We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
Bishop Oscar Romero Prayer
Scotch College is located in Perth’s beautiful coastal suburb of Swanbourne. Location
On the door step of Swanbourne Train Station, we are located 500 metres from central Claremont, just eight kilometres from the Perth CBD, ten minutes away from Cottesloe Beach, the Swan River and a fifteen-minute train ride to the port city of Fremantle.
Our College occupies 22 hectares between the Swan River and the Indian Ocean. Students swim and surf at Cottesloe Beach, and row and sail on the Swan River.
Scotch College has an Outdoor Education Centre, Moray, situated on the banks of the Murray River, three kilometres south of Dwellingup on Wilman country. This 66 hectare property is set amongst the tall trees of the Jarrah forest and provides students with a home away from home during school camps.
Our facilities are world-class, with expansive playing fields located on-campus, a 50 metre pool and a state-of-the-art Boat Shed to name a few. We want our students’ lives to be enriched by the opportunities that these facilities and our talented staff provide.
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Scotch College acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar and Wilman Noongar people, the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which the College and our campuses stand. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge the Noongar people as the First Peoples of this place.
Headmaster’s welcome
A community for life
Academic success, while an integral part of our school, only scratches the surface of what makes us a truly great school.
There are numerous elements which must come together to make a successful school. Many of these are not uncommon across various educational institutions. What is unique to Scotch, however, is our community which is the heartbeat of the College, bringing life and energy to everything we do. I would like the students, and their families, who choose to join the Scotch community to experience a significant differentiator: to experience the true meaning of belonging.
When a student begins his education at Scotch, he embarks on a lifelong journey and enters a community for life.
The organisational structure of Scotch, represented by three on-site sub-schools, Junior, Middle, and Senior, and our boarding community, is designed to provide over 1,500 students from Pre-Kindy to Year 12 with a journey that has built-in milestones, or rites of passage, as they graduate from one sub-school to another. Milestones, such as our recent 125th anniversary celebration, build morale by bringing people together. By celebrating something that we have been a part of, makes the connection we have with our community even stronger.
If you choose to join our community, your son will experience many meaningful milestones which are never definitive nor have an end point. This thought is beautifully captured in an extract attributed to Bishop Oscar Romero’s Prayer A Step Along the Way
“We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.”
We hope that our boys and families experience a feeling of being happy, accepted, and welcomed. Hopefully this will come from having positive interactions and relationships with those they meet, whether this be the teachers, administration and ancillary staff, fellow parents, any of the 16,500 Old Scotch Collegians, or other members of the Scotch community. In essence, a sense of belonging is one of humanity’s most basic needs and I hope this is what you will experience by being a part of Scotch.
Through many years of proven success, we know that living out our core values of integrity, stewardship and service, coupled with focusing on educational success, pastoral care, and by providing a breadth of out-of-class opportunities, your son will graduate as a balanced young man ready to take on whatever the future may hold.
We look forward to welcoming your family to the Scotch community.
Dr Alec J O’Connell Headmaster
We help our students develop a character-driven mindset by providing experiential learning opportunities beyond academics and the classroom.
Scotch in numbers
1,600
Students across 3 sub-schools
3
Academic pathways (ATAR, VET, IBDP)
177
Committed and passionate teaching staff approximately 50:50 male to female
10
Rhodes Scholars
100+
Enrichment activities across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
400
Music lessons each week 25 ensembles
3 grand pianos
3
Pipe Bands with 3 world-class performances at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
22 hectares
15 grass tennis courts and a 50m pool
6
Pacer yachts at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
1,001km
Walked by a boarder on his journey down the Bibbulmun Track
Educational Excellence
A local school with a global outlook
We are a learning community with an international standard of excellence. Our aim is to spark curiosity and promote a lifelong love of learning.
For over 125 years, Scotch College has provided an intellectually and personally challenging programme to foster global citizens with a passion for sustained learning and spiritual enquiry.
We equip students with the knowledge, confidence, skills, and maturity to make the most of their abilities placing as much importance on how they learn as on what they learn. We strive to ensure that our students become:
Independent life-long learners
Creative and critical thinkers
Problem solvers
Cooperative & collaborative workers
Skilled researchers
Global communicators
A choice of academic pathways
As well as the WA Certificate of Education, we are proud to be a World IB School offering the Primary Years, and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
Our Junior School delivers the Australian Curriculum through the IB Primary Years Programme. This comprehensive course prepares students for the intellectual challenges of further education, focusing on the development of the whole child as an inquirer in the classroom and beyond.
Our Middle School students follow the West Australian Curriculum. The flexible nature of our Middle School allows us to tailor the curriculum to incorporate greater breadth and provide real-world, age- and stage-appropriate learning experiences designed to engage boys aged 11–14.
Our Senior School students are given the flexibility to choose the academic pathway that best suits their personal strengths and learning preferences. The WA Certificate of Education (WACE) programme offers a combination of Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathways. As an alternative pathway, Scotch College is proud to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a globally recognized curriculum offered in more than 5,300 schools in 158 countries.
A balanced approach to education
Education is not simply about academic excellence, but a careful balance between intellectual, physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
Junior School
EARLY YEARS (PK–2) AND PRIMARY YEARS (3–5)
In Junior School we offer a wide variety of intellectual, physical, and creative opportunities and we encourage our students to explore and try new things while learning more about themselves.
We are committed to building solid literacy and numeracy skills whilst offering a breadth of stimulating subjects. We teach the Australian Curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Through the IB, our students are encouraged to be curious about the world around them and pursue areas of interest in their learning.
We offer a rich co-curricular programme outside the classroom with children participating in clubs such as Art, Aviation, Chess, Coding, Cycling, Engineering and Robotics, Environment, Lego League and Mindfulness. Students can also join a swimming squad, a music ensemble, the annual drama production as well as participate in numerous sports regardless of their skill.
Our staff are committed to helping them achieve their personal goals and have fun along the way.
Our young learners are empowered to think independently and become active inquirers through play, exploration, and investigation.
Middle School
YEARS 6–8
Our Middle School is committed to creating an environment where students are given the best chance to foster their growing independence, social awareness, and leadership capabilities.
We prepare our boys for life by honouring the stage of adolescent years between 11 and 14 with learning experiences, resources and mentorship that will transition them from Junior to Senior School, boyhood to adolescence, dependence to independence.
Our academic programme delivers the West Australian Curriculum. We encourage our students to seek knowledge and become self-motivated learners. By prioritising curiosity, learning remains exciting, engaging and relevant.
Adding richness to the academic curriculum are community and service projects, a wide array of enrichment and extension programmes, music and performing arts clubs as well as a strong and varied sport calendar.
Knowing the Boy is an important pastoral care framework in the Middle School. Homeroom teachers, the on-site Chaplain, psychologists, pastoral care and year-level coordinators are just some of the staff who play an active role in ensuring that students are understood and supported in their formative Middle School years.
Senior School
YEARS 9–12
Our Senior School community has a supportive culture of learning and compassion. Intellectual development is only one component of what we do. Our priority is to help each student discover their identity and reach their fullest potential within a safe and nurturing environment.
Success or excellence isn’t confined to the classroom. Our stimulating academic, sport, arts, co-curricular and enrichment programmes help each student uncover his passion and achieve excellence in his chosen field.
All students are encouraged to follow the best academic pathway based on their aptitudes and learning styles with students in Years 11 and 12 having the option to undertake the IB Programme as an alternative to WACE and VET.
Pastoral care is key to a successful learning journey. Each student in Senior School is placed in a House – a sub-community where students receive close attention and connect with their peers. Fronted by a House Head and tutors, these figures monitor and support students as they progress through Senior School becoming a regular point of contact for pastoral care and wellbeing concerns.
Building solid personal, social, wellbeing and academic foundations are crucial in our mission to develop well-rounded and resilient young people.
“I don’t think it can be overstated how close you become with some of the boys in the boarding house. Boarding has shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me some invaluable life skills.”
Captain of Boarding
Boarding School
Our boarders come from across regional and remote Western Australia, interstate and overseas and from diverse backgrounds. We value every one of them and are proud of how they enrich our broader Scotch community.
Prior to starting as boarders, the boys have the opportunity to join our Taigh Programme which eases the transition into boarding life. By meeting each week on-line and in person at orientation camps, the boys start their boarding journey having already made friends with future housemates and with an instilled confidence that they are joining an inclusive and connected community.
Once they enter the boarding community, the Heads of Residence work closely with each student’s homeroom teacher and House Heads to ensure they are well supported academically. Scotch boarders have access to on-going tutoring support as well as pastoral and wellbeing programmes and numerous recreational activities.
Scotch College Indigenous Network
The Indigenous Student Support Programme is aimed at ensuring that all Indigenous students are supported academically as well as socially and emotionally.
All Indigenous students, both day boys and boarders, are part of the Scotch College Clontarf Academy. Their staff provide an extra layer of support ensuring our boys develop a strong sense of cultural identity and awareness.
The curriculum at Scotch incorporates Indigenous culture and educates non-Indigenous students on many aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Educational breadth and diversity
We equally support students with learning challenges as well as those who are recognised as academically talented.
Students identified as gifted and talented are offered an expansive range of academic enrichment, extension, and acceleration opportunities, many of which are offered offcampus in collaboration with Presbyterian Ladies’ College. The Enrichment Programme supports boys of high ability to realise their potential and harness their many talents towards making a positive contribution to the global community.
Our Inclusive Education team works with students to provide specialised support and workshops to give every child the opportunity to succeed at Scotch College and beyond, with a key focus on promoting and supporting progress, selfadvocacy, and confidence.
Programmes running before and after school utilising our incredible network of staff and alumni.
Scholarships
Scotch College started out in 1897 as a Presbyterian school for boys with a 500 pound donation and as a working-class egalitarian institution. The Tàlantach Scholarship allows academically gifted boys to benefit from a Scotch education and keeps the College connected to its roots.
Academically capable boys from all backgrounds, including those who would otherwise be unable to attend the College due to financial reasons, are eligible for these scholarships.
Indigenous students are also invited to apply for scholarships via a number of not-for-profit organisations that offer secondary and tertiary education scholarships for Indigenous students, primarily from remote and regional communities.
Other academic, music and boarding scholarships are also available as well as bursaries and philanthropic support.
Breadth of opportunities
We see each of our students as individuals and provide a wide variety of opportunities to meet their different interests and learning styles inside and outside the classroom.
Sport
All boys have access to our world-class sports playing fields and recreational facilities which are located on campus and stretch across 10 hectares.
In addition to the classroom based Physical Education programme, representing the College in a chosen sport is compulsory for all boys from Years 3 to 6 (JPSSA) and Years 7 to 12 (PSA). Students from Years 5 to 12 choose a seasonal sport including Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Hockey, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Soccer, Surfing, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo.
All boys participate in Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics participating in Inter-House and Inter-School competitions throughout the year. Scotch College is a PSA school and participates in Inter-School sporting events along with six other independent boys’ schools across Perth.
Sport is a vital part of school life at Scotch. We provide an opportunity for every boy to take part in sport, no matter their skill level.
I challenge you to try something new and if not, continue to strive for excellence within your passion. Take the opportunities that have been given to you, make memories, learn, progress and strive for a better future.
Captain of School addressing Senior School Assembly
Arts
The arts stimulate creativity and imagination, improve technical skills, provide a wonderful social dynamic, and help boys develop a sense of purpose and achievement.
Music
Our Music Programme offering is based on three integrated areas:
• Music Curriculum (classroom-based courses)
• Music Tuition (individual music lessons)
• Music Ensemble (bands, choirs, orchestras, and other music groups).
Our students learn through ensemble performances directed by some of the finest musicians, conductors, and music educators in Western Australia.
Pipe Band
Pipe Band is an integral part of our identity and contributes to our unique history and community. We have approximately 130 students who learn and develop their skills playing the bagpipes and highland drums with lessons available to boys from Years 7 – 12.
Drama
Scotch College has a rich tradition of producing a diverse range of theatre productions; from contemporary plays and reinvigorated classics to full-scale musicals. Students experience their first taste of the Drama Curriculum in Junior School before undertaking the MYP Arts Programme in Middle School.
Students can then continue their study of Drama from Year 8 to Year 12 by following a WACE or IB pathway.
Creative Arts
Students have access to a wide range of traditional and contemporary mediums from film making, painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, photography, animation, and computer graphics. Courses in Graphic Design, Photography, Media, Film and Visual Art are studied across Junior, Middle and Senior School in both the WACE and IB curriculum.
Outdoor Education
Outdoor education is an essential part of the curriculum and has immense importance for students’ personal growth and social development. It builds independence, challenges physical fitness and fosters friendships.
Our Outdoor Education Programme emphasises environmental studies, which link to the IB’s Primary Years Programme and our Middle School Curriculum. The skills students learn throughout their outdoor education also integrate with learning in academic subjects including Mathematics, Geography, Art, History, Sciences and Design and Technology.
Scotch College has its own Outdoor Education Centre, Moray, a 66-hectare property on the banks of the Murray River, three kilometres south of Dwellingup on Wilman country.
Enrichment
The Enrichment Programme provides our most academically able students with rich, challenging, learning opportunities beyond the mainstream curriculum. The programme is designed to offer depth and breadth of opportunity in support of a student’s intellectual, social and emotional growth.
The programme is designed to align with current best practices in the field of gifted and talented education and is characterised by unique and exciting collaborations between our sub-schools and cross-campus collaboration with Presbyterian Ladies’ College.
Some opportunities are by invitation and based on outstanding performance in a subject-specific domain or multiple domains. Others are selected by aptitude, application and interest. Opportunities include clubs, broadening initiatives, competitions and tailored outreach programmes with our partners in industry and academia.
Our strategic alliances and partnerships
We are proud of our alliances and the academic, social, and co-curricular opportunities these offer.
The Uniting Church in Australia
Scotch College is a member of the Uniting Church and recognised as one of the leading Christian schools in Perth. Formed by the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian churches in 1977, the Uniting Church is well known for its progressive Christian values, which guide all that the College does.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College
We are proud of our special partnership with our sister school, PLC. By offering cross-campus co-curricular activities and academic classes, we provide new opportunities to students. Most importantly, this partnership facilitates the development of social skills and understanding, expands networks and nurtures friendships.
Public Schools Association
Scotch College is one of the founding members of the Public Schools Association (1905) which comprises seven independent boys’ schools in Perth. The PSA provides opportunities for students from member schools to engage in both sporting and co-curricular competitions while promoting collegiality, good sportsmanship, resilience and honourable behaviour.
International Baccalaureate
Scotch College is proud to be an International Baccalaureate School offering the programme at all age groups. The IB provokes curiosity, develops key critical thinking skills and produces graduates who have gone on to study at both national and internationally esteemed universities.
Round Square
On a global level, Scotch College is a proud member of the Round Square network, a community of 180+ schools who share a commitment beyond academic excellence to personal development and responsibility, service, challenge, adventure and international understanding. Through the Round Square partnership, Year 10 students can spend 5–10 weeks studying at a school across the globe.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Scotch College is proud to offer The Duke of Edinburgh Award, an internationally recognised programme that acknowledges the diverse activities and skills to which participants are committed. It rewards students for their diligence, confidence, and reliability, and celebrates individual excellence. The award offers a fun and fulfilling opportunity to build new skills and interests.
Our strategic alliances and partnerships enable us to expand our offering and expose our students to diverse perspectives. Respecting others comes from understanding, empathy and experience.
Dr Alec O’Connell, Headmaster
Community Service
Service is an essential part of life at Scotch College, and as one of the leading Christian colleges in Perth, we strongly believe that fostering a supportive and collaborative community builds fulfilled citizens who are engaged in the world around them.
Service is at the heart of all three International Baccalaureate programmes, and central to our school motto of Preparing Boys for Life.
From Kindergarten to Year 12, boys have access to service activities framed around the Scotch Service Model cornerstones: Nurture. Inspire. Sustain. Connect
The Junior School Primary Years Programme enquirereflect-act process, allows boys to explore ways of serving others. Organisations including Kids Who Give WA and UnitingCare West provide tangible opportunities for boys to serve.
In Middle School, students can serve through class activities and service clubs raising funds for the Leukemia Foundation, Red Cross, Surf Life Saving and running activities such as Cooking for the Homeless. These are some of the activities that encourage our students to initiate service action and take leadership.
Students in the Senior School complete a programme of Service Learning during school hours in Year 10 which involves service partnerships with multiple external agencies working with diverse groups such as the mentally and intellectually disabled, the aged, the homeless and refugees. We have been fortunate to provide our senior boys with opportunities to participate in various service tours, working with organisations and communities both nationally and internationally.
Opportunities to serve give tangible expression to our Christian values.
Pastoral Care
Feeling a sense of belonging and connection to the Scotch community are key elements of our pastoral care and wellbeing, and the foundation on which our College is built.
We build our students’ capacity for empathy, resilience, mindfulness, and gratitude. Scotch College stands by its framework of Knowing the Boy where students are known and supported by multiple staff across our school. Our Pastoral Care programme is designed to create a web of connections that includes peers, older and younger students, Scotch graduates and the College staff who can support each child’s individual endeavours.
We understand everyone’s journey is unique, and offer multiple levels of social and emotional guidance, spiritual and academic support, and professional counselling for students facing personal challenges including stress, anxiety, and depression.
Our Pastoral Care programme is purposely crafted to support each boy at his specific stage of development.
A community for life
What sets us apart are our longstanding traditions of celebrating individuality and personal accomplishments, our exceptional culture of respect, and the supportive community our graduates can rely on for life.
Our role as a community is to ensure that everyone, including current, past, and future students and their families feel a genuine sense of connectedness to our College. It is that sense of belonging and cultural congruence that will ensure we are a ‘happy school’ and not just a well-resourced one.
Education and wellbeing are the result of genuinely healthy and strategic relationships between home and school.
The Scotch community extends to families with parents invited to join sporting, music and social groups and siblings given access to our free early learning programme, Little Pipers. After graduation, our students become part of an expansive network which continues to shape and support their personal and professional lives for many years. The Old Scotch Collegians currently has over 16,500 alumni and contributes significantly to the life of the College..
