Independent Cultural Review of Ballarat Grammar

Ballarat Grammar has engaged Intersection, a consulting firm that specialises in organisational culture, to conduct an independent cultural review (Review).  

The purpose of the Review is to gain insight into Ballarat Grammar’s cultural strengths and identify opportunities to build on these foundations. Recognising the importance of fostering a school environment and culture of safety, respect and inclusion, Ballarat Grammar leadership has asked Intersection to undertake the Review with a view to making recommendations to achieve lasting cultural change.  

The Review will aim to build an understanding of the school’s culture and identify strengths, risks and opportunities for improvement. It will examine: 

  • experiences of harmful behaviour within the school environment, including bullying, hazing, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse 

  • awareness and understanding of the school’s values and behavioural expectations 

  • the drivers (or causes) of harmful behaviour 

  • ways to address these drivers and risks.  

The Review will seek to hear from students, staff and others within the Ballarat Grammar community, and review policies, procedures and other data, to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and individual experiences to inform its recommendations. At the conclusion of the Review, Intersection will provide the school with a report setting out its recommendations for improvement and to address identified drivers and risks. The Report will be submitted in the first quarter of 2026.

The Review was first announced in May 2025 as part of Ballarat Grammar’s response to reports of allegations of harmful behaviour at the school, in particular its Boarding Houses. The focus of the Review is on cultural and systemic issues, and it is not an investigation or ‘fact finding’ process. It does not extend to making findings or determinations about any individual incident or allegation where it is essential that procedural fairness is extended to all parties.   

This Review is independent and separate from other reviews or investigations commissioned or conducted by Ballarat Grammar. 

Key Dates and Further Information

The consultation period for the Review will commence on 1 September 2025 and is currently scheduled to end on 17 October 2025.

Please see the Participant Information Sheet below for further details about the Review including how to participate, or download a copy of the Sheet. Please note that there are different methods of participation for different groups.

To contact the Intersection team about the Review please email BGconfidential@intersection.work.

  • Intersection is an independent external consulting organisation with extensive experience in sensitively and safely examining issues of harmful behaviour, including bullying, hazing, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse, in educational contexts.  

    It also assesses the impact of these and other factors on organisational culture. Intersection has conducted many projects of this kind and has a strong reputation for offering practical, evidence-based recommendations, based on individual feedback and leading practice. 

  • The following groups within the Ballarat Grammar community are being invited to participate in the Review: 

    • Students from the senior, middle and junior school 

    • Current staff   

    • Parents of current students 

    • Former students and their parents 

    • Former staff. 

  • Child safety is central to the conduct of the Review.  

    Intersection’s team of experts are experienced in taking a trauma-informed and child safe approach to engagements with children and young people on sensitive issues. 

    Where we engage with children or young people under the age of 18 we take additional steps to ensure their safety including: 

    • ensuring all staff have Working With Children Checks 

    • adhering to our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy 

    • implementing protocols for obtaining and confirming parent or guardian consent 

    • ensuring child-friendly engagement methods are used for different age cohorts.  

    Please contact us at BGConfidential@intersection.work if you would like to obtain a copy of our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy. 

  • Participation in this project is entirely voluntary. Students, staff, parents and carers are encouraged to participate to ensure a rich and diverse range of experiences are captured to inform the work, but there is no obligation to do so. 

    A ‘two stage’ consent process will be adopted for all junior, middle and senior school students participating in the Review: 

    • Step 1: Firstly, written consent will be sought from a parent/guardian.  

    • Step 2: Where consent is provided by parent/guardian, consent will then also be sought from the child or young person immediately prior to their participation.  

    Ballarat Grammar will manage the process for obtaining consent of parents/guardians through Edsmart. 

    Where a child or young person does not wish to participate in the Review (i.e. does not provide their express consent verbally in a focus group or via participation in a survey or submission process) they will not be included in any forms of engagement. This is an important measure to ensure that the safety, dignity and agency of participants and potential participants is prioritised.  

    Further details and age-appropriate information about participating in the Review will be sent to students at a later date.   

  • Outlined below is information about how and when specific groups can participate.  

    Details of these options are outlined below in ‘Different methods of participating’.

    I am a junior school student:

    • focus groups onsite at Ballarat Grammar from 6 to 17 October 2025

    • guided online submission form (for year 5 and 6 students only) from 6 to 17 October 2025.

    I am a middle or senior school student:

    • focus groups onsite at Ballarat Grammar from 6 to 17 October 2025

    • online anonymous survey from 8 to 19 October 2025.

    I am a former student:

    • interview via MS Teams from 1 September to 17 October 2025

    • online submission form from 1 September to 17 October 2025.

    I am a parent/guardian of a current or former student:

    • interview via MS Teams from 1 to 17 October 2025

    • online submission form from 1 September to 17 October 2025.

    I am a current staff member:

    • interview via MS Teams from 1 September to 17 October 2025

    • interview onsite at Ballarat Grammar from 6 to 17 October 2025

    • online submission form from 1 September to 17 October 2025

    • online anonymous survey from 8 to 19 October 2025.

    I am a former staff member:

    • interview via MS Teams from 1 September to 17 October 2025

    • online submission form from 1 September to 17 October 2025

  • There are a number of ways to take part in the Review with different options available for specific groups.

    These include:  

    • focus groups with students held onsite at the school   

    • individual interviews  

    • an online submissions process 

    • an anonymous survey. 

    Focus Groups

    Focus groups are small group discussions (8–20 people), facilitated by 2 Intersection team members. They typically take 45–60 minutes and will be conducted in separate sessions for each of the groups outlined in section 6 above. 

     In the focus groups, students will be asked questions presented in a child-centred, trauma-informed and age-appropriate way about: 

    • the culture of the school environment 

    • practices or factors that support safety and respect in the school environment 

    • factors that may increase the risk of harmful behaviours (eg bullying, hazing, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse) 

    • their awareness and engagement with relevant training or education, policies, reporting processes, and support services. 

    None of the questions are mandatory, and students may stop participating at any time. The Intersection team understands that discussing these topics can be distressing. All participants will be treated with dignity and respect and provided with support service information (see ‘Who can I contact if I need support?’ below). 

    Information shared in focus groups is confidential and helps build a deeper understanding of the culture of Ballarat Grammar. Verbal consent is sought prior to the session commencing, and participants are asked not to share others' information outside the session.  

    Focus groups will generally be held in person and are designed to allow everyone an opportunity to participate in a group where they feel safe to share. Sessions may be audio recorded with the permission of all participants for the purpose of note-taking. 

    Interviews

    Individual interviews involve a member of the Intersection team speaking confidentially with you to explore your experiences and perspectives on the current culture of the school environment. Interviews take approximately 45–60 minutes. 

    The questions asked in interviews will be the similar to those asked in focus groups. 

    Sessions may be audio recorded with the participant’s permission.  

    Current and former parents, and current and former staff may request an interview via the Interview Request Form. 

    Submissions

    Submissions will be in the format of a guided online form. Different submission forms will be provided for different groups. This is to support a child-centred approach to the Review.  

    The guided form will provide prompts for information. You are also welcome to use the free text section and attachment option in the form to include any prepared text or input. 

    Survey

    The survey is completely anonymous. There will be one version of the survey for current students (middle and senior school only), and one for current staff (teachers and non-teaching boarding staff). The survey will be used to collect quantitative data regarding the experiences of students (middle and senior school) and staff (teachers and non-teaching boarding staff) in the school environment. 

    The survey will ask questions about: 

    • the prevalence and nature of harmful behaviours (e.g. bullying, hazing, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse) 

    • the impact of harmful behaviours 

    • reporting and complaint experiences, including any barriers  

    • perceptions of safety and accessing support.  

  • Information shared in focus groups or interviews will remain strictly confidential, in line with Intersection’s Privacy Policy, and be used only for the purposes of the Review. Intersection will produce a report for Ballarat Grammar and its Board with recommendations for improvement. Any data used in reports or communications will be de-identified to prevent individuals from being identified. 

  • If you agree to participate but later wish to withdraw, you may do so at any time by emailing BGconfidential@intersection.work by 30 October 2025. 

  • If you feel unsafe, please call 000.

    You can also contact the police regarding any sexual assault, harassment, or bullying that involves criminal conduct. 

    External Support Services:

    Sexual Assault and Trauma Support

    Mental Health

    Workplace and Bullying

    Workplace Health and Safety

Participant Information Sheet