Ballarat Grammar junior campus ‘dangerously unsafe’, insiders claim

The principal of Ballarat Grammar has addressed claims the school is “dangerously unsafe”, moving to reassure parents after reports of students being punched, bitten and kicked.

Ballarat Grammar’s junior campus has been described as ‘dangerously unsafe’.

The Ballarat Grammar principal has addressed claims the school is “dangerously unsafe” acknowledging reports of inappropriate behaviour were “concerning”.

His comments come after the Herald Sun revealed on Sunday that junior students have been forced to endure repeated violence prompting multiple classroom evacuations.

In a statement issued to the school community on Sunday, principal Adam Heath assured parents the school was undergoing “cultural reform”, with highly-respected expert Natasha de Silva leading a second-semester review.

Mr Heath said the review’s findings “will be presented directly to the board, along with any recommendations they make for positive change”.

He invited parents to contact the school, urging them to bring forth any concerns via phone, email, or an “in-person meeting”

Mr Heath affirmed that the school is “working tirelessly” to maintain safety for “all students at Ballarat Grammar School.”

An earlier statement from the school said it “has a policy of not responding to individual student matters to protect the privacy of the children involved.

“Any allegations made to the School are investigated thoroughly and this process is in place.”

It comes after the Herald Sun reported that students at Ballarat Grammar’s junior campus were forced to endure repeated violence prompting multiple classroom evacuations last year.

The Herald Sun became aware of months of critical incidents which have resulted in injury to many students.

Allegations included students being punched and slapped in the head, pushed to the ground, bitten and kicked. Students are also being called derogatory names and a range of other sexist and racist terms are often heard on the junior campus.

Both boys and girls have been the targets of such violence.

The Herald Sun understands many members of the school community are frustrated the problems haven’t been dealt with by the college, which charges $26,000 in annual tuition fees for day students in year 12 and $50,000 for boarders.

“The kids don’t feel safe. It’s the same as the boarding house issues. The school knows about it but does nothing. It’s dangerously unsafe,” one source said.

Multiple serious assaults have been reported, including a serious coward’s punch in the playground last Thursday which was witnessed by both junior and senior students on the school grounds.

Concerns are being raised about the gap between the school’s lack of action and their stated policy of having a “zero tolerance of child abuse”, with an apparent disconnect between the everyday management of issues and values statements on the school’s website.

The school’s core values state that “child protection is a shared responsibility between all employees, contractors, associates and members of the Ballarat Grammar community”.

“The greater Ballarat community is at a loss as to how the school can guarantee the safety of the children,” one source said.

“They are not upholding these core values.”

It’s not clear whether the school’s board is aware of these concerns.

Ballarat Grammar has also been accused of having a “toxic” culture in the boarding house, with more than a dozen families documenting a cycle of grooming, violence and physical punishments among students as young as 12 and older students.

A number of senior students were expelled earlier this year over brutal lashings, students being forced to eat off food, stripped naked and being forced to swim in Lake Wendouree in the dark, among other incidents.

The Victorian Registration and Quality Authority is investigating Ballarat Grammar’s boarding licence.

Following an external review, the school has already implemented a range of security measures in the boarding house, including security guards, additional staff and the introduction of a new anonymous reporting tool.