Huntingtower School

Tour at Huntingtower 

Tour of secondary school was taken on Thursday morning by admissions officer Elisha Rulton

Guests were taken around the school in a small group of about 10 people

There was no opportunity to hear from the Principal or speak with students

Vibe at Huntingtower School

Huntingtower is set out in the leafy suburb of Mt Waverley.  Behind the gate in a quiet street is quite large grounds with several green spaces and a number of buildings.  

Perhaps it was because there were several year levels away on camps and other experiences, but the school seemed very quiet while we were touring.  School grounds were clean and pleasant but not overly modern.  There are only 775 students from Foundation to Year 12 so it is a small school and what seems like a tight knit community within the school.  

In primary school there is only one class per grade.  In secondary, there are 4 year 7 classes with a maximum of 24 students per class.  

view full gallery pictures here

It seems like there is a strong sense of community at Huntingtower.  Elisha commented that at the interviews for enrolment, the whole family is expected to attend because once a child starts at the school the family becomes part of the community.  

There are many opportunities for parents to engage with the school including a strong Parents and Friends committee, canteen duty, Mother’s and Father’s Day brunches, fundraising and probably more.  One of the parents commented that the boys he met at university from Huntingtower tended to still stick together at university, suggesting that strong bonds are formed during their secondary schooling.  

Gender balance is 50:50.

Enrolment at Huntingtower School

Year 7 is their main intake year in secondary.  There are 4 classes of year 7s and one class moves up from primary school meaning there are three classes of new students.

Students are required to apply for year 7 Huntingtower when they are grade 4.  Applications open in terms 1 and 2 and decisions will be made in the same year.  

Students are selected based on everything including NAPLAN results, teacher’s comments, behaviour and effort, extra curricular activities and reasons for choosing Huntingtower.  Students will be chosen to be interviewed by the Principal or Vice Principal and then offered a spot some time during that year.  Selection is not based on the date of application.  

Second round offers may happen the year prior to year 7 entry as circumstances may change in some families.  

Some entries may also become available in years 8, 9 and 10, but very few.

Academics at Huntingtower School

Surprisingly academics wasn’t a focus on the tour. Huntingtower consistently ranks very well – within the top 10 of top Melbourne Secondary Schools on the Better Education site.  When I asked Elisha about why she thought they did so well in VCE scores, she said actually academics isn’t really pushed at the school.  She said that if you are a student looking purely for an academic school, then Huntingtower isn’t the right school. 

There are many other aspects of school going on like sports, music and arts which students are really encouraged to join.  She thinks they do so well in academics because the community is very tightly knit and there is a culture of respect and good behaviour at the school.  

I also asked about tuition and whether many students are tutored after school as rumoured.  She said yes there are students who are tutored, but it’s not something that is encouraged or discouraged by the school.  

“Period 6” is a study session that is held every day after school supervised by teachers.  Students are encourage to go for help with any study issues.

Religion at Huntingtower School

Huntingtower is a Christian Science school.  In years 7 and 8, students do a bible study class as one of their subjects however, they learn about all religions, not just Christianity.  The aim is to instil Christian values into students such as kindness and looking after one another rather than preaching religion to them.  There are readings in assembly but students don’t go to church and there are no religion classes after year 8.  There is no requirement to be Christian to attend Huntingtower, however Christians may be prioritised for entry into the school.  

Year 9 

Year 9 is a busy year with many experiences and opportunities such as the ski camp and city experience.  Triathlon is also compulsory in year 9. 

Sport at Huntingtower School

It seems like sport is quite a big part of life at Huntingtower.  

With their indoor pool and intense swimming program in year 7, Huntingtower especially excels at competitive interschool swimming.  In year 7, swimming is compulsory as part of PE and sport.  Students who struggle swimming are encouraged to take lessons over summer to get up to speed.  Swimming carnivals are held at MSAC in Glen Waverley.  

view full gallery pictures here

There is no Saturday sport at Huntingtower.  Students do PE and Sport at school and interschool sports is held during those times.  

In year 9, all students do a triathlon which involves running, swimming and cycling.  This is compulsory which is why students must know how to swim.  

Performing arts and media at Huntingtower School 

Every year Huntingtower put on a production of either a musical or stage show.  

We were lucky to be taken backstage of the auditorium by the passionate performing arts teacher.  He said many students get involved with productions each year, not only in performing but with costume design, lighting, direction, set design, make up, choreography etc.  Industry professionals and past students are asked to come in and help students with every aspect of the production.  “If they want to be a part of it, they can be a part it” he said, meaning they encourage and support the students to empower them to take part in the production.  This year 110 students were involved with the production.  

view full gallery pictures here

We were also taken to a media room with a sound studio.  In media studies, students study media such as producing a Youtube channel and news broadcast.  

Music at Huntingtower School

In years 7 and 8 classroom music is compulsory.  Individual instruments aren’t compulsory, but private lessons can be taken at school during class time ( at an extra fee ).  There are many orchestras and choirs that students can participate in.  

For music students there are also overseas tours to France and Italy where students get to perform and experience some of the culture of the country such as opera.  These tours take place during school holidays and are not compulsory.  Parents can even tag along on a “parallel tour” where they stay at different accommodation from the students.  

Inclusivity and diversity at Huntingtower School

I asked about catering for neurodiversity such as students with ASD and ADHD.  Elisha said that they do have neurodiverse students and the learning enrichment team can help with students with slow processing speed for example.  However, there is no funding for aides in classrooms and they cannot cater for students who require such aides.  

I also enquired if there is an LGBTQI club at the school ( as there frequently is ).  Elisha said she is aware of an inclusivity club, but was unsure of what it is called.  

Elisha said that Huntingtower is an inclusive community and bullying is not tolerated.  If required, the Principal will get involved if any bullying issues escalate.  

Languages

French and Indonesian are offered at Huntingtower.  

Wellbeing

There is a Wellbeing Hub where the old boarding school ( now closed ) used to be.  Elisha didn’t go into specifics but she mentioned there are school counsellors, psychologist and learning enrichment team who all contribute to wellbeing of students.  

Students are assigned a staff mentor each year who would be their first port of call for any well being issues.  

School buses 

Huntingtower doesn’t have private school busses, however the school is very close to the train line and easily accessible via train.  

Mobile phone policy 

According to Elisha they have a fairly relaxed mobile phone policy. Students aren’t allowed to use phones during class time.  Students are also discouraged from using them during recess and lunch times however, the policy isn’t strict.  Teachers may ask students to put away their phones if they feel they aren’t engaging with each other enough but there isn’t detention or confiscation if they are being used.  

Final words 

Huntingtower is a school that is well regarded for its academic results, with students scoring consistently well in recent years.  Surprisingly on the tour, there wasn’t much of a focus on academics – ATAR scores were not mentioned at all.  Instead there was significant focus on the school community and how the tight knit community supports learning.  It seems that when students are selected for entry into Huntingtower the entire family goes to the interview with the view that the families will become part of the school community.  Huntingtower is a small school, but seems to offer many and varied extracurricular opportunities as well as an excellent academic education.

Do you have any experience, questions or comments about this school? Let our community know and add a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!

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Crystal Wong

Crystal Wong is an SEO Consultant, digital marketer and founder of Melbourne Schools.

Mum to the best little girl. Lover of cats, coffee and books.

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