The foundation for today’s vibrant learning environment began in 1966 when the Yarra Valley Church of England School opened with 135 boys under founding Principal, Mr John Pascoe. Together with his staff, they were commissioned ‘to guide and instruct the boys in their care’.
A busy decade of substantial building and development followed, including the construction and opening of the Senior School Library, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Arts and Crafts buildings, Music School and Administration block.
The School’s Hearing Unit opened in 1972, enabling hearing impaired students to enjoy all aspects of the School’s learning environment. This milestone represented a significant achievement for the parents of these students and for the School community.
In 1978, just 12 years after the School opened, girls were enrolled in HSC (Year 12) marking Yarra Valley Grammar’s co-educational beginning – a development that enriched the School’s learning environment as it flowed through the younger year levels and by 1994 the School was fully co-educational, ELC to Year 12.
Further works over the next 20 years extended the School’s exceptional facilities to include the Performing Arts Centre and the Physical Education and Sports Complex. As the School’s facilities increased, so did its student body. The concept of a Junior School, Middle School and Senior College was introduced in the 1990s, by which time student numbers exceeded 700.
In 2002, our Early Learning Centre was officially opened, bringing with it the introduction of continuous learning for students from three years of age.
In 2015 a new Science and Mathematics faculty was opened, replacing the original Science building that was lost to fire in 2012. This state-of-the-art building offers a genuine 21st learning experience for our students with dedicated mathematics classrooms and science laboratories, lecture theatre and Collaboratory spaces for group and individual learning. Also new in 2015 is a Food technology kitchen and classroom enabling Food technology to be incorporated into the curriculum.
In 2016 Yarra Valley Grammar (re-named in 1999) community proudly celebrated 50 years of success in all aspects of school life. The remarkable development of Yarra Valley Grammar and its unique and dynamic learning environment could only have been achieved with the assistance and commitment of students, parents and the greater School community.
Read more about Yarra Valley Grammar’s history here.
