Indigenous Program
Vision
A Commitment to First Nations Education
Ballarat Grammar will act to ensure that the rich and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories are embraced, taught and celebrated. We foster an enriched relationship between our whole school community and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. As a school community we are committed to creating a culturally safe environment for all members of the School.
We work closely with students, their families, and their communities to ensure each student is supported in a way that is culturally respectful, meaningful and grounded in strong relationships.
Our Program
Our Indigenous Excellence Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through a broad range of in-school and co-curricular opportunities that foster courage, aspiration, learning, character, belonging, future-focused thinking, and giving. The Program is grounded in a commitment to Indigenous excellence and the development of each student’s strengths, identity and potential.
To ensure meaningful two-way learning, growth and respect, we actively engage with local, State, and Federal initiatives. This includes partnerships, professional learning and access to training and funding opportunities that support a sustained and culturally informed approach to our Indigenous Excellence Program.
Indigenous Scholarships
Support is available
We are committed to improving access to education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through our Indigenous Scholarship Program. The Program supports students to access a Ballarat Grammar education while honouring their cultural identity and connection to Country. Scholarships are also available through our partner, The Smith Family, and their
Indigenous Youth Leadership Program.
These opportunities are made possible through the generosity of the Ballarat Grammar community. By supporting our Indigenous Scholarships, you help advance equity in education, strengthen future pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and contribute to reconciliation through meaningful, sustained action.
Every gift creates a lasting impact that not only supports individual students but also their families, communities and the generations they will influence.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Ballarat Grammar launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2020, developed in collaboration with a RAP Working Group that included student leaders and Old Grammarians. The RAP provides a clear framework to strengthen and consolidate the School’s approach to reconciliation, ensuring it delivers meaningful and lasting benefits across the whole School community.
A RAP is a formal statement which recognises our commitment to reconciliation. By making this commitment, we aim to create a place of teaching and learning that is culturally inclusive, where aspirations are fostered, diversity is acknowledged and genuine conversations about closing the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are ongoing.
Further Information
Further enquiries can be made by contacting Mr Lachlan Barber via email Lachlan.Barber@bgs.vic.edu.au
Acknowledgement of Country
Ballarat and Queen’s Anglican Grammar School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we learn, live and work, the Wadawurrung People, and recognises their continuing connection to the land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Commitment to Child Safety
Ballarat Grammar maintains a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse and actively implements measures to identify and manage any risks of harm to students within our school environment. The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people are central and fundamental responsibilities of the School. We are firmly committed to fostering a child-safe culture that provides an environment where students are safe and feel safe, where their participation is valued, their views respected, and their voices heard in decisions that affect their lives. Ballarat Grammar values diversity and strictly prohibits any racist or discriminatory practices. All members of our school community share the responsibility to care for children and young people by promptly raising any concerns regarding their safety, promoting their wellbeing, and protecting them from all forms of harm or abuse.
