Ivanhoe Grammar School

At Ridgeway Campus students in Years 11 and 12 can follow either the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and the school publishes IB results alongside VCE results each year. Some VCE subjects can be started early in Year 10. A Global Education programme, international trips, student exchanges and Round Square conferences add an international dimension, and the NEAS-accredited Ivanhoe International Academy prepares overseas students with intensive English before mainstream study.

English is the language of instruction, with English as an Additional Language support and an intensive English programme for international students. Younger students study French in the Early Learning Centre and Japanese as a primary specialist subject. In secondary school the languages offered include French, Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish and Japanese, several of which can be continued to VCE level. Language and culture trips abroad support this learning.

At the Ivanhoe location, Buckley House covers the Early Learning Centre for three and four-year-olds and the Primary Years from Foundation to Year 6. Ridgeway Campus teaches the Middle Years (Years 7 and 8) and the Senior Years (Years 10 to 12), while Year 9 students from both campuses spend the year at the University Campus in Macleod. Plenty Campus in Doreen offers Foundation to Year 12. Main entry points are Early Learning, Foundation and Year 7.

Since its foundation, Ivanhoe has treated character education as the core of schooling. Its stated purpose is to develop young people of moral, performance and civic character who can be the best version of themselves. The school describes itself as open entry, welcoming students of all nationalities and faiths, and aims to give each child a sense of belonging and wellbeing while encouraging them to reach their personal best. Global citizenship, service and sustainability are central themes.

Secondary students take part in summer and winter sport, training during the week and competing in the APS and AGSV competitions. Options include athletics, cross country, AFL, archery, badminton, basketball, cricket, golf, hockey, netball, snow sports, soccer, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, water polo and yoga. The arts programme offers orchestras, bands, jazz and chamber groups, choirs, plays and musicals, while students can also join debating, service, outdoor education camps and the Army Cadet Unit from Year 8.

The Ivanhoe location includes Buckley House, with an Early Learning Centre in its own building, an adventure playground, an innovation centre, a library and sports facilities, and Ridgeway Campus with dedicated Middle Years and Senior Years buildings. Its Sports and Aquatic Centre has a 50-metre, eight-lane pool, four basketball and netball courts, eight indoor volleyball courts, sixteen badminton courts, two rooftop courts for netball and tennis, weights and fitness rooms, dance studios and a café. The music department has studios, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio.

Wellbeing and pastoral care are provided by school counsellors, mentors, heads of year and inter-faith chaplains, with a personalised mentoring programme starting in Year 7. Individual Needs teams on each campus support students with learning difficulties and disabilities through tiered support, and an academic extension programme serves high-ability learners. Scholarships are offered for academic merit, general excellence, high achievers and First Nations students. Uniforms are worn and a café operates in the sports centre.