Ballarat Grammar School releases independent cultural review
Ballarat Grammar School has today released the Learning from Experience: Report on the Independent Cultural Review of Ballarat Grammar School by Intersection.
Commissioned in May 2025 following incidents of peer-to-peer physical violence and the practice of "strapping" in one of the School's boarding houses, the Review examined Ballarat Grammar's culture, operational practices and safeguarding arrangements to identify opportunities to strengthen safety, governance and accountability.
The Review was informed by the experiences and perspectives of over 600 participants including current and former students, parents, employees and former members of the Ballarat Grammar community. The findings identify systemic issues including inconsistencies in behaviour management, gaps between the School's stated values and everyday experiences, a lack of meaningful consultation and engagement, and governance and reporting systems that had not kept pace with the School's growth. The report makes 44 recommendations that the Ballarat Grammar Board has accepted in principle.
Many of the structural issues and challenges experienced at Ballarat Grammar and identified in this report are applicable to other educational institutions. Consequently, there are learnings here for the broader sector.
Intersection acknowledges the contributions of the Ballarat Grammar community who engaged meaningfully with this Review. These experiences have informed the findings and recommendations. The school has already taken positive steps to make change, the task ahead is to deepen those actions and embed lasting reform.
For resources to support governing for culture in schools, see our Safety@School series available at www.intersection.work/schools