Denomination Uniting Church Chairman Mr. Raymond Spencer Phone +61 8 8274 4333 Number of students 1,030 (P-12) | Established 1919 Principal John Newton Founded 1919 Colors Blue, Gold | |
Type Independent, Co-educational, Day & Boarding Motto Scientia, Humanitas, Religio Address Carruth Rd, Torrens Park SA 5062, Australia Similar Mercedes College, Pembroke School, Pulteney Grammar School, Prince Alfred College, Seymour College Profiles |
Scotch College is an independent, Uniting Church, co-educational, day and boarding school, located on two adjacent campuses in Torrens Park and Mitcham, inner-southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.
Contents
- History
- Campus
- Facilities
- ICT
- Performing arts
- Boarding
- Positive education
- Caledonian
- Kyre College
- Scotch College
- Politics
- Business
- Public Service
- The Arts
- Sport
- Science
- References
Founded in 1919 out of the earlier Kyre College (1902-1918), and incorporated under an Act of Parliament in 1922, Scotch currently caters for approximately 1000 students including more than 100 boarders in Years 7 to 12.
Scotch College is affiliated with the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Independent Schools Sport Association (ISSA) and the Independent Girls' Schools Sport Association (IGSSA).
On 4 September 2014, it was announced that Dr. John Newton would become the new Principal, succeeding Tim Oughton. Dr. Newton was previously headmaster of Taunton School in the UK.
History
Scotch College was founded as a Presbyterian school for boys, a niche that was not served in South Australia previously.
In the late 19th Century, there were several attempts to found a Presbyterian boys school in South Australia. At the time, Presbyterianism was the fifth largest religion in the colony, after Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Congregationalism, and Methodism. Only 5-10% of the colony's inhabitants belonged to that denomination. Many of the larger denominations already had private schools, such as St. Peter's College (Anglican), Prince Alfred College (Methodist). Although Scotch College, Melbourne had been successfully running as a Presbyterian boys school in Victoria since 1851, funding shortages prevented the funding of a South Australian Presbyterian school until later.
In 1902, Kyre College, which would eventually become Scotch College, was founded by David Henry Hollidge (1868–1963) in Malvern and in 1903 moved to Unley Park. The school grew quickly and prospered until about 1913, after which enrollments declined as a result of an agricultural downturn and eventually World War I.
In the meantime, the idea of founding an independent Presbyterian boys school remained popular, and funding was finally secured after the War. In 1918, Kyre College became Scotch College and first operated under that name in 1919. An enduring legend associated with the College is that it was founded in the memory of the "Sons of Scotland who fought and died in The Great War of 1914–1918".
The re-formed school was initially called Kyre Scotch College. The name "Scotch" was added due to the Scottish origins of Presbyterianism, just as it was for Scotch College, Melbourne. The first headmaster was Norman Gratton, previously a Presbyterian Church elder, and the College officially incorporated under an Act of Parliament in 1922.
In 1920 the College moved to the current location of the Middle and Senior School campus in Torrens Park, formerly the property of Sir Robert Richard Torrens, Sir Walter Walton Hughes, and Mr Robert Barr Smith.
During World War II, the property was used by the United States Army and then the Royal Australian Air Force, and the school was forced to move to Birralee, Belair and Brierly Lodge from May 1942 to February 1944. "Gratton House", now the Middle School, was built as a memorial to 57 Old Collegians who were killed in World War II.
In 1972 the College became co-educational, and the Middle School was founded the following year. In 1977 the Presbyterian Church of Australia merged with the Methodist and Congregational churches to form the Uniting Church of Australia and Scotch College changed its religious affiliation accordingly. Today, the College is administered by a Council of Governors in connection with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Campus
Scotch College is situated on two neighbouring campuses, covering over 20 hectares in the Torrens Park area of Mitcham, about 8 kilometres south of Adelaide, in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges. The two campuses of the College are:
Facilities
The Torrens Park Campus includes the following facilities:
ICT
The school has a strong focus on the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Every Middle and Senior school student is required to have a laptop, and most school work is done electronically, helping students to develop independence and organisational skills.
Junior school students learn basic robotics, clay-mation and film making.
Performing arts
Scotch College has traditionally had a strong Performing Arts emphasis with many students excelling in the area such as actress Sarah Snook. Students can elect to study dance, drama and music as either a curriculum subject or as a co-curricula activity. The Scotch Performing Arts Co-Curricula Enrichment (SPACE) program delivers an opportunity for students to be involved in major productions. Performing Arts facilities at Scotch include three dance studios, the Barr-Smith Theatre, extensive drama classrooms, private and ensemble music rooms, the Chapel and a multimedia recording facility, the "Soundhouse".
Boarding
Scotch College has provided boarding facilities for students since the school’s establishment in 1919. In 2011, the College opened a new Rosevear Boarding Precinct to significantly enhance facilities, which include spacious individual and shared bedrooms, large common rooms with kitchenettes, laundry and storage areas, study spaces, a tutors’ suite, and a large outdoor barbecue area. Managed by a Director and Deputy Director of Boarding, the College’s boarding house currently accommodates more than 100 students each year from Years 7-12, both male and female.
Positive education
Scotch College is committed to "positive education" and has adopted various programs and principles from US psychologist and educator, Dr Martin Seligman, as part of the school’s overall education offering. In 2011, Scotch became the first school in South Australia to formally implement positive psychology programs as part of the school’s curriculum.
Caledonian
The name Scotch College reflects the school's Scottish heritage, which is most powerfully expressed through the Caledonian Corps. Although the College was founded in 1919, there was no caledonian band until almost 40 years later. Not until the advent of the Cadet Corps, and the need this generated for a band that could provide suitable marching music, was a band founded and funded. At present the band continues despite the cadet corps not having existed for over 30 years.
Kyre College
Scotch College
The title "Headmaster" was replaced by the gender-neutral "Principal", beginning with Kenneth Webb in 1992.
Formal portraits of the College's past Principals and Headmasters hang in the atrium of the chapel.