ELTHAM College is a contemporary, independent, co-ed school offering ELC - Year 12. At ELTHAM, education is a daring adventure. We offer authentic learning and diverse co-curricular programs to ensure our students become world-ready.
Our purpose is to grow the hearts and minds of our students and ensure they leave us world ready. Our College is known for its spacious leafy 96-acre main campus and the Year 9 City Experience campus - providing diverse teaching spaces to inspire young minds.
At ELTHAM, we pride ourselves on delivering authentic learning opportunities and believe education should be a daring adventure. We offer diverse academic and co-curricular programs, in a healthy co-educational setting, where students can discover and pursue their passions and strengths. At ELTHAM students benefit from learning and working together, both socially and intellectually.
From our Early Learning bush adventures right through to our Senior year levels, where our students are discovering planets in our Observatory, we invite you to explore all that ELTHAM has to offer.
ELTHAM College is a contemporary, independent co-educational school offering Early Learning to Year 12. At ELTHAM, education is a daring adventure - we provide authentic learning opportunities so that students can become world-ready.
We provide a broad range of activities and experiences, which are tailored to meet the developmental needs of all students. Our programs ensure students learn in, and through a range of diverse environments. We encourage all students, regardless of gender, to explore a range of learning opportunities and interest areas.
First established in 1974, ELTHAM College's main campus is located in Research, in the leafy outskirts of Melbourne, and is very easily accessed by public transport. During the Year 9 City Experience Program, students experience a purpose-designed integrated curriculum at our city campus - enriching their learning with the perspective of the dynamic city landscape and resources.
Our Research campus comprise of approximately 96 acres of land - home to our school buildings for ELC - Year 12, an environmental reserve, Performing Arts Centre, multiple sporting grounds, gymnasium, indoor pool, as well as the Hospitality Training Centre and Swiper's Gully vineyard.
Students' experiences are supported by a technology rich environment, including an IT personal device program, STEM labs, and an on-campus Observatory.
The environment at ELTHAM is unique and supportive. Students can pursue their interests through the curriculum and a wealth of co-curricular programs. Individualised learning pathways enable our young people to fulfil their potential. Students are encouraged to become active community members and critical thinkers, preparing them for life outside the classroom.
Students are guided by a community of exceptional educators, with academic excellence being complimented with a focus on student wellbeing. Students have the support of our team of Mentors, Teachers, Year Level Coordinators and Directors of School, along with a Student Services team to guide wellbeing, safety and inclusion.
ELTHAM College is CRICOS registered to accept international students - our strong and successful International Program has been established for over 30 years.
Explore the Senior School curriculum through our Curriculum Handbook online.
Explore the ELTHAM College facilities on our College Campuses webpage.
Co-curricular Program
Co-curricular opportunities are plentiful at ELTHAM. Co-curricular programs foster student engagement and connectedness, contributing to the creation of well-rounded, fulfilled young people.
Our co-curricular opportunities allow students to uncover new passions, dive deeper into already established interests, and meet like-minded staff and peers. At ELTHAM, most students partake in a variety of endeavours to broaden their horizons and connect with each other.
ELTHAM College offers eight different categories of co-curricular: Active, Belong, Communicate, Community, Create, Discover, Explore and Outreach. This allows our students to easily locate activities of interested, and also lets students extend their learning by exploring areas they may not have explored before.
Ensembles for Brass, Clarinet, Guitar, Strings & Percussion
Wagner Concert Band
Sidewinders Jazz Band
Rock Bands
Tasmania Hike: Overland Track
ELTHAM’s holistic approach to education fosters individual development and community spirit (growing hearts), while celebrating curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking (growing minds) – with wellbeing at the centre.
Our Student Wellbeing Framework encompasses the collective, whole-school approach we take to support our students as they travel through their years at ELTHAM College.
It has been developed and supported by evidence and research of best practice in the fields of wellbeing, education, health, positive psychology, pedagogy and curriculum, and social and emotional child development.
In the spirit of authentic education, formal learning programs are underpinned by a culture of genuine care for every child’s individual wellbeing and development.
The Framework is embedded in wellbeing curriculum as well as co-curricular and House activities, and is tailored by year-level - age appropriate and targeted to specific developmental stages.
Be courageous
We challenge the status quo and push personal and collective boundaries to achieve our purpose.
Be curious
We are inquisitive, open-minded and consider different possibilities. We seek to understand and explore opportunities for growth.
Be respectful
We treat others how we wish to be treated. We assume good intent and are open to other perspectives and approaches.
Own it
We are accountable for our actions and behaviours and celebrate our successes. We are kind to ourselves and our colleagues when mistakes are made, and use them as an opportunity to grow.
One team
We work together, drawing on each other's strengths, to achieve our shared purpose.
We will be known for...authentic learning that is a daring adventure.
We will be known for...our connected and engaged community.
We will be known for...what we do today has a lasting impact on tomorrow.
We are here to grow hearts and minds and help our community prosper.
Experience ELTHAM first hand
We appreciate that you want to get an authentic feel for the school that will help shape your child’s future.
Throughout the school year we host a range of range of events and opportunities for future families to get to know us. We warmly invite you to experience what makes an ELTHAM education special.
College tours provide an intimate and insightful understanding of ELTHAM.
Embark on a journey of our beautiful grounds and world-class facilities, including our analytical chemistry hub and observatory, led by Principal Richard Lisle, School Directors and our student leaders.
College tours give you a chance to see our College in action, and connect with educators and fellow families, and hear directly from ELTHAM students there to share their own experiences.
College tours are available for ELC (3 & 4 year old Kindergarten), Junior (Prep-Year 6) and Senior School (Years 7-12) entry.
The Elite and Emerging Athlete Program (EEAP) strives to provide an environment and opportunities for students with athletic potential to thrive. Students will have access to sports-specific coaches and strength and conditioning testing, and programs to assist them in achieving their personal best.
EEAP offers extensive knowledge to assist students striving for sporting success, nurture future career aspirations and foster general health and wellbeing benefits. Successful entry into the program is based on an application and coach references.
Amplify
Amplify is an ELTHAM College program with the ambitious goal of exploring what contemporary learning could look like for an ELC – Year 12 school. It cultivates relationships with like-minded individuals and organisations to pursue ELTHAM College’s vision of growing hearts and minds.
The Amplify program:
Cultivates and scaffolds authentic learner driven goals
Develops and promotes learning-driven programs and activities
Contributes to research projects with partner organisations
Cultivates a community mentor program
Offers a calendar of learning events to provoke critical thought and action among the ELTHAM College community
Co-curricular Program
Co-curricular opportunities are plentiful at ELTHAM. Co-curricular programs foster student engagement and connectedness, contributing to the creation of well-rounded, fulfilled young people.
Our co-curricular opportunities allow students to uncover new passions, dive deeper into already established interests, and meet like-minded staff and peers. At ELTHAM, most students partake in a variety of endeavours to broaden their horizons and connect with each other.
ELTHAM College offers eight different categories of co-curricular: Active, Belong, Communicate, Community, Create, Discover, Explore and Outreach. This allows our students to easily locate activities of interested, and also lets students extend their learning by exploring areas they may not have explored before.
Ensembles for Brass, Clarinet, Guitar, Strings & Percussion
Wagner Concert Band
Sidewinders Jazz Band
Rock Bands
Student Reward and Recognition program
At ELTHAM College, we are enriching and investing in our students’ education with a scholarship approach that dares to be different. ELTHAM’s new approach to the traditional scholarship program will align with our core value of authentic learning, and will inspire students to strive for excellence during their journey with us. We will be creating scholarships, funding opportunities and grants that acknowledge, inspire, and reward students in more creative ways.
While we’ll continue to provide hardship bursaries and recognise academic, sporting and musical achievements, there are other ways our students stand out and excel. We may reward student-led innovation, offer grants for social impact, or seed-fund entrepreneurial pursuits. Students should have equal opportunity for recognition in diverse endeavours for excellence.
We make it easy to get to ELTHAM.
Our College grounds, located among beautiful surrounds at the entrance of Nillumbik Shire’s Green Wedge, are conveniently accessible with transport to ELTHAM, just 27km north-east of the Melbourne CBD.
In 2022 ELTHAM College had 53 students complete a scored VCE, with a standout 15 achieving an ATAR score higher than 90, representing 28.3% of that cohort.
Placing us in the top 20% of the state, 31 of the 53 students (58.4%) attained an ATAR of 80 or above, our best result in the last 10 years.
We specially congratulate Liza Kelly who has achieved the top score of 99.7, giving her the well-deserved honour and title of Dux of ELTHAM College for 2022.
George Chen received a score of 96.25, the top score for our International student cohort.
14.9% of students across Year 11 and 12 achieved a study score of 40 plus, with perfect scores of 50 for Year 12 students, Liza Kelly, Psychology and Global Politics, and Blake Winter, General Mathematics.
When I first came to the College, I felt instantly that I belong. The ELTHAM family has given me the confidence to chase my dreams, be ambitious and jump at new opportunities. ELTHAM’s unique culture has nurtured and helped me to grow into the young man I am proud to be today, and can confidently say that coming to ELTHAM was the best decision my parents and I have ever made.
Rory Bradshaw - Class of 2022
ELTHAM College offers a wide variety of incredible opportunities: there are so many co-curricular activities, clubs and events, you're bound to discover a new passion or interest, whether it be music, sport, drama or science! I can play around with state-of the art equipment in the Chem Hub, use a laser cutter in Amplify, play on a grand piano in the Recital Hall, and cook a meal for the public at Swipers Gully Training Restaurant, all in a single school day. By embracing all these opportunities ELTHAM offers, I definitely grew and learned from my experiences, and it's led me to become who I am today.
Amelia Trinh - Class of 2023
When I walked onto campus for the first time, my whole world changed. I remember being amazed by the Open Day experience. But it wasn’t the huge library or kids kayaking in the swimming pool that made me fall in love with ELTHAM. It was the two girls who took me on tour - they made me feel welcomed. ELTHAM has a way of doing that, making every single student feel just as special as the next.
Ada Whitwell - Class of 2022
Everyone has a passion, and one of mine happens to be music. ELTHAM has helped ignite this spark, from playing our grand piano at Soirees, to performing at the Jazz Festival with our Jazz Ensemble. They have granted me the opportunity to play in school productions alongside professional musicians, and to perform at Hamer Hall for our annual House Music competition. It has taught me things I will carry through the rest of my life.
Elishia Brown - Class of 2018
As an International Student who came to a foreign place with no friends in Australia, one of my biggest struggles at the start of my overseas journey was making friends. ELTHAM College has a buddy program that helps new students transition to the new school environment. I still vividly remember the enthusiasm and effort that my buddy put in to get to know me and befriend me on my first day of school., As a shy boy who was lacking social confidence, ELTHAM has helped me significantly.
George Chen - Class of 2022
ELTHAM College Student's Astronomical Achievement
Year 11 student Tristan Wood has published research on variable stars in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Together with others in the ELTHAM College community, including alumni Nathan Taulelei, mentors Andrew Yen and Lindsay Vander Pal, and “resident astronomer” Michael Fitzgerald, Tristan has been using the telescopes at ELTHAM College to discover five variable stars previously unknown to science. Congratulations Tristan!
Tristan continues to use the ELTHAM College observatory on an almost nightly basis, and his passion for astronomy and discovery is infectious. Following Tristan’s lead, a group of eager students meet weekly in the co-curricular Cosmos Club to continue to search for variable stars, exoplanets, supernovae and other celestial phenomena.
Students meet in Cosmos Club to continue their search for variable stars, exoplanets, supernovae and other celestial phenomena.
The 23rd of July 2020. It was the day I turned 12 and that evening I watched the movie Interstellar, a 2014 film directed by Christopher Nolan, for the first time. For those of you who don’t know it, the film follows astronaut Cooper played by actor Mathew McConaughey as he tries to save humanity from an Earth embroiled in catastrophic blight and famine. The journey takes Cooper and other astronauts through a wormhole near Saturn to an entirely new solar system in search of a new home for humankind. I remember sitting outside afterwards and just staring up at the stars, hours passing as the stars just moved in front of my eyes. Interstellar opened my eyes to what astronomy could one day be – in a very science fiction light.
InApril 2021, I met the father of one of my friends, a man named Andrew Yen who turned out to be a passionate astronomer. For the next year, he introduces me to the school observatory and other telescopes that he has and begins to teach me what he knows about astronomy.
We move then toJune 2022, I got invited to an astronomy chat between Andrew and a few others, including Dr. Michael Fitzgerald a professional astronomer and educator who works with the school observatory. From there, we decide to investigate a field of sky for variable stars – stars that change in brightness over a period of time unique to that star. Over the course of two years, we observe this field of space and begin to write a paper with our discovery of five new stars.
December 2023, I was invited to do a 20-minute presentation to the astronomical society of Victoria on my discoveries with variable stars and two new exoplanets, which is my current area of research. While the audience was around 100 people, the presentation was seen by over two thousand people on YouTube and Facebook.
May 3rd, 2024, my paper is released to the public. After two years of work and countless hours spent on all stages of the process, it is published in an American Journal for Astronomy for anyone to read. The paper outlined our method for the research and the discovery of five entirely new variable stars using our school observatory. I would like to say a thank you to Andrew, Michael and the entire science department for their help and support of me these last few years in astronomy.
This is only the beginning for me in astronomy as I aim to continue to reach for the stars, quite literally, and continue to do more discovery both by myself but also with others. Recently in Cosmos Club I have been taking groups of students through variable star science and research using my method from before aiming to publish another paper based on their discoveries.
Astronomy is such a wondrous field and there is still so much to discover in the worlds above us, we as astronomers are barely scratching the surface of what our universe offers. Astronomy is something anyone can do if you have the passion. It can take you from learning about it in class or watching some video on YouTube and realizing ‘that’s cool’ to do the research and perhaps even publishing your own paper. The limitations to what you can do in astronomy are as endless at the skies above you. If there is anything this process to publication has taught me, it’s that you can go from something likes watching a movie to finding and following a passion you didn’t really realise before. Tonight, before you go to bed, I implore you to go outside and look up for five, ten minutes and look at the beauty of what our night skies have to offer.
I would like to end with a quote from American Theoretical Physicist, Richard P Feynman.
“The most remarkable discovery in astronomy was that stars were made of atoms the same kind as on Earth.”
If you are interested in employment opportunities at our school please visit the following page:
"I believe that a quality education is one that provides opportunities for young people to be courageous and curious; where they are encouraged to be bold in their thinking and their actions; where they have the chance to discover and develop passions and interests that could last a lifetime."
At ELTHAM College, international students find themselves in a vibrant schooling environment, set against a spectacular natural backdrop, at the gateway to the famous Yarra Valley region in Victoria.
We are a proudly co-educational community that celebrates excellence in all its forms. Here, young people of all backgrounds, talents, and abilities can come together in cultural exchange and mutual learning.
ELTHAM’s inclusive environment fosters not only academic growth, but also personal development, ensuring a well-rounded and fulfilling educational experience for every student.
For over 40 years, ELTHAM College has been a school of choice for international students and their families.
Yes
Co-ed
