Wesley College is a leading coeducational, open-entry school.
Established more than 150 years ago, the College has enriched the lives of thousands of students through its outstanding liberal, broad-based curriculum. International students from a range of cultures choose Wesley because of our strong tradition of academic excellence, outstanding curricular and cocurricular programs and state-of-the-art facilities.
Wesley has three metropolitan campuses in Melbourne:
- Elsternwick, 3-year-olds to Year 9
- Glen Waverley, 3-year-olds to Year 12
- St Kilda Road, 3-year-olds to Year 12
Boarding at Wesley
Wesley’s dynamic new boarding facility, Learning in Residence, is purpose-built for Senior School students (Years 10–12), from metropolitan Melbourne, rural Australia and various international locations.
The modern Learning in Residence facility features twin-share rooms with en suites, a central courtyard and a 240 seat communal dining room. Situated on campus adjacent to the Senior School, students have immediate access to sport, music and drama facilities. Students are supported with outstanding academic mentoring, pastoral care, and a range of extension and cocurricular opportunities to help them develop intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually.
Enrolments are open for full-time and weekly boarding options.
Academic excellence
Wesley places the highest value on academic excellence, and encourages each student to aspire to achieve excellence in all areas of learning.
Wesley is one of the top Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in Australia, and one of the only schools in Victoria to offer the IB continuum from Primary through to Middle and Senior Schools.
Cocurricular learning
What sets Wesley apart are the opportunities for students to explore their interests and talents across a rich variety of activities, from visual and performing arts, to sport, music, outdoor education and community service. With a choice of 19 sports, 23 bands, 21 chamber ensembles, 16 choirs, 10 orchestras, 7 musicals and 4 theatre performances, there’s something for every student. Wesley students have won countless awards for their outstanding work – in debating, music, visual arts, drama and literary festivals.
Tertiary destinations
Graduating students move on with much more than an ATAR score. Each student is encouraged to aspire to achieve excellence and personal best in all areas of endeavour. The majority of students are offered a place at either The University of Melbourne or Monash University. Many also choose to study at leading international universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, within such fields as medicine, law, commerce, politics, science and information technology. Students applying to study at The University of Melbourne may receive preferential entry through the Melbourne Schools Partnership International, of which Wesley College is a member.
Wesley College alumni
Wesley alumni include Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies, prominent scientists, elite athletes, high-profile writers, artists, actors and musicians, world-renowned academics and educators, politicians, media presenters, lawyers and judges, and business leaders.
The alumni community includes:
- 2 former Australian Prime Ministers
- 1 Nobel Laureate
- 1 Senior Australian of the Year
- 1 Kyoto prize winner
- 23 politicians
- 13 Rhodes Scholars
- 1 High Court judge, 7 Supreme Court judges, 2 Federal Court judges and 1 Family Court judge
- 36 Olympic athletes and 1 world champion athlete
- 1 Victoria Cross recipient
IB at Wesley
Wesley College is one of the leading International Baccalaureate (IB) coeducational schools in Australia and the first school in Victoria to offer an IB Programme which spans from ECLC through to Senior School.
As an authorised three-programme IB World School, our students benefit from a continuum of learning at all year levels, including:
- The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) – Three-year-olds to Year 6
- The Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) – Years 7 to 10
- The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) – Years 11 and 12
The IB Programme at Wesley provides students with a balanced approach to learning, which emphasises their development as life-long learners. Our students are instilled with a sense of inquiry and international mindedness that empowers them to become active, compassionate, global citizens.
Wesley offers a number of pathways for Senior School students (Years 10–12), and a growing number of students, are electing to do our globally recognised International Baccalaureate Programme (IB DP).
Our IB DP provides a rigorous two-year pre-university curriculum, characterised by:
- Academic breadth, depth and rigour, which are recognised by universities worldwide
- Emphasis on promoting international awareness among students
- Attention to developing socially responsible citizens of the world with an awareness of global perspectives
At Wesley, we work with each student to help them select the study path that is right for them, to ensure they make informed choices about their future.
The IB DP is suited to students who aspire to pursue tertiary studies at university in Australia or overseas, and are interested in developing their international awareness and communication skills. Students may also elect to study the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).
In 2018, 41% of our Year 12 students studied for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
At Wesley College, the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is focused on building our students’ conceptual understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes, not only to excel in their studies, but also for their personal growth and understanding of the world. It is grounded in a deep belief about the nature of learning and a desire to develop students who have an international outlook.
Six transdisciplinary themes of global significance provide a dynamic framework for exploration and study in Early Learning–Year 6:
- Who we are
- Where we are in place and time
- How we express ourselves
- How the world works
- How we organise ourselves
- Sharing the planet
An international education is dynamic and responds to ever-changing global needs. Through an exploration of concepts such as conflict resolution, cultural identity, individual and collective responsibility and sustainability, we aim to develop in our children an understanding of their power to enact change at personal, local and global levels.
— Wesley College Primary Years Teacher
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) enables students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to learn and grow during a pivotal time in their lives.
It builds on the knowledge and skills developed through the IB PYP, fostering a sense of intellectual curiosity, and providing students with an opportunity to express their thoughts and perspectives on what they have learnt.