20 Best Private Schools in Melbourne

Private education in Melbourne has been the most sought after option for people who wish to avail high-quality education for their kids. Private schools in Melbourne are an integral part of the local community. By offering a unique environment with a specialised curriculum, these institutions aid students in reaching maximum potential in their educational endeavours.

If you’re looking for an education for your child that results in a higher chance of future success, then you’re likely considering one or more of these 20 best private schools in Melbourne. Such a decision would be a wise one.  But what factors should you consider when choosing the best private schools in Melbourne for your child?

When looking for the best private schools in Melbourne to enrol your child in, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind to make sure you select the right school. There are several criteria that set schools apart from each other. For example, location, resources, and curriculum are all things to consider when weighing private schools in Melbourne. 

Below is a list of 20 of the top private schools in Melbourne.

Oakleigh Grammar strives to create quality learning opportunities for every student to reach their full potential.

Our dedicated teaching staff work collaboratively and embrace opportunities for professional development, ensuring that our educational programs remain at the forefront of contemporary education. Small class sizes and additional teaching support ensure that each child’s learning needs are met through challenges for those who are talented, and additional support for those who have areas of difficulty.

Our School ensures that every child is known personally and places the utmost importance on student welfare and safety. Oakleigh Grammar is a multicultural environment with Christian values, where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is encouraged.

Oakleigh Grammar is committed to the protection and safety of all students under our care. All staff and volunteers are required to hold a Working with Children Check.

At Oakleigh Grammar, we endorse the principle of boys and girls developing reciprocal respect and understanding for each other. Working and learning collaboratively in both academic and co-curricular activities, most authentically reflects the wider world in which they will ultimately dwell.

Together, we provide our students with a strong sense of belonging to the Oakleigh Grammar School community.

If you live in the Bayside area you will no doubt have seen our girls out and about in their vibrant red uniforms, chatting happily to each other at the shops or holding onto their hats as they run to catch a bus or a train; they are a glorious sight to behold in all their energy, youth and vitality and they can tell you, far better than this website ever will, what it is that sets their community apart.

We believe in creating a nurturing environment where every girl feels that she is known, seen and heard, ensuring that a strong sense of belonging underpins her time with us.

We know girls and we use our expertise in girls’ education to support them in reaching their full potential in whatever pathway to choose. Through our holistic approach of supporting the whole girl we are focused on empowering them to become confident, capable young women.

We have established a culture that is at once nurturing, challenging and encouraging, where girls are free to be themselves. At Mentone Girls’ Grammar, our priority is ensuring that our girls feel safe to explore their passions, make mistakes and grow into confident and capable young women.

Research indicates that girls thrive when they are in a nurturing environment that gives a voice to their opinions and choices, allows them to challenge themselves without fear of failure, and pursue a life of purpose, fulfilment and meaning.

Our individualised programs and holistic approach ensure girls are seen, heard and known enabling them to flourish.

St Kevin’s has developed a strong academic tradition where each boy is encouraged to take responsibility for his own learning in an environment that values knowledge and scholarship.

St Kevin’s has developed a strong academic tradition where each boy is encouraged to take responsibility for his own learning in an environment that values knowledge and scholarship. We strive for the development of the whole person integrating spiritual development, academic success, cultural awareness and sporting participation in the context of the Catholic tradition.

The St Kevin’s community is based on family. This extended family of students, teachers, parents and old collegians throughout the country, forms a community that is wholeheartedly committed to the Christian education of young men, in the tradition of Edmund Rice.

St Kevin’s College is committed to the creation and maintenance of a child safe school environment. The care, safety and welfare of students are embedded in policies and procedures which ensure a commitment to zero tolerance of child abuse. All actions, and programs will maintain high ethical standards and work in accord with child safety standards and child protection reporting guidelines. Please click here to view St Kevin’s College’s Child Safe Statement of Commitment.

Caulfield Grammar School acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we reside, the people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Caulfield Grammar School demonstrates our values of inclusion, community spirit, equality and the belief that all learners have the potential to flourish by encouraging families without the economic means to join their community through a diverse offering of scholarships. We have a proud history of enriching our community through providing dedicated regional and indigenous Victorian’s scholarships.

The educational program at Caulfield Grammar School reflects the practices, principles and outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework. This framework is used alongside the Primary Years Programme (IB).

Caulfield Grammar School’s learning program immerses children and staff ‘in the moment’. They have time to play, listen, wonder, and engage with indoor and outdoor environments, while developing their social, emotional, physical and language skills.

Our learners and educators enjoy reflecting and sharing new discoveries and insights. Inspired by the practices of the Reggio Emilia educational project, children are encouraged and supported to share their knowledge and understanding using a wide variety of ‘languages’, such as words, movement, drama and music, drawing, painting, wire, clay, sculpture, collage and block building.

We believe in developing a mind for life, so that learners are equipped with the mental, emotional and academic capabilities they need to follow whatever path they choose.

Caulfield Grammar School is highly regarded for offering a thriving learning environment that supports our learners to feel empowered, deeply engaged and encouraged to become people of character and contribution.

We have a passionate vision for innovation in education. Offering state-of-the art technology and learning facilities.

Korowa is a caring and supportive community which inspires students to follow their passion. We have an enviable reputation for both its academic success and broad curriculum.We value the pursuit of personal best in all areas of school life – academic, cultural and sporting. Our campus provides students with a full range of facilities to support learning and co-curricular activities.

At Korowa, every teacher knows every student and encourages her to pursue her own unique interests, talents and ambitions – wherever they may lie. The staff at Korowa are supportive, dedicated and passionate about teaching and learning. They are supported by a comprehensive professional develop program that ensures that like their students, they too continue to grow and develop their expertise.

Korowa students earn admission into the most selective tertiary institutions in the country. Typically, all students seeking university entry, gain a first round offer each year.

Korowa girls are not limited to traditional post school options. Each year Korowa graduates embark on tertiary studies as diverse as medicine, business, and design. Some take up cadetships with top level companies, sharing their time between study and work.

We are committed to the development of values and behaviours that foster independent and resilient children.

Our Wellbeing programs are designed and embedded in everything the girls do. Tailored to suit a student’s stages of development, these programs are delivered in a holistic way daily to support girls and ensure they thrive.

Our College, founded by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDMs), builds on the wonderful traditions of the founder, Euphrasie Barbier. It was she who had a dream “that all people would be loved, honoured and respected for the wonderful gifts of their difference and the amazing gifts of our oneness”. 

Sacred Heart Girls’ College is a school within the Catholic ethos, educating young women for life and always striving upwards for excellence in learning and growth of faith.

We are committed to providing an environment which enables the development of strong, articulate women, faithful to Gospel values, with respect for themselves and compassion for others – discerning, confident, prepared and willing to embrace life’s challenges.

Sacred Heart Girls’ College successfully integrates the aim of academic excellence with personal development and Christian leadership.

It provides a happy, supportive and disciplined environment conducive to the achievement of individual success in learning and the fostering of confident, responsible young women.

As an adjunct to each student’s life at Sacred Heart Girls’ College, girls are exposed to a number of programs and activities designed to improve overall wellbeing.

These are designed to be age and maturity level appropriate and assist in fostering resilience and independence as well as reinforcing healthy, positive behaviours.

In addition to our committed teaching staff who play an important role in the area of wellbeing, there are also a number of staff members at the College dedicated to specific aspects of student welfare.

Firbank Grammar School has been providing exceptional education and incredible opportunities to students for over a century. Our students consistently achieve outstanding academic results, as well as success in their co-curricular pursuits. Firbank students become part of a strong community that ensures they reach their full potential.

Through our educational programs, we are committed to offering your child the best possible opportunity for personal success. We set high standards for our students to consistently work to the very best of their ability.

One of our major goals is to foster a love of learning, stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity and independent thought. We value and emphasise individual thinking and learning styles when planning, teaching and assessing. In the delivery of the curriculum, there is an emphasis on the development and use of critical thinking skills and risk taking is valued.

Firbank is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment in our school. We want all our students to feel safe at school and ensure our classrooms are value-fair, not value-free.

Our Programs

Firbank’s co-curricular sport and art programs support students to follow their passions and attain excellent results.

• MUSIC
  
• SPORT
• VISUAL ARTS
• PERFORMING ARTS
• OUTDOOR EDUCATION
• MEDIA STUDIES
• ADDITIONAL STUDENT CLUBS

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 the delivery of our curriculum programs.

Shelford is proud of its tradition of academic achievement, understanding and care. Talented, perceptive and sensitive teachers – working closely with parents and ancillary staff – design personalised programs to meet the needs, abilities and interests of each child.

Shelford strives to provide a quality education that encompasses the moral, physical, intellectual, social, emotional and aesthetic development of all students within a safe, caring and supportive community that acknowledges its rich heritage and Christian traditions.

Shelford offers a wide range of co-curricular activities and students are encouraged to make the most of the opportunities available. Participation levels are very high in the Performing Arts and Sport, exchange programs and overseas study tours.

Shelford has an integrated wellbeing approach that is structured to respond to the developmental and mental health needs our girls are facing.

Wellbeing at Shelford is led by the Director of Student Wellbeing and Development and is supported by School Psychologists, Learning Enhancement staff, the International Student Coordinator and the School Nurse. Together with teachers and Year Level Coordinators, a wraparound network of care is provided to every student.

Shelford strives to provide a quality education that encompasses the moral, physical, intellectual, social, emotional and aesthetic development of all students within a safe, caring and supportive community that acknowledges its rich heritage and Christian traditions.

Wesley College’s campuses provide inclusive, safe and vibrant environments, where students thrive.

At Wesley, we believe coeducation is the best way to prepare girls and boys for the world in which they will live. We inspire learning in an environment that reflects real-world communities and workplaces, setting students up to thrive and succeed beyond our walls.

By learning in a coeducation environment, boys and girls cultivate mutual respect, understanding, and support for one another. Students realise and appreciate their own individual value as well as each other’s.

By learning together, girls and boys cooperate and collaborate in ways that enable them to embrace and celebrate their differences as well as their similarities. Students develop skills as they navigate the range of perspectives that coeducation brings through lively debate, critical questioning and exploration.

Our teachers recognise that every girl and boy is a unique individual and they are skilled at developing students with diverse learning needs, abilities and interests. They create a safe and supportive environment where every girl and boy feels comfortable and confident to express themselves and are encouraged to actively participate in all facets of school life.

Developing and learning in a coeducational environment provides girls and boys with a strong foundation for building respectful and enduring social and professional relationships. Our students develop strength and independence and emerge as balanced, well-rounded individuals.

Fintona is one of Melbourne’s leading independent girls’ schools with a long tradition of educating girls to the highest standard.

Our friendly, supportive and caring environment, together with our broad-based curriculum, provide girls with a variety of experiences that challenge them beyond expectations, as well as establishing skills to help them cope with life beyond school.

Fintona provides a diverse and challenging academic curriculum, where girls with a wide range of abilities are supported. Our girls consistently achieve outstanding VCE and NAPLAN results, placing Fintona among the best performing girls’ schools in Victoria.

Opportunities for building resilience, self-esteem and responsibility abound through leadership positions, overseas trips and exchanges, the Connections Program offered in Year 9, House activities,special interest clubs and Life Skills.

Our aim is to educate students to be creative, independent learners with a strong work ethic who leave Fintona feeling confident, resilient, tolerant and optimistic about their future.

The wellbeing of each Fintona student is of paramount importance to us. With our smaller class sizes and a strong school community, a Fintona girl is not just another face but an individual with a unique personality who can quickly feel at home in a supportive, respectful and caring environment.

Kilvington is an independent Melbourne-based Christian school of the Baptist tradition. We are open to families of all faiths or no faith. We offer a friendly atmosphere, a strong sense of community and a rich history, delivering comprehensive education from Early Learning to VCE.

Our Vision is to be a school of excellence offering a holistic education to girls and boys, enabling them to excel individually and as part of a community. We are focused on the mind and heart, and believe in promoting the intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual development of each student.

A Kilvington education is based on four key pillars – Academic Excellence, Character, Community and Care.These pillars are interdependent to help our students become thinking, strong, caring and respectful people who once leaving school, will positively engage with and contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

At Kilvington, we strive for academic excellence within an authentic, inclusive and collaborative teaching and learning environment. Our philosophy is underpinned by our Character Initiative and neuroscience research on the benefits of instilling a Growth Mindset.

After School Care and Vacation Care is offered to Junior School and ELC students. It is run by Extend on campus. For more information, including how to register, phone 1300 366 437 or visit the Extend website.

At Camberwell Grammar School, we aim to give every boy in our care the very best possible education in order to prepare them for life beyond school. Our School was created in 1886 by A.B. Taylor for ‘the boys in the local community’ and our motto, Spectemur Agendo (By Our Deeds May We Be Known), encourages our students to act with integrity, and to be people of their word.

We aim to develop and maintain a culture which values academic achievement, knowledge and skills, whilst nurturing and encouraging positive interpersonal relationships, diversity, integrity and a commitment to the service of others.

We have a vision of learning which encompasses all aspects of life – not just the intellectual, but also the social, cultural, physical and spiritual. Our programs are deliberately structured to educate the whole student – not just the mind. We hope to educate committed citizens of the future, interested and passionate about the problems facing our world and with the skills necessary to do something about them.

We encourage each and every student to embark on a lifelong learning journey. We seek to foster a love of learning and a commitment to high academic standards. Our students are expected to be active participants in the learning process and are urged to ask searching questions.

Strathcona is the catalyst of a life-shaping momentum, ensuring each girl discovers a trajectory as unique and full of potential as she is. Upon their respective journeys, Strathcona girls break the stereotypes of private education — and we are proud of it.

Through a culture of academic excellence and a rich selection of co-curricular activities, girls grow and thrive. Strong, resilient, empowered — at Strathcona these are more than just words.
In essence, Strathcona affords its girls the opportunity to discover who they really are, and to pursue their life’s potential by being themselves.

Strathcona aspires to be a nurturing learning community that develops intellectually curious, optimistic, life-ready young women who are empowered to shape their future in a rapidly changing world.

Our Values

• Respect
• Integrity
• Compassion
• Courage
• Empowerment

Strathcona will consciously nurture a culture of prudent stewardship where resources are optimised for the benefit of students, staff and our community while also strengthening the foundations for a sustainable and confident future.

Haileybury is one of the leading independent schools in the Asia-Pacific region with campuses in Keysborough, Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne (City), Darwin and Beijing. The School is acclaimed for its outstanding academic achievements, small class sizes, broad range of co-curricular activities, and state-of-the-art facilities. Learning is based on the different learning styles of students, and on their gender, age, interests and potential.

The Parallel Education Model at Haileybury allows boys and girls to learn together in younger years, and then separately as they move into middle and senior years.Haileybury also has a strong sense of community, with links through activities that bring the School together throughout the year.

With over 125 years of history, Haileybury has changed dramatically, and is now one of the leading private schools in Australia.

All four Haileybury Melbourne campuses operate under our Parallel Education Model, which offers single-sex classes on the same campus. This model was forged from a deep commitment to create an educational environment in which our students can truly realise their potential within separated coeducation.

Haileybury students and staff are no strangers to the world of online learning. Our online classrooms ensured that the academic program continued without interruption, and that students stayed connected and had fun!

PLC has been renowned as a leader in girls’ education for over 140 years. Nurtured within a Christian environment, girls are encouraged to develop a respect and concern for others, to acquire leadership skills and self-discipline and to have a sensitive, informed understanding of other cultures.

Our vision is to guide you in embracing new challenges, staying positive in the face of adversity and helping foster an environment of unity, comradery and trust. We know that when you graduate, you will leave ready to embrace opportunities and make a positive impact in the wider society.

PLC aims to nurture, encourage and support our students and help them on their journey to becoming confident and independent, ready to take their place in today’s modern world. This process begins from the moment your daughter takes her first steps at PLC.

We passionately believe that for our students, every opportunity should be explored, any goal is achievable and that every girl has her own excellence just waiting to be found.

We look forward to working with your daughter to encourage, inspire and help her realise her own personal excellence as she prepares to take her place as a modern woman in tomorrow’s world.

PLC is large enough to provide a wealth of opportunities, yet small enough for each individual girl to be known, cared for and valued.

At PLC we inspire girls to achieve their own personal excellence across all fields of endeavour, and to help them establish the foundations for life-long learning that will enrich their lives and prepare them for the future.

Empowering girls to live lives of impact and purpose, Ruyton supports each girl to achieve her personal best.  We are a Kindergarten to Year 12 non-denominational independent day school for girls in the Melbourne suburb of Kew.

At Ruyton we foster the individuality of each girl in a caring and safe environment, nurturing her intellectual, physical, social and emotional qualities essential to flourish.

We empower our girls to lead lives of purpose with courage, character and compassion. Through the development of values and action-focused learning they are inspired to pursue equity and justice for self and others. By embracing diversity and raising their voices our girls effect positive change and make a difference.

At Ruyton we are committed to preparing girls for a lifetime of learning, leadership and engagement in our global community. We seek to inspire our girls to be bold. We educate them to live lives of impact and purpose.

At Ruyton we embrace diversity and value the enrichment it brings to our learning community. We are committed to fostering respectful relationships and endeavour to create a culture of justice and fair treatment that extends to our broader community. This culture is central in preparing our students to be respectful and socially aware global citizens.

The Board and Executive team strive to take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety issues. The safety and wellbeing of children at Ruyton is a paramount consideration in all our care and decision making.

At Melbourne Grammar School, we value ideas, creativity and new ways of thinking. We aim to develop students who are accomplished in a broad range of academic skills, self-motivated and guided by a strong sense of moral purpose.

Excellence involves each person striving to reach a point beyond what he or she feels is currently possible. It is a state of mind as much as an actual outcome. We celebrate those who reach the peak of achievement in any field of endeavor, as well as those who exceed their previous best.

Our strong School community is central to our history, achievements and continued success. Empathy, respect and consideration for others are fundamental, as is active participation in service that builds and strengthens the communities around us.

At Melbourne Grammar School, the first step is gaining an understanding of who you are – leading yourself. We ask students to consider leadership of, and with, others as a collaborative experience.

We seek to create a culture of acceptance and understanding that values the contribution of every member of our community. We know the diverse talents, skills and backgrounds of our people shape Melbourne Grammar and contribute to its success.

Melbourne Grammar School is a community of ideas. Through these explorations, people from across our School community share the ideas that matter to them, to the School, and to society as a whole.

Huntingtower is a school committed to building community and encouraging students to understand who they are while embracing their unlimited potential. We support and inspire all students to be the very best that they can be, and always reinforce a positive culture of kindness and love in everything they do.

The mission and purpose of Huntingtower is to be a beneficial presence in the world, to uplift thought and to bless mankind.

Each student is encouraged to recognise and demonstrate his or her spiritual nature. They are encouraged to express their freedom from limitation and to achieve their best through the power and love of God. This results in very high standards of education at all levels, sub-primary, primary and secondary.

Huntingtower understands that wellbeing is fundamental to a child achieving his or her potential. We want all our students to be happy, confident and resilient so that they can achieve positive learning outcomes and lead purposeful and rewarding lives.

Wellbeing Specialists include a Counsellor, School Psychologist, a Vice Principal of Wellbeing and a Wellbeing Coordinator. They liaise closely with Year Level Coordinators to ensure that the emotional, social and academic needs of each individual student are well supported.

Lowther Hall has a reputation for providing a well-rounded education for girls in an intimate environment of 800 students from Kindergarten to Year 12. We are a diverse, open-entry school where students are known and well catered for from their very first day.

We pride ourselves on offering  academic programs which support and challenge each student to achieve her best, and we seek to assist girls to understand a wide range of academic disciplines and co-curricular pursuits. At Lowther Hall,  we see our role as broader than the provision of a leading edge curriculum.

At Lowther Hall we understand that a girl’s emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing are paramount to her overall development. To this end we have in place a pastoral care approach that ensures every girl is known and supported by a team of people. 

At Lowther Hall the physical, emotional and social safety of the girls is vitally important to everyone. We have policies and practices in place which support our commitment to child safety and also foster a culture which seeks to be proactive in creating a secure environment for the students.

Staff training is vital to ensure that all adults within the organisation can be focussed on maintaining a positive culture for the girls. This extends beyond the teaching staff to the administration and support staff where relevant.

Maranatha is a Christian learning community in partnership with home and church where students are inspired to discover and develop their God-given gifts, abilities and character for a life of service to the Lord in contemporary society.

Our Early Learning Centres provide a holistic, biblically faithful kindergarten experience that, in partnership with parents, nurtures the education, wellbeing and development of every child.

We are a co-educational Christian School, across 2 campuses in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Through both the academic and co-curricular program, children are encouraged to pursue excellence in all they do. To be a student at Maranatha means to access opportunity – the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to develop, the opportunity to serve, the opportunity to grow and the opportunity to excel.

Our dedicated and capable teachers take the time to get to know the students individually, their backgrounds, motivations, interests, strengths and goals, as well as how they learn. We seek to challenge, engage, motivate and encourage each student knowing that it is a different journey for each child.

Our School Chaplains and School Counsellor have up to date qualifications and training in student care, counselling and psychology and only provide services appropriate to their level of training and availability. These services might therefore include helping families find the most appropriate support in the community when the skills and capacity of the student Care team cannot adequately ensure the safety and well-being of a particular student.