We would all recognise the importance of making a strong start to the year and, for students, this includes making sure that the little things are all in order. Uniform and personal presentation are among those ‘little things’, and these standards are best maintained when parents and the School work together. When parents require their children to come to school with the correct hair, jewellery and uniform in place, it gives a clear message that home and the School are aligned and that parents and carers support the School’s values. 

Please support the School in ensuring that your son/daughter is wearing their Summer Uniform correctly, has their hair cut to an appropriate length/style and ensure that any jewellery and makeup are aligned with the School’s expectations.  

For ease of reference, expectations for uniform and personal presentation can be found in student diaries on pages 16 and 17, as well as in our online uniform guide.

Wednesday 5 February, 5.30pm, Illawarra Grammar Centre (IGC)

For our Year 7 families, this event provides an opportunity for us to introduce you to the teachers and mentors who will play a significant role in your child’s life over the coming four terms. The second purpose of the evening is to provide you and your son/daughter with a wealth of information about the Year 7 Camp taking place in Week 3 – which we thoroughly expect will be a highlight of the year for many of the students attending.

This event will take place in the IGC, commencing at 5.30pm. Please see the school map to find the location of the IGC. Parking is available in the P2 car park, accessible from the top of Powell Street.

Opening the School Library to senior students on Saturdays during term time proved very popular in 2024. We will continue to offer this service on Saturdays during term time in 2025 – providing a place for senior students in Years 10 – 12 to continue their studies, to prepare for assessment tasks and so forth.

Saturday Library will commence at the end of Week 2, Saturday 8 February. The Library will be open from 9.00am until 2.00pm and students are free to arrive and leave at a time that best suits them.

One significant addition to the service offered in 2024 will be the provision of academic tuition. Initially, senior students in Years 10 – 12 studying any Chemistry, Physics or Maths HSC course will be able to pose questions, seek guidance and learn from the success of ex-students from the Class of 2024 who achieved at high levels in their recent HSC examinations. The tuition service will be available between 11.00am and 2.00pm.

During next Tuesday’s Assembly, Ms Hetherington will be launching the timetable of sports coaching and cocurricular events for the year ahead. Students will be encouraged to consider the wealth of options available before signing up for activities of interest to them. The program will be available to parents via OLLE after the Assembly.

Mr Chris Breheny – Head of Academics

The Illawarra Grammar School’s excellent 2024 HSC results are testament to relentless effort and resolute commitment to excellence that define our academic culture. Our students, supported by dedicated teachers and a school environment that values endeavour and resilience, have demonstrated what is possible when challenges are embraced, high expectations are met with determination, and learning is pursued with grit and purpose.

This year, Illawarra Grammar was ranked 74th in NSW, a wonderful reflection of our School’s commitment to pushing beyond ‘good enough’ in pursuit of personal and collective excellence. Joel Turner led the way with an ATAR of 98.60, while an impressive 51% of our students earned a place on the NSW Distinguished Achievers’ List. Our median ATAR of 86.00 reflects the depth of academic success across the cohort.

More than 52% of our students achieved an ATAR above 85, with 33% above 90, and 12% above 95 – a wonderful achievement that speaks to the strength of our academic programs and culture of collective endeavour. We also celebrate our two NSW All Round Achievers who demonstrated academic consistency by excelling across all of their subjects, while eleven students were nominated for the prestigious SHAPE Exhibition and ENCORE Showcase, highlighting the breadth of talent across both academic and creative disciplines.

Our English faculty continues to set increasingly high standards, with Illawarra Grammar ranked 23rd in NSW for English Advanced, English Extension 1, and English Extension 2. This ranking places us among the state’s leading schools in these courses, a level of achievement that reflects rigorous teaching, high expectations and an unwavering commitment to pushing students beyond the preconceived limits of their potential.

While these results provide us with much to celebrate, they must be leveraged as a platform from which we continue to grow. These results affirm that we are on a trajectory of improvement, and as we commence the 2025 academic year, we will continue to seek out ways to optimise teaching and learning, and challenge our students to aim even higher. Illawarra Grammar is a School where intellectual ambition is nurtured, where rigorous learning is celebrated, and where excellence is defined by the gritty and relentless pursuit of growth.

It’s wonderful to be back for the new academic year, and I look forward to 2025 with much excitement as we continue our journey of academic excellence.