Firbank Grammar School

[EduCativ]

Firbank was established in 1909 as a day and boarding school for girls by the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Henry Lowther Clarke, when he has left a legacy for 'educational purposes.' Our four School strategic themes tie back to our School blueprint.
For more than 110 years, Firbank has been a part of the Bayside Community. We are proud of our strong traditions and heritage, but we have not stayed in the past. Our SchoolSchool boasts some of the most up to date facilities and programs in Australia. For example, our digital learning practices are at the forefront of what is happening in the real world.
We place value on staff who have a balanced, experienced worldview. Academics and doers are leaders in their fields; they impart their knowledge from a place of experience and personal achievement.
We have a vibrant, multicultural community that reaches far beyond our school walls. We offer more choice and flexibility for students to find the right fit through our girls-only and co-educational options. Later in life, this sense of belonging and the connections forged at Firbank evolve into valuable professional and community networks.
Our students have a voice and make active contributions to the SchoolSchool every day through their work in the classroom or the community. They are not wrapped in cotton wool. Instead, we provide them with the right balance of educational and real-life experiences so they can forge ahead on their path. That is the Firbank way.
Firbank is committed to providing students with the skills and experience they need to embrace an ever-changing world. This means upgrading and replacing older buildings and amenities to ensure our infrastructure matches our curriculum programs' delivery. Over the past few years, Firbank has undergone several changes to improve students' and staff's experience. We see the football club's direction, their board, and their operations team as being at the cutting edge of 21st-century learning. Both Firbank and South Melbourne Football Club are members of the local community, and we both concentrate on equipping our children with future-focused skills. We share the same values in advancing the education of girls and boys. Most importantly, we provide children with a choice of pathways, those who want to challenge their limits and compete at an elite level to those who want to exercise and share the sporting experience with their friends. Firbank Grammar is proud to offer Scholarships to the sons and daughters of the South Melbourne Football Club families.
We are committed to offering your child the best possible opportunity for personal success through our educational programs. We set high standards for our students to work to the very best of their ability consistently. With over 35 VCE and VET subjects to choose from, as well as University Enhancement subjects, our girls have the opportunity to tailor the interests they have accumulated while at Firbank into meaningful pathways that will benefit them in the future.
One of our primary goals is to foster a love of learning, stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and independent thought. We value and emphasize individual thinking and learning styles when planning, teaching, and assessing. There is an emphasis on development in the delivery of the curriculum, and critical thinking skills and risk-taking are valued.
Firbank is committed to providing students with the skills and experience they need to embrace an ever-changing world. This means upgrading and replacing older buildings and amenities to ensure our infrastructure matches our curriculum programs' delivery. Over the past few years, Firbank has undergone several changes to improve students' and staff's experience.
From ELC right through to Year 12, Wellbeing plays a central role in Firbank's philosophy. It is not confined to a building but rather permeates everything we do.  We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment in which students can learn and grow. Each Senior School year level has a Head of Year who monitors a student's academic and social development and has overall responsibility for their welfare.  Also, our Head of Senior School and the Director of Student Services and Educational Psychologists provide additional support.
We actively encourage parents to inform the SchoolSchool of any concerns they feel may impact student behavior and performance. Our Senior School girls also join a 'Sisters Group,' which comprises girls from Years 7 to 12. This group encourages interaction between year levels and allows for mentoring by older students. Well-being occurs in all of our classrooms. However, explicit strategies, skills, and ideas that support Wellbeing are taught as part of our Personal Development curriculum.  Years 7-11 have Personal Development classes covering many pertinent topics, including Healthy Relationships, Drug and Sex Education, Friendships, and appropriate Social Media behavior.
Firbank is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment in our SchoolSchool.   We want all our students to feel safe at SchoolSchool and ensure our classrooms are value-fair, not value-free.
As of 2017, Firbank is collaborating with the Department of Education and other schools to build and sustain a culture of respect and gender equality as both a learning space and workplace.  This initiative will involve the implementation of a whole-school approach to Respectful Relationships. At the Junior School level, we believe that a happy school community is one in which relationships are built upon friendship, respect, and positivity.
Firbank's co-curricular sport and art programs support students to follow their passions and attain excellent results. Our custom-built Music Precinct demonstrates Firbank's commitment to its Music Program. With more than 400 classes per week, students are encouraged to find joy in music. Music at Firbank is an essential part of every child's education from ELC to VCE. The Music School operates across all three campuses. Core classes are taught until Year 8, and students can then select general or specialist music as an elective. Many choose to take music as one of their VCE subjects.
At Firbank, we encourage all girls and boys to learn an instrument and offer private tuition in a wide range of orchestral and band instruments, orchestral percussion, drum-kit, guitar, piano, and voice. Participation in ensembles enriches the students' experience, while rehearsals and performances enable students to connect with the wider musical community, playing at concerts, festivals, and competitions.
The Firbank choral program is dynamic and varied, with choirs from Years 3 to 12 across all three campuses. Students are encouraged to enroll for singing lessons, and with six orchestras and bands to choose from, there is ample opportunity to cater to the wind, brass percussion, and string players.

View full school