Eltham College (Victoria)


Eltham College is an independent, non-denominational, co-educational day school situated in Research, an outer suburb north east of Melbourne.
Founded in 1973, the school has a non-selective admissions policy and currently caters for approximately 1,200 students from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Although no longer a part, having become an affiliate of the EISM, Eltham College is a founding member of the ACS. The College is also affiliated with the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria.
The school is also associated with EC Waves swimming club and training most training is held at the Eltham College pool.

History

Campuses

The College currently comprises two campuses:
The College’s main campus, located in Research, focuses on Kindergarten to Year 12, with only a small portion of Year 9 completed there. The Research campus houses the College's sporting facilities, environmental reserve and restaurant, known as Swiper's Gully.
The College's Year 9 campus is located in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, and caters solely for Year 9 students and their preparation for life in the city should their career path be based there. Students spend four of the five school days at the city campus, with the fifth day attended at the Research campus.

Swiper's Gully restaurant

Eltham College is known for being one of the few schools with its own restaurant across the road, better known as "Swiper's Gully". This restaurant is predominantly student run, functioning during most days as a café, and most nights as a restaurant. Employees can either work in the kitchen, making the meals, or can serve the meals as part of their VET in the VCE qualification for hospitality. The menu changes termly and features an entreé, main and dessert, with a variety of wines produced on site and produce also available.

Curriculum

Music

Music at ELTHAM College has become a rather large part of the curriculum. Classes based around music are organised in the kindergarten year. Throughout the junior years students are taught to play recorders as well as song and dance. In the latter years of the junior program students are taught about music technology.
From years 7 and 8 students learn about instrument construction, the role of music in films, percussion performance, an introduction to song writing, the history of pop and rock music and computer music composition. In Year 9 music becomes a partial elective and from Year 10 onwards music becomes a complete elective.
The VCE music course is based around being able to create a solo performance as part of the assessment. Music also offers two certificates separate to the VCE program which involve developing skills for the music industry. These programs, assessed by the school's music staff, allow senior students to organise and coordinate regular weekend performance nights that showcase the talents of both current and past alumni.
Outside of classroom lessons, private instrumental classes are offered to students. These are run either before, during or after school hours.
ELTHAM College also has a competition based around music. Each year students compete in their houses for the Pitcher Trophy. Each house must develop and perform a 15-20 minute performance incorporating Acting, Dance, Choir and Instrumental. Eltham invites external adjudicators to judge the performance of the acts. The event takes place annually at Hamer Hall in the Melbourne Arts Centre. There is a singing competition that takes place each year.

Sport and physical education

Inter-school sport

The physical education program is offered to all students from Prep to Year 12, with students being able to compete in inter-school competition from Grade 3, with compulsory participation from Grade 5 up to and including Year 10. Grades 3 to 6 play many of the same sports as the secondary students, often with slight rule and equipment modifications to cater for their ages. Most of the sporting venues are on campus including playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, A hockey pitch and a Swimming Pool.
In the primary years ELTHAM College is part of the Eltham District Primary School Sports Association. St. Thomas Apostle, Eltham North Primary School, Eltham Primary School, Eltham East Primary School, Research Primary School and Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School are also in the district league.
In the secondary years ELTHAM College is a founding member of the ACS.. Westbourne Grammar, St Leonard's College, St. Michael’s Grammar, Loyola College are also members of this district league. Overnewton College and Thomas Carr College joined the league in 2003.

Houses

House sport

ELTHAM has a house sports competition involving all students, which comprises athletics, swimming, cross country running and tennis. Squads are selected following these carnivals to represent the school in the district competition, which incorporates bi weekly training sessions leading up to the carnivals. Doncaster Little Athletics, Watermarc, Greensborough and Cross Country and House tennis are on the school grounds.

School song

The school song, We're All Different People, was written by Graeme Wall, the first Director of Music at the College.

School journal

The Forum Magazine is the journal of ELTHAM College. It is published on an annual basis; with the first edition having been issued in 1974.

Alumni

Sport
Media, entertainment and the arts