Senior School

Haileybury's program is tailored for each educational stage, building resilient and independent learners with a strong work ethic and critical skills in decision-making, leadership and enterprise.

Students leave Haileybury as well-rounded young citizens with a love for learning, prepared for life on the global stage and with the drive to be active members of society.

Our Senior School program

Haileybury's Senior School provides the ideal backdrop for students as they begin their final three years of learning and development. Across our campuses and driven by the VCE program, students undertake more rigorous academic study and spend more time on topics that align with their needs and passions.

Students’ academic studies are balanced with sporting and co-curricular activities and opportunities to be part of clubs, performances, competitions and community initiatives.

Five campuses, one Haileybury

Senior School operates at our four Melbourne campuses: Berwick, Brighton, City, Keysborough and at Haileybury Pangea, our online campus. Within each campus, there is a strong sense of camaraderie and community, however, students benefit from the opportunities that come from being one Senior School.

Study options and co-curricular activities are similar across all campuses and, through the many intra-campus links, students can interact and maintain social connections across the wider Senior School environment.

Continuing with parallel education

In Senior School, we continue with gender-specific class structure to ensure that each students’ journey from adolescence to young adulthood remains consistent.

Boys and girls have separate study and recreation areas and shared community areas that strengthen social growth and personal character as they prepare for their lives beyond school.

A three-year immersive experience

The Senior School curriculum is rich and offers a breadth of VCE studies and Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects. We maintain a strong industry focus and offer studies in Hospitality and Music.

Spreading VCE studies over three years makes workloads more manageable and allows a balanced approach to school life. Senior students combine their studies with diverse co-curricular activities such as Sports, the Arts and community and cultural activities that enable them to extend their interests. Students also have the opportunity to develop talents that complement their studies.

Undertaking the VCE program

Haileybury students begin their VCE studies in Year 10 with a program developed according to their individual needs, talents and interests. Teachers and staff provide guidance and support to ensure the program matches their academic readiness and future goals.

Each of the three stages enables greater focus and deeper learning on particular topics in preparation for Unit 3 and 4 VCE studies.

Providing an academic advantage

Haileybury’s academic year starts early in Term 4, giving students more time to complete each year’s Academic program. This is especially important for Year 12, where traditionally at other schools students work through a large program in a shortened academic year.

Personal wellbeing

Senior School requires students to apply themselves, engaging in more rigorous learning in order to maximise their VCE outcomes and prepare for life beyond Haileybury. We want every student to challenge themselves and to achieve their potential but retain a sense of balance.

We support this through our Wellbeing program that includes topics such as healthy and respectful relationships, consent in intimate relationships, values, emotional intelligence, positive mental health, diversity and the online world.

Haileybury has a professional team of School Psychologists who provide counselling services for students to support them with their specific individual challenges they may be experiencing.

Outside the classroom

Senior School brings many challenges and periods of hard work, so it is important that senior students balance this with sporting and creative pursuits, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and LEAP (Literature, English, Arts and Politics) extension activities, competitions, clubs and community-based initiatives that help stimulate and ground them. These all form part of our extensive co- and extra-curricular programs and give senior students plenty of avenues to explore and develop deeper understanding and greater skills.

Clubs include Drama, Philosophy, Artworks, Debating and Chess and there are organised fairs and competitions for Mathematics, Science and English.

We have an extensive Music program, including our renowned Pipes & Drums band, string, brass, woodwind and percussion ensembles and there are opportunities for private music tuition.

All students participate in intraschool House sport and interschool sport; training and coaching are provided for all students. From swimming, cricket, tennis and soccer to volleyball, martial arts, climbing and rowing – students can explore interests and develop skills in a variety of team and individual activities.

Our Curious Minds programs also offers a variety of co- and extra-curricular programs for our senior students.