.
We value learning in its broadest sense, as our Model for Learning clearly demonstrates. Our model is based on our values (Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Responsibility); seeks a holistic education of the mind, body, heart and spirit, so that our young people are curious, courageous, creative, confident, caring and collaborative.
More than ever, we need to be concerned about the wellbeing of young people. In the end, as parents, what we want for our children is for them to be healthy and happy. Studies of happiness are very clear – those who live the most fulfilled lives are those who are able to contribute to the lives of others. We want our young people to firmly grasp that in helping others to live better lives, they also contribute to their own wellbeing and satisfaction.
We welcome families from many different cultural backgrounds. While we are a school in association with the Uniting Church in Australia, we welcome people of many faiths and no faith. We are greatly enriched by the contribution of different people with different stories who join and contribute to our community. This is particularly celebrated in whole school assemblies and days including Harmony Day, and NAIDOC Day – but we also aim to celebrate each individual’s uniqueness every day.
What represents success and accomplishment for one person is often very different from another of the same age or experience. Knowing our students, and understanding when something is an achievement or a disappointment helps us to set clear and reachable goals for our young people. Alongside Personal Best, we also celebrate excellence in achievements in many different avenues of pursuit – in classrooms, on the sports field, supporting others, leading others, and making a difference in the world.
Helping young people to see themselves as part of something much bigger, and enabling them to make a tangible positive difference in our world, is vital. Our Community Based Learning Program supports the development of our students’ collective and individual social conscience. In practical ways, this makes our world a better place. This is a key area of our learning commitment that we will continue to evolve.
Kingswood College buildings have always had strong, purposeful design. The Learning Lounges throughout the College demonstrate our commitment to community and coming together. We are in the process of reviewing how our indoor and outdoor spaces are furnished and organised, to ensure that we continue to offer contemporary learning opportunities for all our young people – and our staff – from the ELC through to VCE.
Again the research is clear. Physical activity contributes to the wellbeing of the mind, body, heart and spirit. We want our young people involved in regular physical activity. Our involvement in weekday sports associations also provides students with the chance to be part of a team, and to learn all that goes with that: training together, working towards a common goal, being gracious in victory and generous in defeat, and learning from experience.
At Kingswood College we believe students should learn as they live – as young people together, side by side. Learning together prepares students for a world that has changed beyond imagination. Ready to succeed in a world of work that requires the confidence and skills to communicate, collaborate and problem solve. Plus the self-assurance to bring their own unique perspectives to the table, regardless of gender or cultural experience.
Learning together is an approach championed by our teachers, who see themselves as mentors helping each student grow and achieve their personal best in a safe environment. Learning together celebrates difference and nurtures students so they become well-rounded individuals who contribute as equals wherever they find themselves. Kingswood College is a welcoming and inclusive community where every student belongs and where potential soars.
‘The community at Kingswood College is just a really special community. I think it’s very welcoming, I think that people feel like they really belong. I think there is a real depth to it and as a parent, I immediately felt embraced by the community. I have two very different daughters and they both felt instantly able to become part of the community and get involved and just get to be themselves.’
‘I do a lot of the music here, I play Saxophone. I’m in the concert band, the big band and I’m about to start with the woodwind ensemble and they’re very fun. It’s a good way to get to know people older and younger than you. It’s just a good thing to do. I’m also involved in a bit of sport around the place, with inter-school which is fun. It takes the mind off all the work, and you get to hang out with friends really. I also do SEEK which helps to challenge me a lot more with my classes and they do things you wouldn’t normally do in a classroom.’
‘I didn’t have any trouble transitioning to university at all. I found organising myself and getting everything done and doing really well was incredibly easy for me. Which I’ve seen in my university peers is not the case for everyone. So I think Kingswood College has been really beneficial in giving me that type of skill.’
‘Happiness is as important as academic results at Kingswood College. If you feel the same – come and join us.’
‘I really like Kingswood College because they give you a good mixture between education and fun. So you get a little bit of both and it’s not just boring old school.’
‘I think the teachers for example when they are teaching science. They aren’t just doing it according to the book. I think they think of a lot of inspirational ways to stimulate the students thinking after they understand the theory of the course. But then they try to inspire and explore their creativity.’
‘I love Kingswood College because of the peers and the supportive teachers, and good friends.’
‘They have the freedom to research for themselves, to find information for themselves. They teach them the way to do that, and then from there, our daughter built her confidence within herself and built her confidence with organising her own affairs at school and at home and being independent and I feel like that has definitely helped her and transformed her.’
‘The school brings out the best in my daughter because they are able to recognise her special talents and abilities and help foster them. I felt in a previous school, that was larger – she got lost perhaps. Where here – each student is treated as an individual and they are helped to grow in their areas of interest.’
‘I think from the moment that we came to Kingswood College we really did get that community feel. It wasn’t just our children studying their education, it was us really belonging to a great community. There was so many opportunities for us to be involved with the school.’
Zoe is passionate about raising awareness of cancer, and in the last few years at Kingswood College she has rallied the College community to participate in Relay for Life. Her amazing enthusiasm and leadership has mobilised the community for this worthwhile cause which has now raised $25,000 for the Cancer Council.
Class of 2018 student Margaret took out top honours at the 2019 Premier’s VCE Awards in June – winning the Award for History – Revolutions. While in Year 12, Margaret completed Units 3 and 4 of History – Revolutions scoring a perfect 50, and achieving an ATAR of 97.25 placing her in the top 3% of the state and nationally.
Class of 2014 graduate Jamie was on the cusp of publishing her debut novel on Tumblr or as a zine. Lucky she didn’t! Jamie is the youngest person in the history of the award to be shortlisted for the $50,000 2019 Stella Prize, which is given annually to an Australian woman for a work of literature in any genre.
Year 11 student Brendan received the Rotary Club of Forest Hill Youth Citizenship Award 2019. Brendan is a positive, mature and enthusiastic member of the Year 11 cohort at Kingswood College who represents our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion and Integrity. He is dedicated to learning and being his best self. Brendan is also willing to help others be the best they can be and demonstrates excellent communication and relationship skills.
Brendan involves himself across the College as a Social Justice Leader, singing with the Male Voice Choir, the College Production and setting up AV for College events. Brendan is always willing to help. He is heavily involved in the community as a Patrol Leader for scouts, leading and mentoring younger members. Brendan was invited to undertake a Scouting leadership course.
Patrick from the Class of 2018, was selected to exhibit his work in the VCE Season of Excellence – Top Designs for his animation on fire safety. Patrick developed this animation as part of his VET Creative Digital Media course, to raise awareness and educate home owners about what to do in the event of a bush fire. His animation and folio are on display for the duration of the VCE Seasons of Excellence Top Designs exhibition at the Melbourne Museum.
In 2019 Ruby participated in The Chinese Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria and Tasmania (CLTAV) 2019 Hanyuqiao Speaking and Performance Competition for Second Language students of Chinese. The competition consisted of a 2.5-minute speech in Chinese followed by a cultural performance. Ruby’s speech was Learning Chinese and creating a better future. She drew a beautiful painting of lotus flowers within three minutes. Ruby won first place and her prize includes a sponsored trip to China in October.
Virginia from the Class of 2017, graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) in 2021. Virginia began her performing career at a young age, and featured in many productions throughout her time at Kingswood College. In 2022 she has now been selected to make her adult professional musical theatre debut in Frozen The Musical Australia.
Year 10 student Ella has recently been selected as a winner of the 2021 Takeover Melbourne competition for her entry on how ‘Spending time on a farm in the country helped me connect with my neighbours during lockdown’. You can listen to Ella’s winning entry here.