Sydney Grammar School is a selective School. All boys wishing to come to the School must sit our entrance assessment tests in the year prior to entry. We do not have ‘wait-lists’. An application form accompanied with a $275 administration fee is the first step in placing your son’s name on the list of boys sitting the entrance test. The timing of your son’s application form submission has no bearing on your son’s eligibility to sit the tests or the outcome of the selection process, so long as it is received prior to applications closing on April 15 in the year prior to entry. The tests are sat in early May for Form I (Year 7).
Boys must be in Grade 6 at the time of sitting our tests. Boys who perform well in the tests will be shortlisted to participate in one of our activity days. These days consist of fun, non-test-based activities which are designed for us to get to know the boys in a more relaxed, social setting. After the activity days are completed, boys will again be shortlisted for an interview. The interview is an integral part of the selection process and is weighted evenly with their test results and participation in activities days. At the conclusion of the interview stage, offers of a place to start at the School in the following year are posted and emailed to successful candidates. All candidates will be advised the outcome of their application to the School at the earliest possible time and certainly by the end of Term II that year.
Our entrance assessment tests currently comprise of English (comprehension and creative writing) and Mathematics (general ability). We may from time to time add an additional cognitive test. The tests are set and marked by our own staff. Past papers are not provided, nor are results issued.
The School year runs from January to December. Boys offered a place at the School are expected to be present for day one of Term I (January). Please note we do not permit deferment of offers to another year intake, we do not have a mid-year intake nor facilitate positions to be held in lieu of full payment whilst being elsewhere.
On average, we have around 250 boys sitting our entrance assessment tests each year. We have 60-70 places for new boys to join us in Form I.
Sydney Grammar School is not registered to accept International Students. Boys must be Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents, New Zealand Citizens or Temporary 145 Visa holders.
Again, boys must perform well in the tests to be considered going forward. Our Preparatory Schools have their main intake points at Kindergarten, Grade 3 and Grade 5. There is an additional class of 24 boys at any of these points and may also have up to 250 candidates sitting for entry.
You may elect to have your son’s application moved to the next entry point or moved on to Year 7 at College Street. Please note that you must request this in writing, applications are not automatically rolled over.
We have a maximum of 1200 boys on site at College Street.
Fees for the Senior School are currently $40,218 payable in three instalments in Term I, Term II and Term III. There are no discounts for paying the yearly fees in full nor do we offer discounts for multiple children admitted at the School.
Sydney Grammar School has up to 20 Academic Scholarships on offer for boys entering Form I (Year 7). Boys who gain a scholarship are expected to hold it through to Form VI (Year 12) and consistently achieve test marks in the top 20% across the range of subjects taken. Scholarships cover 100% of tuition fees only. Textbooks, uniform, private tuition and sports levies are not covered by the awarded Scholarship.
We also offer up to three Music Scholarships. Boys awarded a music scholarship will also need to demonstrate their academic ability by sitting our regular entrance test in May.
We do not have Scholarships for sports.
Boys in Year 10 may apply for the Chauvel Scholarship. This Scholarship is applied for by boys whose Grandfathers have served or are serving in the Australian Armed Services. Information about applying for the Chauvel Scholarship is provided by the Headmaster, directly to boys in Year 10.
Sydney Grammar School runs an extensive fee-assistance programme to enable boys to attend the School regardless of their family’s financial situation. We aim to ensure that no boy who would thrive here at the School should be prevented from doing so for financial reasons. Therefore, families who have been offered a place at the School are able to apply for financial assistance by way of fee remission on yearly tuition fees. A means-tested application form must be completed and then the application is assessed by our Bursar.
The School is also in a position to provide Bursary assistance to families who find themselves in acute, financial need. A Bursary is a short term (up to 18 months) fee remission and assessed in the same way as an application for means-tested assessment.
Personal devices and laptops are not used in class. Classwork is completed using pens and paper. In Form I all homework (unless specified) is handwritten. Of course, boys may use laptops at home as part of their ongoing revision.
Sport on Saturday is a compulsory part of the School week and must be prioritised over any club sport commitments. Boys are also expected to attend two afternoon training sessions per week. Boys who excel in elite sports outside of School may be granted exemption from time to time, and any permission for exemption would be at the discretion of the Sportsmaster.
Sydney Grammar School is located centrally in the Sydney CBD. Our boys travel from all over Sydney and find their way to school via public transport (train, bus, ferry) or via private car. The School provides private buses for the boys to travel to and from our sports playing fields (Weigall) at Rushcutters Bay for the afternoons of sport training. We do not have dedicated private buses for school arrival and afternoon departure to home.
We advise families to allow around $2000 for a boy’s full school uniform and around $500 for their initial Form I textbooks. Future years do not incur such expenditure as books and uniform items are updated on a when required basis. Second-hand uniforms are also available from the Grammar Shop at a lower cost and the Women’s Association hold an annual second-hand book sale.
Our Grammar Shop is located on site at College Street. Boys are welcome to visit during their breaks on the days the Grammar Shop is open – currently Monday, Thursday and Friday from 12pm. A full list of pricing is available on our website, under Community Quicklinks.
Sydney Grammar School regularly communicates to our parents through the parent portal, our newsletter, bi-annual magazine and offers open communication channels with our Tutors and Housemasters.