At a glance
Caulfield Grammar opened in 1881 and is one of Melbourne's largest and oldest co educational independent schools, an Anglican foundation that began admitting girls a century after it started. It runs three day campuses, the senior school at Caulfield for Years 7 to 12, a through school at Wheelers Hill from early learning to Year 12, and a junior campus at Malvern, alongside an outdoor education site at Yarra Junction and a long standing student centre in Nanjing, China, used for its Year 9 internationalism programme. The school is registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority and is an authorised IB World School, running the IB Primary Years Programme in the lower school and offering the IB Diploma as a senior pathway. Boarding is available, which broadens its reach beyond the immediate south eastern catchment. Our hub on IB schools in Melbourne sets Caulfield alongside its peers, and the wider Melbourne city hub places it in context.
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and programmes | IB Primary Years Programme; IB Diploma Programme or VCE in the senior years |
| Stages | Early learning to Year 12 (ages 3 to 18); boarding available |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Accreditation | Registered with the VRQA; authorised IB World School (PYP and Diploma) |
| Fee band | Premium (see the Melbourne fees guide) |
| Campus | Caulfield, Wheelers Hill and Malvern, south eastern Melbourne |
Curriculum and academics
The academic structure at Caulfield blends the IB framework with the Victorian pathway. The early and primary years follow the IB Primary Years Programme, an inquiry led approach that runs across the early learning centres and junior school. In the senior years students choose between the IB Diploma Programme and the Victorian Certificate of Education, so a family can settle on the school first and the senior pathway later. That dual offer is useful for relocating families: a child arriving from an IB system overseas can continue on the Diploma, while a child aiming at a Victorian university can sit the VCE. The Year 9 programme, with its residential and overseas components, is a distinctive part of the school's middle years, and English is the language of instruction throughout. Families weighing the Diploma route should read our guide to the IB schools in Melbourne to see how Caulfield compares across stage, campus and intake.
Caulfield Grammar fees
| Stage | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| ELC | AUD 26,406 |
| Prep | AUD 27,840 |
| Year 5 | AUD 38,931 |
| Year 9 | AUD 44,190 |
| Year 12 | AUD 44,922 |
Source: Caulfield Grammar School (caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au). Annual total (tuition plus charges). Boarding is charged separately. Fees are the most recent published figures and exclude one-off costs such as registration, deposits and capital levies. Always confirm current fees directly with the school.
Caulfield fees sit in the premium band for Melbourne independent schools, with annual tuition rising by year level and boarding, where chosen, charged on top of tuition. We do not publish a single headline figure here because the school revises fees each year and lists the current schedule on its own admissions pages; you can sense check the band against our guide to international school fees in Melbourne. Beyond tuition, plan for an application fee, a refundable enrolment deposit, a building or capital levy and optional extras such as bus travel, camps and boarding. These first year costs are standard across premium Melbourne schools, and the boarding charge in particular is worth modelling carefully before you commit a place.
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Admissions
Admission to Caulfield runs ahead of the late January start of the Australian school year, and the school encourages early registration because the main intakes and boarding places fill well in advance. The principal entry points are the early learning years, Prep and Year 7, with places at other year levels offered as they become available across the three campuses. Assessment is age appropriate: a settling visit and observation for the youngest children, and a review of previous school reports, references and an entry assessment for older applicants. Entry into the senior years takes account of prior subjects and results, particularly for students intending to take the IB Diploma. The school asks for school records and usually meets the family before confirming a place, and families can nominate a preferred campus.
Location and who goes there
Caulfield's senior campus sits in the inner south eastern suburbs, with the Wheelers Hill campus further out to the east and the Malvern junior campus closer to the city. The catchment spans the established south eastern suburbs, from Caulfield, Malvern and Glen Iris out to Wheelers Hill, Glen Waverley and the surrounding areas, served by good road and rail links and the school's own bus network. The community is broad and largely local, with relocating and returning families drawn by the IB offer, the boarding option and the Year 9 programme. For families weighing a south eastern base against the bayside or inner city, and for the full picture of where relocating families settle and what each area costs, return to the Melbourne city hub.
Reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much are Caulfield Grammar fees?
Caulfield Grammar fees sit in the premium band for Melbourne independent schools, rising by year level, with boarding charged on top of tuition for those who choose it. The school publishes its current fee schedule each year. Budget separately for an application fee, an enrolment deposit, a building levy and optional bus or boarding charges.
Is Caulfield Grammar a good school?
Caulfield Grammar is a long established co educational Anglican IB World School founded in 1881, with day and boarding places across campuses at Caulfield, Wheelers Hill and Malvern. Whether it suits your child depends on stage, budget, campus location and your view of the IB against the VCE.
What curriculum does Caulfield Grammar follow?
Caulfield Grammar runs the IB Primary Years Programme in the early and primary years and offers senior students a choice of the IB Diploma Programme or the VCE, so the school spans both the IB framework and the Victorian pathway.
When do Caulfield Grammar applications open?
Caulfield takes enrolment applications well ahead of the late January start of the school year, with early learning, Prep and Year 7 the main intakes. Boarding and popular year levels fill early, so relocating families should register interest as soon as possible.
Where is Caulfield Grammar located?
The senior Caulfield campus is in the inner south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, with a through school campus at Wheelers Hill, a junior campus at Malvern and an outdoor education site at Yarra Junction.
